In the previous weeks of the blog, we progressed from designing an effective warm-up in different team settings, to designing an entire practice plan for several team settings... So now it would only be right to design an entire week's practice plan. From over a dozen years in college baseball at the D1 & D2 levels, here's what we've got as the best way to get everything done in a week.
Weekly Practice Plan
Monday - Intrasquad
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Offensive Focus
Thursday - Intrasquad
Friday - Defensive Focus
Saturday - Offensive Focus
Sunday - Off
Pitchers
17 pitchers split into their respective groups:
1-2- Hurt/ Rehab group- this group will be on their doctors prescribed rehab program thus not on the other pitcher's schedule
3-4- Onboard group- this group will be the pitchers getting back from a long summer or who are on late-stage rehab. This phase will mimic what the pitchers who are throwing live currently did the cycle before during individual groups.
5-10- Velocity group- this group will be throwing live one day a week. However, their average fastball velocity is not 88mph or faster thus their main focus other than throwing live will be developing velocity. Pitchers 5-6 will be projected as starters.
11-12- Command group- this group will be throwing live one day a week. However, they either have an average fastball velocity of 88+ with subpar command and above-average offspeed pitches. Or their command is so poor that they are not serviceable to throw live on a day-to-day basis. Pitcher 11 will be projected as a starter.
13-14- pitch design group- this group will be throwing live one day a week. They have an average fastball velocity above 88mph, as well as serviceable command, or will be a match-up guy such as a submarine guy who pitches with heavy offspeed. This group is often the most advanced group in the field. Pitcher 13 will be projected as a starter.
15-17- this group is a two-way group meaning they will be throwing live one day a week. Their workload must be managed and this is the main priority for them.
Group 1 Pitchers (Monday Live) 7
8/9/10/12/15/16/17
Group 2 Pitchers (Thursday Live) 6
5/6/7/11/13/14
Group 1- This group projects as bullpen guys
Monday - All pitchers will throw one live inning, with a total body lift following
Tuesday - All pitchers off
Wednesday - Tempo runs for conditioning/ two ways excluded
8-10- Short Box to retain a feel for breaking pitches
12- modified long toss and optional flat ground
15-17- Light catch to give two-way guys arms a break
Thursday - All pitchers total body lift following
8-10- Mound velocity day of some sort
12- High intent command work (differential command)
15-17- modified long toss with short box
Friday - Tempo runs for conditioning/ two ways excluded
8-10- Light catch
12- light catch
15-17- Long toss and throwing during defensive practice
Saturday - All pitchers total body lift following
8-10- Long toss
12- Medium intent command work (differential command)
15-17 light catch to give arms a break
Sunday - All pitchers off
Group 2- This group projects as starters and match up guys
Monday - All pitchers total body lift following
5/6/11/13- Projected starters will throw two innings
7- Left-handed match up guy will throw one inning
14- Submarine guy will throw one inning
Tuesday - All pitchers
Wednesday - tempo runs for conditioning
5-7- Short box to retain a feel for breaking pitches
11- modified long toss and optional flat ground
13-14- modified long toss and optional flat ground
Thursday - all pitchers total body lift following
5-7- Velo day
11- high intent command work
13-14- high intent rapsodo bullpen
Friday - all pitchers light catch, tempo runs conditioning
Saturday - all pitchers total body lift following
5-7- long toss
11- moderate intent command work
13-14- moderate intent pitch design
Positional Players
During individual defense time, players will work with their respective positions. During the offensive time, hitters will have individually assigned drill work for their own needs. This allows for flexibility in a grouping; each player knows their assigned work and will get it in regardless of what his group is doing. The practice plan allows time for this designated "patterning, feel, constraint, and drill" work. During that time, each player has their own specific work to be done. AKA each player will complete individualized work during this time.
We plan one day of defensive-focused team practice - this is the day we have scheduled time for team defense. On the two offensive-focused days, we have time scheduled for individual defense work. We chose this plan because with two intersquads plenty of team defense will be practiced (cuts and relays, bunts, 1st and 3rd, etc). Therefore, the practice time outside of intersquad should be more geared towards positional defensive skill work and offensive production.
To see the full, individual day plans, click here. A brief overview is described below.
Monday - Intraquad + Abbreviated High Intent Total Body lift
Tuesday - Off day
Wednesday - Offensive Focus + High intent Total Body Lift w/ speed development
Thursday - Intrasquad
Friday - Defensive Focus + High intent Total Body Lift w/ speed development
Saturday - Offensive Focus + Light Intent Volume Total Body LIft
Sunday - Off day
