• Who is eligible to play?
  • Columbia High School students are eligible to play. In addition, residents of South Orange and Maplewood who are homeschooled or attend private schools may be eligible. A student who transfers after the NJSIAA Competition Start Date is ineligible to participate in any post-season championship competition. Please contact the district’s Athletics Department with questions regarding eligibility.
• When are tryouts?
  • The NJSIAA determines tryout dates, and they vary each year. Typically they occur in early March.
• How can my child stay informed about training and tryouts?
  • Your child should e-mail the program’s head coach, Ryan Muirhead (rmuirhea@somsd.k12.nj.us), and ask to be added to his Google Classroom for interested players. He will issue important updates throughout the year through Google Classroom, so your child should be sure to monitor it.
• How can I get news about the program, and stay informed as a parent?
  • Subscribe to the CHS Baseball Boosters e-mail newsletter to get all updates from the Boosters about the program and how parents can help to support it. Also, follow the Boosters’ Facebook page.
• Is there training available to my child before the season?
  • The Boosters offer optional training that typically begins in the late fall and continues until tryouts. Participation in training does not determine team selection or play time. Nobody will be denied the opportunity to participate due to financial need.
• How busy will my child be during the season?
  • Your child will usually be playing a game, or participating in team practice, each weekday and often on Saturdays. Sundays are typically their day off, but at coach discretion.
• How many squads are there? How many kids play on the team?
  • Currently the program includes three squads–Freshman, Junior Varsity and Varsity. The number of players varies each year.
• Who coaches the team?
  • Current coaches are listed on this page.
• Who plays on the team?
  • Rosters are listed on this page.
• Can my child play with the team during the summer before their freshman year?
  • The program does typically invite rising ninth graders to play in the High School Development League (HSDL), in the summer. Please reach out to Coach Muirhead for details (rmuirhea@somsd.k12.nj.us).
• Where does the team play?
  • Home games are at the Underhill athletic complex; the fields are behind the track. 
  • Away games are throughout Essex County and occasionally a bit farther away.
• How do players get to the game?
  • The school provides district transportation to and from away games. Students are responsible for transport to home games (most walk from the high school).
• When are practices?
  • Practices are usually on weekdays, and typically start immediately after school ends. There may be some practices on weekends, generally one of the two days.
• When are games?
  • Games are at 4:00 PM on weekdays. Times vary on Saturdays.
• How long is the season?
• How many games will my child play?
  • The coaches and athletic director do their best to put together a challenging schedule of scrimmages and games. According to NJSIAA rules, each squad may play a maximum of 25 games (including scrimmages), plus one additional tournament, plus the State Tournament.
• How can parents support the program?
  • The CHS Baseball Boosters is the non-profit volunteer organization for the CHS baseball program. All parents are invited to participate in our activities and to bring new ideas for how we can best support the program.
• Can / should my child play on a club team during the CHS spring baseball season?
  • Your child will be busy six days a week with the CHS team.
• Can / should my child play on a summer or fall baseball club team?
  • Your child is welcome to participate in any activities or sports during other seasons. The decision to participate in a private baseball is personal to each family and player. It is not a requirement to play CHS baseball.
• Can my child play another sport during the CHS spring baseball season?
  • CHS students may only play one CHS sport per season.
• If my child does not make the baseball team, can they play another CHS spring sport?
  • If that happens, please reach out to the head coach for the other sport to inquire.
• Does my child need a doctor’s note to play?
  • Your child will need to be cleared by the CHS athletics department and district physician before they can play or participate in tryouts. Please review details here and leave plenty of time to complete the process before tryouts.
• What conference does our team play in?

We are in the Super Essex Conference. For current information, including our current division, please check out their website.