Heads up this baseball roster stuff ain’t as simple as just picking players, let me tell ya. Saw the new 2025 roster size numbers dropped and figured, “Sweet, easy planning for our D1 team setup.” Man, was I ever wrong.
First Thing Monday Morning Chaos
Grabbed my coffee, fired up the laptop real fast. Went straight to the official sites, you know? Searching everywhere for that magic number everyone kept talking about. Clicked through so many dang pages. Kept seeing references but no actual, clear number listed out plain. Felt like they hid it on purpose!
Started getting proper annoyed. Printed out every related PDF I could find – eligibility rules, tournament handbooks, you name it. Papers all over my desk. Highlighters everywhere. Felt like I was back cramming for finals.
The “Duh” Moment & Actual Numbers
Right there, buried deep in Appendix B of the Championship Handbook – 35 players max. Relief hit me for a second. Finally!
But then I kept flipping through the other papers. Found more stuff:
- Travel Squad Limit: 27 players max for away games. Okay, makes sense, saves costs.
- Active List per Game: Only 25 guys suited up ready to play any single game.
- Scholarship Count Still Tricky: That whole 11.7 scholarships thing? Yeah, that headache didn’t change. Gotta slice that pie careful.
Felt like winning a scavenger hunt nobody told me I was playing.
Trying to Build a Real Roster
Opened my spreadsheet – same clunky one I use every year. Tried listing positions: pitchers, catchers, infield, outfield… basic stuff. Got stuck quick figuring out how many types of pitchers we need. Starters, relievers, closers… bench guys for injuries. Everyone needs backup.
That 35 max sounds big, but trying to plug names in? Gone fast. Needed 12 pitchers minimum just to feel safe covering a long season. Then 2 solid catchers plus maybe a third-string utility guy who could kinda catch if hell froze over. Infielder slots filled quick too.
And oh man, that scholarship math! Adding up partial rides, trying to find walk-ons willing to grind for peanuts, hoping stars don’t demand full boats we can’t afford. Spreadsheet looked like a warzone.
What Actually Happened
Ended the day staring at my screen, head buzzing harder than when I started. Found the numbers, sure. But putting it all together? Planning that roster felt like juggling chainsaws while balancing on a budget tightrope. Learned quick that 35 spots ain’t 35 spots. Between travel limits, game actives, scholarship caps, and needing backups for backups… felt squeezed trying to build anything balanced.
Bottom line? Roster size is just the first confusing page of a massive rulebook headache. Planning season just got way messier.