Game Film Notes
Players & Families - Saturday, August 15, 2026
Renegades families,
Game 1 is in the books, and we've been back through the game film.
Our plan is to review film after every game. It's one of the most important tools we have for turning what happens on Saturday into something the boys can actually use.
Games give them experiences we can't recreate in practice. Film lets us go back to those moments, understand what happened, and turn them into Baseball IQ.
These notes are for players and families — what we saw on the field and what your player can work on this week.
There's a second post this week for our coaches and volunteers, covering what we're tightening up on the game-day side. Read that one too. Nothing in it is closed off to families. We're asking the boys to look at what happened and get better at it, and you should be able to see the adults doing the same thing.
Batters
When the ball isn't put in play, our batters need to step back out of the box before resetting for the next pitch.
Real-Game Example
In the first inning, Finley was on third base while Zayn was at bat. Zayn took ball four and started forward toward first just as Finley broke for home, and the two crossed paths at the plate. The umpire called batter interference, ruled Finley out, and awarded Zayn first base.
It was a perfect storm. On ball four, the batter naturally starts toward first — but with Finley coming in hot at the same time, that forward movement created the interference.
Practice Note:
We need to train our batters that unless he's putting the ball in play, the first movement after a pitch is back and out of the box — not forward. If he hits it, he runs. Everything else, including ball four, starts with that step back so he can see what's developing before he moves.
Live-Ball Awareness
This guide is for the entire team, but there is a crucial, specific responsibility our pitchers and catchers need to master.
Our Approach Right Now
At this stage of player development, throwing accuracy across the infield is still a work in progress. In our division, making unnecessary or low-percentage throws often leads to errors, extra bases, and unearned runs.
We want to play smart baseball and capitalize on our strengths. Throughout the season, we will continue developing positional accuracy, decision-making, and field confidence. As those skills solidify, we will gradually integrate more aggressive defensive plays.
For now, our fundamental rule is clear: when there isn't a direct, high-percentage play to make, get the ball back to the pitcher immediately. Get the pitcher onto the mound, allow the play to settle, and eliminate any chance for baserunners to advance.
Positional Responsibilities
Catchers
After every pitch, secure the ball and know where the runners are before deciding what to do with it.
Our first priority while the ball is live is the lead runner.
With a runner on third, the catcher and pitcher are working together to protect home plate. That usually means keeping the ball controlled between them rather than making a low-percentage throw to third.
At this level, throwing to third with a runner already on third almost always results in that lead runner coming home to score.
That doesn't mean we can't look a runner back, fake a throw, or make him think about us. We just don't want to create unnecessary risk trying to pick him off.
Pitchers
Be ready to receive the ball and know where the lead runner is.
With a runner on third, get into position where you and the catcher can work together to protect home plate and keep that runner from taking an easy opportunity.
Once the runners are controlled, get the ball back to the pitcher and reset the field.
Infielders (1B, 2B, SS, 3B)
Stay locked in and track every baserunner throughout the entire sequence.
Always be ready to cover your bag and receive a quick pickoff throw. If the pitcher spots a runner straying too far and makes a move, the covering fielder must be anticipating the ball.
All Fielders
A play does not end simply because the pitch reached the catcher.
Stay alert and active until the ball is securely in the pitcher’s glove on the mound and all action has stopped.
Umpire Rule Note
While a pitcher or catcher can request "Time," the ball remains live until the umpire explicitly calls and grants it.
Parents in the Stands
Please help us maintain One Voice during games by leaving player instruction to the coaches.
It may not always be noticeable from the bleachers, but the coaches are communicating with the players throughout the game — positioning them, reminding them where the play is, and helping them work through situations as they happen.
Cheer them on loudly. Encourage them. Celebrate them. But when it comes to baseball instruction, please trust that the coaches have it covered.
Another Real-Game Example
Consider how Zayn recently advanced three bases following a walk and scored on the same sequence.
Seeing the defense relax, our First Base Coach cued Zayn to keep running. By the time the opposing team recognized the movement, a hurried throw sailed off-target. Our Third Base Coach then cued Finley, who was already on third base, to break for home, opening the path for Zayn to complete the circuit and score.
That is the exact awareness we want our baserunners to exploit—and the exact lapse we need our defense, pitchers, and catchers to prevent.
Baserunners at Home Plate
Players need to develop awareness of whether a play is developing at home and decide whether to slide accordingly.
We do not want to teach an automatic slide-every-time rule. With multiple runners scoring, an unnecessary slide can create congestion at the plate for the runner coming behind.
We also don't want runners turning their heads to track the ball while they're running. That slows them down and pulls their attention off the bases.
Practice Point
We need clear, consistent verbal cues from our base coaches so runners can run hard through the play without having to find the ball themselves. We'll establish and practice those cues in our next practice so the boys hear the same language from us on game day.
Player Safety
MBSA has issued Heat Safety Guidelines for the season, and we'll be keeping hydration and cooling top of mind throughout practices and games.
Players, drink throughout the game and tell a coach immediately if you aren't feeling right. We'll have first-aid supplies, fans, and cooling towels available and will keep an eye on how everyone is doing throughout the game.
Families can help by making sure players arrive with plenty of water and are already hydrating before they get to the field.
Player safety always comes before the game.
Dugout & Field Access
MBSA has been very clear about enforcing credential requirements this season, so please help us make sure we stay within those guidelines at every game.
For games, only credentialed coaches registered with the NTX Renegades for the Fall 2026 season should be in the dugout or on the field.
Credentialed coaches for this season are: Casey, Jon, Richard, Steven, and Adrianne.
Our team volunteers have important game-day roles, but unless they're also a credentialed coach, those roles should be handled from outside the dugout and field.
Turning Game Experience Into Development
Player development is a group effort. We'll keep doing our part on the field and providing resources off of it, and we'd encourage players and families to use them.
We're not looking for perfection. We're looking for engagement, understanding, and growth across the season.
Read the other half of this week's notes: Game Film Notes — Coaches & Volunteers
We hope what we share here is useful to our Renegades players and families. We’re learning together, and we’d love to hear from you. Have a thought, question, or something to add? Join us in the comments below.
