About the VBL

Welcome to the official website of the Valley Baseball League.  The Valley League was formed in 1923 and became an NCAA-sanctioned league in 1961. Although the NCAA no longer has direct involvement with summer leagues, the league still operates under NCAA rules.  The league adopted wooden bats in 1993. 

The VBL is funded in part by a grant from Major League Baseball and is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, a national affiliation of summer leagues.  The league has produced well over 1,000 professional baseball players, including a record 79 former players drafted in the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The Valley League name is derived from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, which is nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west.

The league is currently playing in an 12-team, three-division format, which it originally adopted in the summer of 2009 when the Rockbridge Rapids joined the league.

Rockbridge became the fourth team in the South Division, joining the Covington Lumberjacks, Staunton Braves, and Waynesboro Generals.  The Harrisonburg Turks, New Market Rebels, Luray Wranglers and Woodstock River Bandits made up the Central Division while the North Division included the Fauquier Gators, Front Royal Cardinals, Haymarket Senators and the Winchester Royals.

Fauquier disbanded following the 2009 season and was replaced in the North Division by the Strasburg Express.

The league currently plays a 44-game schedule beginning in early June or late May with playoffs beginning in the last week of July and extending into early August. The top eight teams make up the 2011 playoff field.

There are many former Valley Leaguers now playing in the Major Leagues, but the league stands for more than just great baseball.  It is a very community-oriented venture.  Each area involves itself with the team by housing players, providing summer jobs, financially supporting the teams, and regularly attending games.

All 12 teams, as well as the VBL, are operated as not-for-profit ventures or are in the process of converting to that status.

Whether you are a coach, a player, a parent, or a fan, the Valley Baseball League has a lot to offer.  Hope to see you at a VBL ballpark this summer!