Are you ready for some baseball?
For the first time in several years, two Little League teams — the minors (boys 9 to 10) and juniors (boys 13 to 14) — are hosting All Star games at South Whidbey’s Community Park.
“By far, we have the best fields in our district,” said league president Debbie Holbert. “And we were able to convince district officials to stagger the games, so those with younger and older players won’t have to agonize over which games to watch.”
The tournament starts at 6 p.m. Monday, July 6. Team line-ups were finalized late last month.
League rules determine that players within any given age division vote to elect six players onto each team, and the managers from that division select the remaining players. The players vote in early June, and the managers make their picks prior to June 15, Holbert explained.
The majors team (boys 11 to 12) will start its series at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9 at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor. A combined South Whidbey/Coupeville girls softball team starts its games on July 9 at Oak Harbor’s Volunteer Park.
In her first year on the job, Holbert was especially pleased by the huge increase in turnout for girls softball.
“We worked hard to get them back in the program and it worked,” she said. “Ashley Lopez and coach Shannon Brown ran a special clinic last winter and were able to focus on skills unique to softball for more than 50 girls.”
Finally, a combined minor/major team will have its tournament on July 9 in Mount Vernon’s Bakerview Park.
Everyone is hoping for a smooth run. Last year, several South End teams had their All Star games cut short by an outbreak of whooping cough.
“It was tough on the kids, their coaches and parents,” said majors coach Tom Fallon. “These guys worked hard in the regular season and they are rarin’ to go.”
Holbert noted that it costs a lot to host the games, but the league expects to break even based on concessions.
Tom French and his organization, Experience Food Project, will be providing the food offerings.
“He will be using a lot of product from local farms and good local foods,” Holbert said. “He also will be offering specialty pizzas using local ingredients on a portable wood-fired pizza oven which he uses in school programs.”
Pizza and baseball may be a winning combo for the league’s growing programs. The number of players prepared to give their all on the diamond this season exceeded 250 for both boys and girls, a 9-percent increase over last year.
For details, contact Holbert at 221-8458 or visit www.eteamz.com/swllb.
