Sisters Little League to open season

Sisters Little League starts the 2009 season Saturday at 10 a.m. Thirteen teams, 135 players, and their parents and spectators will meet at the Sisters Community Church ball fields for Opening Day Ceremonies.

All players are introduced, team pictures taken, and by 11:15 a.m. the first pitches will be thrown.

"Teams must arrive, in uniform, by 9:45," said Cara Hudson, the league's player agent. "All players take the Little League pledge, parade, and then we start games. Our season runs from April 18 to June 15, then there is All-Star competition. Opening Day is the only time all of Sisters Little League is in one place."

This year T-Ball players and Minor B (coach pitch) teams will play a round robin format in the morning. Minor A teams and girls softball games start at 1 p.m.

Practice has been underway for three weeks and over the last three Saturdays, parents and volunteers have cleaned and prepared five baseball fields.

" From age five (T-ball) to age 11, we have three teams at each level," said Davina Luz, Sisters Little League president. "We have two major league teams and two girls softball teams. Lots of Sisters-area kids want to play baseball and softball this spring."

Twenty-five volunteer coaches and managers run Sisters Little League, along with a 16-member volunteer board of parents. The league will put on 130 games this season.

New this year is a later, more compact T-ball season.

"We believe that starting games in May, for the 5- to 7-year-old players, might mean some better weather," said league Vice President, Brian Cash. "They will play their games in fewer weeks too, which may prove a little easier for parents."

Cash noted that parents could still get their kids into T-ball. Registration can be taken at Opening Day with regular season games starting in two weeks.

For general Sisters Little League information and schedules visit http://www.sisterslittleleague.org or contact Sisters Little League President Davina Luz at 549-0375.