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All Games Canceled for Sun-11-Oct

All games are canceled for today. It's too cold to play baseball.

Fall Ball Schedules Now Available

The schedules for the Fall Ball Major and Junior Leagues are now available online. You can view them here:

• Majors
• Juniors

You can always find schedules via the Schedules link along the right side of the website.

Calling All Uniforms!

We still have hundreds of uniforms that have not been turned in, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you are still holding a uniform from the regular season, please turn it in to your regular season coach ASAP. Please contact the coach to make arrangements to drop off at his house if necessary. YOUR HELP IS CRUCIAL AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

Fall Ball Registration is Still Open

Don't forget to sign up for Fall Baseball as soon as possible. The deadline is August 20. You can read all the details here.

Coaches: Equipment Return Night Thu-20-Aug

Coaches, one final reminder: If you have not yet returned your equipment, please make a point of collecting all uniforms this week. We will wrap up the equipment return on Thursday, August 20, from 7:00-8:00pm at the equipment room at Southern.

Catch Little League Softball Action on ESPN Starting Tonight

Tonight kicks off the first of the six softball national telecasts, with the Big League Softball World Series live on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time. Tune in to the big game from Kalamazoo, Mich., to see who will wear the crown of 2009 World Champion for 14-18-year-olds.

Little League is proud to say, for the third consecutive year, that its contract with ESPN includes national coverage from ALL of the girls' softball World Series tournaments.

Below is the remainder of the television schedule. All times listed are U.S. Eastern Time.

• Saturday, Aug. 15, 11 a.m. - Senior League Softball World Series Championship Game from Lower Sussex, Del., Live on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 7 p.m. - Little League Softball World Series Semifinal No. 1 from Portland, Ore., ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
• Tuesday, Aug. 18, 9:30 p.m. - Little League Softball World Series Semifinal No. 2 from Portland, Ore., ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
• Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m. - Little League Softball World Series Championship from Portland, Ore., ESPN2 and ESPN360.com
• Saturday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m. - Junior League Softball World Series Championship from Kirkland, Wash., ESPN Classic (Replay on Sept. 11 at noon on ESPN2)

And remember, most of the girls softball games from the tournaments above can be seen live on the Internet, along with dozens of other Regional and World Series games and events, with a $14.95 subscription to Youth Sports Live. Visit www.YouthSportsLive.com for more information.

Complete schedules are located here:
http://www.littleleague.org/series/2009divisions/index.htm

Coaches: Equipment Return Night Thu-20-Aug

For those coaches who have not yet returned their equipment, please make a point of collecting all uniforms over the next week. We would like to wrap up the equipment return on Thursday, August 20, from 7:00-8:00pm at the equipment room at Southern.

Fall Majors Schedule

• League Information: here
  
• Home team will occupy the third base dugout.
• No Inning starts after 2:45pm in first game and no inning starts after 1 hour 45 minutes into the second game.
• Rainouts will not be made up.
• Umpires will furnish game balls.
• No standings are tracked.
  
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Fall Juniors Schedule

• League Information: here
• Home team will occupy the third base dugout.
• No Inning starts after 2:45pm in first game and no inning starts after 1 hour 45 minutes into the second game.
• Umpires will furnish game balls.
  
• Rainouts will not be made up.
• No standings are tracked.
  
• Changes to the schedule are indicated by orange shading and are always announced via email.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Register Now for Fall Ball!

It's time to think about Fall Ball again!

Baseball

• Fall baseball will be for ages 9-14. Ages 9-11 will play on the small fields. Ages 12-14 will play on the big field. If you played as a 12-year-old in the majors this year you will play on the big field as preparation for next season. This is a fun and instructional season.
• The season will start on August 30 with Labor Day weekend off and continue for 7 weeks after Labor day, with the final games on October 25.
  
• All games will be played on Sunday afternoons between 1:00 and 6:00pm depending on the number of teams.
• The cost is $65 and includes a shirt. This fee helps us cover the costs of umpires, baseballs, etc.
• You can sign up online here. To help us organize teams, recruit coaches and order shirts, we ask that you please sign up online as soon as possible. The final day of online registration is August 20.
  
• We will hold one in-person sign-up session on Tuesday, August 4, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Southern Little League office behind the senior field.
• If you have any questions contact:
  Bob Hams, league director (director@southernll.org)
  Joe Mead (majors@southernll.org)
  Ethan Rohen (minors@southernll.org)
  
• We need coaches! Please contact Joe or Ethan if you are interested in coaching.

Softball

• If enough girls are interested in playing fall softball we will make that available. Please do not sign up now. Instead just contact Steve Parks (softball@southernll.org) and let him know you are interested. Then Steve will let you know once there is enough interest.
  

Majors All-Stars Bow Out

The Southern West Major All-Stars wrapped up pool play Monday with a 3 to 1 loss to Commerce Little League from District 4. This eliminates Southern from the State Tournament to cap off a great season. A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS GOES OUT TO ALL OF THE PLAYERS AND COACHES. Thank you also to all of the parents who helped organize and plan the trip to the state tournament.

Update from State Tournament

Southern's Majors Baseball West All-Stars lost Sunday to Penokee Range Little League 7 to 6. They play Commerce Little League from District 3 Monday at noon. It's a must win game to move on in the tournament. Good luck Southern!

Majors All-Star State Run Begins

Southern's Majors Baseball West All-Stars defeated White Lake 3-0 Saturday in the first game of pool play in the state championship tournament in Jackson, MI. They take on Penokee Range from the Marquette area Sunday at 1:00pm. You can follow along on the Michigan Little League website.

Big League Season Ends at Regional

Read the story in Saturday's Grand Rapids Press. It also mentions the Seniors All-Stars.

Seniors All-Stars Take Second Place

Congratulations to Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars who also finished second in their district tournament on Friday night with a 6-5 loss to undefeated Western. Great season, seniors!

Big League Regional Tonight at Pinery Park

District 9's Big League baseball team advances to the regional finals tonight at Pinery Park at 5:00pm and 8:00pm after an exciting win over Indiana. Trailing 4 to 2 going into the seventh inning, Southern’s Ben Cok hit an RBI single, Western’s Seth Holton followed with another RBI single, and Southern’s Tyler Lewis hit an RBI sacrifice fly to take the lead 5 to 4. The team then held on in the bottom of the seventh with Jeff Victor from Holland getting the save. Come out to Pinery to watch the finals tonight.

Seniors All-Star Championship at Southern Tonight 5:30pm

After a commanding 10-4 victory over Zeeland last night, Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars play against undefeated Western tonight in the district championship. If they can hand Western their first loss in the 5:30pm game, they'll play again for all the marbles at 7:30pm. Come out to Southern and cheer on your all-stars tonight!

All-Star T-Shirts For Sale Again Tonight

Joe Mead will be selling Southern All-Star t-shirts again tonight from 7:00 - 8:00pm.These t-shirts commemorate the Southern Major League West All-Stars' district championship. Adult sizes M, L and XL are available. They are gray with the Southern Little League logo on the front. The back lists the names of the all-stars. Look for Joe in the equipment shed at Southern.

Thursday Night's Game: Seniors at Georgetown

Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars play tonight against Zeeland at Georgetown in the consolation bracket. The winner moves on to the championship against Western.

• Thursday 6:00pm, Georgetown: Southern Seniors vs Zeeland
  

All-Star T-Shirts For Sale Wednesday

Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 8:00pm we'll be selling t-shirts commemorating the Southern Major League West All-Stars' district championship. The t-shirts are in kids sizes. They are gray with the Southern Little League logo on the front. The back lists the names of the all-stars. Joe Mead will be selling the t-shirts from 6-8pm in Southern's picnic shelter near the concession stand.

Wednesday Fund Raiser for State-Bound All-Stars

To help defray the costs of traveling to the state tournament next week, Southern's Major League West All-Stars are holding a fund-raiser on Wednesday evening at Southern. From 6:00 - 8:00pm on Wednesday, they'll be collecting your cans and bottles at the equipment shed. Please consider donating your cans and bottles to help support your Southern All-Stars. You can watch them take the field for their practice while you're there and wish them good luck in their state tournament run.

• Wednesday, July 22, 6-8pm: donate cans and bottles at the equipment shed
  

Tuesday's Game at Southern

Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars won Friday against Rockford and again on Sunday against Grandville. They play in the winners bracket final on Tuesday at 6:00pm at Southern vs. Western. Should be a great one.

Coaches: Equipment Return Night Tuesday

Coaches, we have scheduled an equipment return night this Tuesday, July 21, from 7:00 - 8:00pm at the equipment shed at Southern.

Southern All-Stars Win District Championship!

Southern's West Majors All-Stars defeated Zeeland in back-to-back games to take the District 9 Championship. They now advance to the state tournament starting Saturday, July 25. What a great team effort! Good luck in the state tournament!

Also today at Pinery Park, Southern's 10/11 All-Stars took second place in the district after being defeated by Western by a score of 5 to 4. Congratulations on a great tournament run.

Sunday's Tournament Action

On Sunday, Southern's Senior Baseball All-Stars take on Grandville at 1:00pm at Grandville.

Southern Fans, We Need You at Pinery Park Saturday

On Friday night, Southern's Major League West All-Stars defeated Zeeland in dramatic style. Alec Hollern and Sam Jansen hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to force a final championship game.

Meanwhile, Southern's 10/11 All-Stars defeated Georgetown Friday night to enter the championship round against undefeated Western.

Don't miss this chance to see Southern play for championships back to back Saturday:

• Saturday at 10:00am at Pinery Park: Southern Majors West All-Stars vs Zeeland
• Saturday at 12:30pm at Pinery Park: Southern 10/11 All-Stars vs Western
  

Come out and support your all-stars!

Friday Night Tournament Action

Over at Pinery Park tonight, some of Southern's teams continue to battle toward the district all-star crown:

• The Southern West Majors All-Star Team defeated Western last night 9 to 1 with a great team performance and advance to tonight’s championship game at Pinery Park field #2 at 5:30pm vs Zeeland.
  
• The Southern 10/11 All-Star Team defeated West Ottawa last night to advance to the semifinals tonight at 7:30pm at Pinery Park field #2 vs Georgetown.

One game at Southern tonight:

• The Southern Seniors All-Stars play their first game in tournament action tonight at 5:30pm at Southern against Rockford

Congratulations Senior League All-Stars!

Travis Kraai
Zach Malewitz
Nick Mulhall
Sam Nystrom
Alex Huizenga
Wes Vaughn
Nate Thompson
Brent Primus
James Karsten
Grant Page
David Warners
MJ Oshinski

Thursday Night's Games

No games at Southern tonight, but we do have two exciting games being played at Pinery Park.

• 5:30pm – Southern West Majors vs. Western Majors in the semifinals at Pinery Field #2
• 7:30pm – 10/11 Southern vs. West Ottawa in the round of 4 at Pinery Field #2

Wednesday Night's Games at Southern

• 5:30pm - 9/10 Baseball All-Stars - Northeastern vs Western - East Diamond
• 5:30pm - Seniors Baseball Class B - Southern (Malewitz/Kraai) vs Kellogsville - Henwood Field
  
• 7:30pm - Majors Baseball All-Stars - Southern West vs Northern - East Diamond
• 7:30pm - Seniors Baseball Class A - Southern (Primus) vs Western - Henwood Field

• Also tonight at 5:30pm, Southern's Juniors Baseball West All-Stars play in the Championship round against Western at Pinery Park.

Tuesday's Action at Southern

• 5:30pm - 9/10 Baseball All-Stars - Byron Twp vs Northeastern - West Diamond
• 5:30pm - 10/11 Baseball All-Stars - Byron Twp vs Western - East Diamond
• 5:30pm - Seniors Baseball Class C - Southern (Huizenga) vs Holland - Henwood Field
• 7:30pm - 9/10 Baseball All-Stars - Southern West vs Georgetown - East Diamond
• 7:30pm - Juniors Baseball All-Stars - Southern West vs Rockford - Henwood Field
• 7:30pm - Majors Baseball All-Stars - Grandville vs Northern - West Diamond
  

Monday Night Baseball at Southern

• 5:30pm - 10/11 Baseball All-Stars - Southern East vs Byron Twp - East Diamond
• 5:30pm - Seniors Baseball Class D - Southern (Banasczak/Lewis) vs Zeeland - Henwood Field
  
• 7:30pm - 9/10 Baseball All-Stars - Southern West vs Rockford - West Diamond
• 7:30pm - Majors Baseball All-Stars - Southern West vs Western - East Diamond
• 7:30pm - Seniors Baseball Class A - Southern (Primus) vs Holland - Henwood Field
  

Sunday's Action at Southern

• 1:00pm - 9/10 All-Stars - Southern West vs Northeastern - East Diamond
• 1:00pm - 9/10 All-Stars - Caledonia vs Grandville - West Diamond
  
• 1:00pm - Juniors All-Stars - Pinery vs Northwestern - Henwood Field
• 3:00pm - Juniors All-Stars - Southern West vs Northview - Henwood Field
• 3:00pm - 9/10 All-Stars - Zeeland vs Byron - East Diamond
• 3:00pm - 9/10 All-Stars - Southern East vs Rockford - West Diamond
  

Saturday's Games at Southern

• 9:00am - Senior Class D (Banasczak/Lewis) vs Northern at Henwood Field
• 11:00am - Southern West 9/10 All-Stars vs Grandville - West Diamond
• 11:00am - Southern East 9/10 All-Stars vs Byron Twp - East Diamond
• 11:30am - Senior Class C (Huizenga) vs Holland at Henwood Field
• 2:00pm - Southern West Juniors All-Stars vs Western - Henwood Field

Come out and cheer on your Southern teams!

Tonight's Action at Southern

• 5:30 - Senior Class B (Malewitz/Kraai) vs Northern - Henwood Field
• 5:30 - 10/11 All-Stars - Southern vs. Western - East Diamond (Field Change)
• 7:30 - Senior Class A (Primus) vs Byron Twp - Henwood Field
• 7:30 - Majors All-Stars - Southern West vs Northern - East Diamond

A Great Night for Baseball

Five great games tonight at Southern:

• 5:30 - Majors - Caledonia vs Grandville - East Diamond
• 5:30 - Majors - West Ottawa vs Lowell - West Diamond
• 6:00 - Juniors - Southern West vs Belding - Henwood Field
• 7:30 - 9/10 - Southern East vs Allendale Red - West Diamond
• 7:30 - Majors - Southern West vs Holland Am - East Diamond

Wednesday was an exciting night for Southern's all-Star teams. Southern West Majors moved in to the finals round after defeating Zeeland 5-3 in Zeeland. With a 3-0 record we wish them good luck. Southern's 10/11 All-Stars played their first game last night and won. The 9/10 East and West All-Stars both won last night and are both undefeated in Pool Play which wraps up tomorrow night. Southern West Juniors won and continue tonight in the winners bracket at Southern.

Though they both lost tough games last night and are now eliminated from tournament play, we would like to congratulate all of the players and coaches who participated on the Southern East Majors and the Southern East Juniors. CONGRATULATIONS ON A GREAT YEAR.

Whether at home or away, go out and support your Southern All-Star teams tonight.

More Baseball Excitement at Southern Tonight

5:30pm

• 10/11 All-Stars - Southern vs Caledonia - East Diamond
  
• Senior Class B (Malewitz/Kraai) vs Kelloggsville - Henwood Field

6:30pm

• Big League - Southern (Vos) vs Pinery at Remington Field (not at Southern)
  

7:30pm

• 9/10 All-Stars - Southern West vs West Ottawa - East Diamond
  
• 9/10 All-Stars - Southern East vs Lowell Red - West Diamond
  

7:45pm

• Big League - Southern (Molegraaf) vs Holland - Henwood Field
  

Tonight's Tournament Action

Three games at 5:30pm:

• East Diamond: Southern Majors East All-Stars vs Northeastern
• West Diamond: Southern Majors West All-Stars vs Kellogsville
• Henwood Field: Seniors (Huizenga) vs West Ottawa

Two more games at 7:30pm:

• East Diamond: Minors (9/10) West All-Stars vs Belding
• Henwood Field: Juniors All-Stars vs Caledonia

Five Tournament Games at Southern Tonight

• At 5:30pm on the Henwood Field, Southern's Juniors Baseball West All-Stars take on Zeeland
• At 5:30pm on the East Diamond, Southern's Minors Baseball West All-Stars take on Allendale
• At 7:30pm on the West Diamond, Southern's Majors Baseball West All-Stars take on Greenville
  
• At 7:30pm on the East Diamond, Southern's Majors Baseball East All-Stars take on Hamilton
• At 7:30pm on the Henwood Field, the Southern Senior Baseball team coached by Jim Primus will take on Grandville in a team tournament match-up
  

Come out to Southern, enjoy the nice weather and cheer on your tournament teams!

Schedule Change for Big League Sun-12-Jul

Wooden Bat Sunday will take place on Sunday, July 12. Please review the updated schedule to see the changes on that day.

Congratulations to Southern's Tournament Teams

Congratulations to Southern's team tournament participants. Here are some of the top finishers in their respective district team tournaments:

• Class A Major Baseball - Horjus/Orthopedic Associates - Champions!
• Class E Junior Baseball - Tolonen - Champions!
  
  
• Class B Major Baseball - Lubben/Secure Alarm - Runner-Up
• Class E Major Baseball - Kuperus/Shoe Carnival - Runner-Up
• Class G Major Baseball - Casey/Fox Motors - Runner-Up
• Class J Major Baseball - Rossi/Yesterdog - Runner-Up
  
  
• Class F Major Softball - 3rd Place
• Class A Major Baseball - Henkey/Metal Tech - 3rd Place
• Class E Major Baseball - Vaughn/Crazy Charlies - 3rd Place
• Class D Junior Baseball - Cothern - 3rd Place

Congratulations on a fantastic team tournament showing for Southern!

Congratulations Southern All-Stars!

The coaches have selected the teams of Minors, 11-Year-Olds, Majors and Juniors Baseball All-Stars to represent Southern in the District 9 All-Star Tournaments. You can follow along as our teams make their way through the tournament brackets on the District 9 website.

(If you see any spelling errors, please email the webmaster.)

2009 Minor League East All-Stars
Mike Malewitz
Jack Liszewski
Kevin Korte
Teddy Russo
Kevin Seville
Ethan Sullivan
Brady Oosse
Dave Sayfie
Noah Groen
Josh Rabideau
Kevin Vulpetti
Jack Tietema
Coaches:
Rocky Vulpetti, Head Coach
Matthew Sullivan, Coach

2009 Minor League West All-Stars
Caleb Corell
Will Berglund
Tommy Alkema
Johnny Southwell
Ben Burrows
Emmet Warners
Mark Primus
Harrison Rohen
Brennan Burke
Johnny Oostindie
Ben Loos
Easton Schultz
Coaches:
Mark Warners, Head Coach
Ethan Rohen, Coach

2009 11-Year-Old All-Stars
Jim VanDyke
Sean Leonard
Brendan Oosse
Will Kortz
Sean Campbell
Tristan Ogdhal
Quentin O’Connor
Alex Jennings
Jack VanGessel
Jonathan Winkle
Sam McCulloch
Lucas Thompson
Coaches:
Dave Kortz, Head Coach
Eric O’Connor, Coach

2009 Major League East All-Stars
Dan Lubben
Kyle Vulpetti
Spencer Near
Rylan Jaglowski
Trey Fields
Jacob O’Donovan
Bryce Henkey
Drew Henkiewicz
Jacob Rabideau
Brendan Boman
Matthew Baas
Jonathan Olsen
Coaches:
Rob Henkey, Head Coach
Tom Olsen, Coach

2009 Major League West All-Stars
Zach Markham
Zach Corell
Ben Brouwer
Casey Horjus
Sam Jansen
A.J. Zawacki
Sam Vaughn
Lucas Kirkwood
Ben Wollet
Matt Reglin
Alec Hollern
Mason Banbury
Coaches:
Mike Horjus, Head Coach
Dan Vaughn, Coach

2009 Juniors East All-Stars
John Boman
Brian Cain
Max Cothern
Chris Dickow
Connor Genther
Taylor Smith
Christian Tepper
Kyle Tietema
Ben Van Scoyk
Chris Winkelmann
Nick Wojcynski
Eliott Zimmerman
Coaches:
Keith VanScoyk, Head Coach
Gregg Cothern, Coach

2009 Juniors West All-Stars
Alex Hicks
Jake Maurer
Josiah Buffinga
Joe Craven
Nathan Markham
Jeff Smith
Mike Priest
Joe Whalen
Nate Hollern
Adam Jennings
Taylor Martin
Bower Snedeker
Austin Batka
Ben Balke
Coaches:
Ted Hollern, Head Coach
Jay Martin, Coach
Lance Buffinga, Coach

Four More Games at Southern Tonight

Come on out to Southern on Wednesday evening and watch the exciting action taking place. On the East Diamond, two of Southern's Majors Baseball teams play for their respective team tournament championships at 5:30pm and 7:30pm. On the Henwood Field at 5:30pm, Southern's Seniors Baseball wraps up with their final game of the regular season. Then at 7:30pm on that same field, one of Southern's Juniors Baseball teams plays against Zeeland in a team tournament semifinal matchup.

Come on out to the park tonight and cheer on your Southern teams!

Come Cheer Southern's Teams Tonight

Monday, June 29, is a busy night at Southern. We're hosting team tournament games in three different divisions. At 5:30pm and 7:30pm on both the East and West Diamonds, four of Southern's Majors Baseball teams take on competition from other District 9 leagues. One of Southern's Majors Softball teams plays on the JC West Diamond at 6:00pm. One of our Juniors Baseball teams plays on Southern's Henwood Field at 7:30pm.

Come on out to the park tonight and cheer on your Southern tournament teams!

Coaches: Equipment Return Night

Coaches, we have scheduled an equipment return night this Wednesday, July 1, from 7:00 - 8:00pm at the equipment shed at Southern. If you are unable to make it on Wednesday, we'll host another equipment return session at a later date.

Rescheduled Rain-out for Minors: Touchet & Kirchgessner

We have rescheduled a rained out game from earlier this season. The added game is shaded orange on the updated schedule:

• The Touchet vs Kirchgessner game that was rained out Monday, June 8, will now be played on Sunday, June 21, at 4:00pm at Southern's West field.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Juniors Team Tournaments Starting Wednesday

Because the district's team tournaments for Juniors will start this Wednesday, June 24, we are canceling all Juniors games on Tuesday, June 23, and Thursday, June 25. The schedule has been updated to reflect these changes. The canceled games are now marked with a line through them. The district manages the team tournaments, so consult their website for details.

Juniors Schedule for Remainder of Season

After Thursday night's games, the remainder of the Junior League schedule is determined by each team's place in the standings through Tuesday, June 16. The schedule page for the Juniors now reflects this. Please have a look at the schedule to see when your team plays.

Big League Schedule is Online

The schedule for the Big League can be viewed here. You can always find it from the main schedules page on the right side of the website.

Rescheduled Rain-Out for Minors: Kirchgessner & Schneider

We have rescheduled a rained out game from earlier this week. The added game is shaded orange on the updated schedule:

• The Kirchgessner vs Schneider game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Sunday, June 14, at 2:00pm at Southern's West field.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Rescheduled Rain-Out Game for Majors Vaughn & Weiss

We have rescheduled a rained out game from earlier this week. The added game is shaded orange on the updated schedule:

• The Vaughn vs Weiss game that was rained out Thursday, June 11, will now be played on Sunday, June 14, at 4:00pm at Southern's East field.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

High School All-Star Game at Comerica Park

On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association East-West All Star Classic is coming to Comerica Park. This game showcases the top high school baseball players from across the state of Michigan. The Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association is in its 36th year and this is the 28th game that has been hosted on the Detroit Tigers home field.

Your hometown hero, Chris Blair, of East Grand Rapids High School has been selected to represent your hometown and the West All Stars. To help support Chris we are inviting all Little Leaguers in uniform to the game free of charge. Players just need to show up at the box office wearing their team’s full uniform and will be admitted free of charge. Parents and siblings of Little Leaguers may purchase additional tickets for $5.00. Game time is 7:00 p.m. and gates open at 6:00 p.m.

Congratulations Raffle Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of our Family Day Raffle:

• $500 - Linda Schwartz
• $1000 - Barb Gavinski
• $2000 - Mark Jablonic
• Costa Rica Trip - Joe Mead

Congratulations, too, to Bernie Malewitz's Tigers in the Minor League for selling the most raffle tickets (125). The Tigers will be heading to a White Caps game in July for an on-field experience with the team during the National Anthem.

John Belanger, our raffle coordinator, is eager to hear any feedback, comments or questions you may have about the raffle. Your opinion matters. You can contact John at:

• john.belanger@att.net
• 520-3231

Southern Little League really depends on success of the raffle every year as an important part of our overall fund raising activities. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to make this year's raffle such a success.

Schedule Correction for Softball Juniors

We accidentally omitted a game from the original schedule for Softball Juniors. The following game is now on the schedule and is shaded orange:

• June 15, 6:30pm: Caledonia vs Southern on JC East
  

All games after 7:30pm cancelled

13th Annual Family Day

Family Day is this Saturday, June 6th. Thirty ball games and lots of other activities will be going on all day long, so bring the whole family.

Volunteers:

• We still need lots of volunteers of all kinds at various times on Saturday.
• Please sign up at the concession stand or contact Amy at volunteer@southernll.org.

Enjoy our expanded menu:

• Mom's Marinated Steak-on-a-Stick.
• Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• Hamburgers, Jumbo Hot Dogs and Johnsonville Brats
• Meal Deals
• Famous sauteed onions & jalapenos and and all your favorite condiments
  
• Corn-on-the-Cob

Activities for the kids: free!

• Water Run - a bouncy runway that leads to a shallow pool at the end
• Bounce Land - a place for kids to bounce around
  

Raffle:

• Reminder: Please sell your raffle tickets and turn in the money and stubs before the deadline on Saturday at 6:00pm.
• The big raffle drawing will take place at 7:00pm.
  

All-Star Games:

• Plan on staying for the Minor and Major Baseball All-Star Games at 7:30pm.

Hope for good weather! We'll see everyone out at Southern this Saturday.

A Message for Coaches and Team Parents

Coaches and team parents only (not parents of individual players):
The photo packets have been delivered to the concession stand. To minimize the chaos at the concession stand, we are asking that only the coach or team parent pick up the packets for the entire team, then distribute them to the players and their parents. Please, unless you are the coach or the team parent, do not go to the concession stand to pick up your child's individual photos.

Congratulations Major League All-Stars!

The Major League All-Star Game takes place on Family Day, this Saturday, June 6, at 7:30pm on the East diamond. Here are the line-ups for the National and American teams, as chosen by their teammates:

(Trouble viewing this? Click here to see it on its own page.)
(If you see any spelling errors, please email the webmaster.)

Come on out Saturday and cheer on your all-stars!

Congratulations Minor League All-Stars!

The Minor League All-Star Game takes place on Family Day, this Saturday, June 6, at 7:30pm on the West diamond. Here are the line-ups for the National and American teams, as chosen by their teammates:

(Trouble viewing this? Click here to see it on its own page.)
(If you see any spelling errors, please email the webmaster.)

Come on out Saturday and cheer on your all-stars!

Schedule Change for Minors Tim Sullivan, Oosse, Berglund & Sayfie

We have made two changes to the schedule for the Minor League. The modified games are now shaded orange on the schedule:

• The Tim Sullivan vs Oosse game scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00pm has been postponed. We will announce a make-up date at a later time.
• The Berglund vs Sayfie game originally rained out on April 27, then rescheduled for Sunday, June 14, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 3, at 5:00pm on the West diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Family Day Match-Ups for Minors and Majors

The standings in Majors and Minors through Saturday, May 30, determine the match-ups for Family Day this coming Saturday. The schedules for Majors and Minors have been updated to reflect the game assignments.

Raffle Reminder

Please turn in all raffle tickets and money to John Belanger on or before Family Day, Saturday, June 6. John will be at Southern all day on the 6th near the concession stand. The drawing will take place at the end of the day.

You can read all the details about the raffle here.

Don't forget how great the prizes are this year!

The Grand Prize is a trip to Costa Rica followed by cash rewards of $2,000, $1,000 and $750 to First, Second, and Third Place winners respectively. The Costa Rica trip includes air, accommodations and spending money. I know the weather here in Michigan has been great lately, but remember what it was a month ago! It makes Costa Rica look like a great mid-winter get away.

And don't forget the sales incentives lined up for this year:

• a limited edition water bottle for every player who sells 5 or more tickets
• the top ticket selling team will join our own West Michigan White Caps on the field for the National Anthem later in July.

Please call me if you have any questions or concerns, including requests for additional tickets, ideas on how best to succeed is your sales efforts, and information on how to return ticket stubs and money.

Thank you all for your efforts,
John Belanger
520-3231

Important Message for Umpires

Umpires, please bring your game schedules for the next two weeks this Saturday morning, May 30. There will be no umpire sign-up on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. Questions? Contact Jamie.

Rescheduled Rain-Out for Minors: Berglund & Sayfie

We have rescheduled the game that was rained out way back in April. The added game is shaded orange on the updated schedule:

• The Berglund vs Sayfie game that was rained out Monday, April 27, will now be played on Sunday, June 14, at 2:00pm at Southern's West field.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Seniors on June 24

We have made a change to the schedule for the Senior League on June 24. The modified games are now shaded orange on the schedule:

• Primus and Huizenga will switch times and opponents. Primus will now play Banasczak at 5:30pm, and Huizenga will now play Malewitz at 7:30pm.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Big League Sign-Up

You can still sign up online for Big League (ages 17-18) Baseball thru June 10. Click here to sign up online. For other sign-up details, see our original sign-up post here, bearing in mind that the deadlines for other leagues are long past.

Family Day Volunteers Needed

Family Day is coming up soon - Saturday, June 6th. We are looking for volunteers to work in the food tent and to staff various kids games that day. Jobs include serving food, taking orders, managing the bounce house, etc. None of these jobs is very difficult, but we need lots of volunteers.

The activities run from 10:00am until 8:00pm. We divide this time into two-hour shifts. If you're willing to take a two-hour shift, please email Amy, our Family Day volunteer coordinator and let her know the times you are available:

• familyday@southernll.org

Thanks for your support.

Softball Pitching Instruction

Southern's own Brenna Parks is offering softball pitching instruction. Click the brochure to see it full-size.

Family Day Major and Minor All-Star Voting Procedure

Hello all Major and Minor Baseball players. The Family Day All-Star Games will be held at 7:30 on June 6th. These games are played with the emphasis on the players choosing the teams. Coaches have been instructed to conduct a vote using ballots, and only the players will be voting for these teams. The voting is to take place some time next week between Tuesday, May 26, and Saturday, May 30. Minor league baseball players will vote for 2 players from their team and Major league baseball players will vote for 3 players from their team to represent their league in the All-Star games. Have fun choosing your representatives and then come out Saturday June 6th at 7:30 to support them.

Seniors Schedule Now Available

The schedule for the senior baseball league is now available online. Players should have been contacted already by their coaches. Games begin on Wednesday, May 27.

Raffle Update

The 2009 Southern Little League Raffle is in full swing and needs your commitment to make this important fund-raiser a success.

The Grand Prize is a trip to Costa Rica followed buy cash rewards of $2,000, $1,000 and $750 to First, Second, and Third Place winners respectively. The Costa Rica trip includes air, accommodations and spending money. I know the weather here in Michigan has been great lately, but remember what it was a month ago! It makes Costa Rica look like a great mid-winter get away.

Prize winners will be drawn on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. (You need not be present to win.)

And don't forget the sales incentives lined up for this year:

• a limited edition water bottle for every player who sells 5 or more tickets
• the top ticket selling team will join our own West Michigan White Caps on the field for the National Anthem later in July.

Please call me if you have any questions or concerns, including requests for additional tickets, ideas on how best to succeed is your sales efforts, and information on how to return ticket stubs and money.

Thank you all for your efforts,
John Belanger
520-3231

Schedule Change for Majors Lubben & Horjus

We have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 20. The following game has been removed from the schedule:

• The Lubben vs Horjus game at 7:30pm on May 20 has been postponed until a later date. We'll make another announcement once we have a date for the rescheduled game.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Important Message for Umpires

Umpires, there will be no umpire sign-up Saturday morning, May 23. Please bring your game schedules for the next two weeks this Saturday morning, May 16. Questions? Contact Jamie.

Saturday Events

Come out this Saturday and watch some great high school baseball at Southern. East Grand Rapids High School will host this exciting round robin tournament. Here is the schedule:

• 2:30pm - East Grand Rapids vs West Catholic
• 4:45pm - Catholic Central vs. West Catholic
• 7:00pm - East Grand Rapids vs. Catholic Central

Don't forget: Saturday is also picture day at Southern.

See you all at the ballpark!

Schedule Change for Juniors Buffinga & Cothern

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 17. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Buffinga vs Cothern game on May 20 has been rescheduled for 7:30pm on Thursday, June 4, on Southern's Henwood diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Changes for Minors Kirschgessner, Schneider, Berglund & Sayfie

We have made two changes to the schedule for the Minor League on Sunday, May 17. The following games have been removed from the schedule:

• The Kirchgessner vs Schneider game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, and then rescheduled for Sunday, May 17, has been postponed until a date to be determined later.
• The Berglund vs Sayfie game that was originally rained out on Monday, April 27, and then rescheduled for Sunday, May 17, has been postponed until a date to be determined later.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our players, coaches and fans.
As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Rescheduled Rain-Outs for Juniors, Majors & Minors

We have rescheduled the three rained out games from this past Saturday, May 9. The changed games are now shaded orange on the updated schedules. Here are the rescheduled games:

• Juniors
  The Cothern vs Hollern game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Thursday. May 14, at 7:30pm at Southern's Henwood field.
  
• Majors
  The Horjus vs Vaughn game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Sunday, May 17, at 1:00pm at Southern's East field.
• Minors
  The Kirchgessner vs Schneider game that was rained out Saturday, May 9, will now be played on Sunday, May 17, at 3:00pm at Southern's West field
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Mid-Season Update from the Directors

Hello Everyone,

The baseball and softball season is off to a great start this year at Southern. A little rainy, but we have been able to work around that. We wanted to update everyone on a few things and ask for your help for some others.

• It has been brought to our attention that on some occasions the pitching machines have not been set up on time or for the correct baseball/softball configuration. We have corrected that problem on our end.
• We are noticing that many teams are not signing up for practice times in either the batting cages or at Lakeside or Breton Downs. We know you are busy, however we strongly encourage all softball and baseball teams to get practice time in. This will be very beneficial for all of the players.
• Southern depends on everyone's fundraising support in order to keep the player fees at a minimum. We need your help with this year's raffle. It has been brought to our attention that some teams have not passed out their raffle tickets yet. If you have not received your raffle tickets please speak to your coach or team parent. For details see the raffle page on this website. For additional tickets please contact John Bellanger. Let's make this the best raffle ever!
  

Thank you for all of your support and have a great season. We look forward to seeing you on Family Day where someone will win a trip to Costa Rica.

Southern Little League Directors

Southern's Angels Honor Nick Adenhart

On April 9, LA Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was tragically killed by a drunk driver. You can read about Nick's career in his obituary here. To honor Nick's memory and to raise awareness for the tragedy of drunk driving, Southern's Minor League Angels coached by Rocky Vulpetti have decided to display Nick's number 34 on their caps.

Schedule Change for Minors Berglund & Sayfie

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 17. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Berglund vs Casey game that was rained out on April 27 has been rescheduled for 1:00pm on Sunday, May 17, on the West diamond.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Coaches: Schedule Team Photos ASAP

Coaches, if you have not yet scheduled your team picture time for Saturday, May 16, please call McConomy Photography as soon as possible to arrange a time for your team picture. All teams must be photographed in order to provide sponsor pictures. Picture order envelopes will be delivered to you for distribution to your team. Just call or email today:

• phone: 616.662.0521
• email: maccphoto@comcast.net

Schedule Change for Majors Casey & Rossi

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 15. The changed game is now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Casey-Rossi game at 5:30pm on Friday, May 15, has been rescheduled for 3:00pm on Sunday, May 17. The location is unchanged.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Majors Schwenneker, Horjus, Kuperus & Henkey

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 14. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Schwenneker-Horjus game at 5:30pm on May 14 has been switched with the Kuperus-Henkey game at 7:30pm on May 14.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Announcing the 2009 Raffle!

Grand Prize: a week for two in Costa Rica

• Round trip airfare from Detroit to San Jose, Costa Rica
  
• 7 nights stay at Villas Pepitas in Playa Samara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
  
• $500 cash for transportation, meals and entertainment
• Here is a flyer (pdf) describing the grand prize
  

First Prize: $2,000 cash

Second Prize: $1,000 cash

Third Prize: $750 cash

Details:

• Tickets cost $20 each or six for $100.
• The drawing takes place on Family Day, Saturday, June 6. (You need not be present to win.)
  
• Individual players who sell five or more tickets will win a Southern Little League sports bottle.
• The team that sells the most tickets will attend a Whitecaps game and be on the field for the National Anthem.
• Here is a flyer (pdf) with all the details.
• Here is a flyer (pdf) for the players detailing prizes they can win for selling tickets.

Please contact John with questions at john.belanger@att.net or 520-3231.

Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for volunteers at the concession stand. If you are willing to help out for even an hour or two, stop by the concession stand and speak to Jen or Kevin.

Also, team parents, please make sure to turn in your team's volunteer sign-up forms in to the concession stand.

Majors Make-up Games

The rained out Majors games from earlier this season have been rescheduled for Saturday, May 2. We have added these games to the Majors schedule and shaded them orange. Here are the rescheduled games for Saturday:

• 5:00 East - Casey vs Vaughn
  
• 5:00 West - Kuperus vs Horjus
  
• 7:00 East - Casey vs Horjus
  
• 7:00 West - Lubben vs Henkey

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Field Changes for Minors: Tim Sullivan, McCulloch, Malewitz & Murray

To make room for some Majors make-up games, we have changed the schedule for the Minor League on May 2. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule. These are field changes only. The date and time is unchanged.

• The Tim Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:00pm on May 2 has been moved to the JC East field.
• The Malewitz vs Murray game at 5:00pm on May 2 has been moved to the JC West field.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Southern Softball Player in the News

Here's a great article in the news recently about Southern's own Brenna Parks.

All Games Canceled for Thu-30-Apr

Because of wet fields and the promise of more rain today, all tonight's scheduled games have been canceled.

Minors Make-up Games

The rained out Minors games from Saturday, April 25, have been rescheduled for Sunday, May 3. We have added these games to the Minors schedule and shaded them orange. Here is the slate of games for Sunday:

• 1:00 West - Touchet vs Vulpetti
• 1:00 East - Schneider vs Malewitz
• 3:00 West - Southwell vs Sayfie
• 3:00 East - Ferrick vs Tim Sullivan

Hopefully, this will be the only Sunday on which we need to play.

Umpires: Weekly Schedules Now Online

Hey, Southern umpires, Jamie and the webmaster have conspired to post the weekly umpire schedules online. You can find them here or by clicking the Umpires link on the right side of the website. We'll try and update them on Saturday or Sunday each week. If you have scheduling changes or questions, contact Jamie.

Schedule Change for Minors Murray, Oosse, Matt Sullivan & McCulloch

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 20 and 27. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Murray vs Oosse game at 7:30pm on May 20 has been switched with the Matt Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:30pm on May 27.
  

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Play Ball!

Friday is opening day at Southern Little League, with two games in the Majors and two in the Minors. Saturday we have a full slate of games in the Majors, Minors and 78ers. We'd like to remind you of a few things:

• Schedules and standings are available all season long. You can also see the final score of each game right on the schedule.
  
• Baseball coaches for Minors on up, please remember to phone in the score as soon as possible after each game. It's the only way we can keep the standings up to date.
• In case of bad weather, don't call your coach, and don't expect your coach to call you. Instead, check this website. When we do decide to cancel games because of weather, the very first thing we do is post an announcement on this website. If the webmaster is available, we also try to email all our subscribers, and we tweet to all our Twitter followers.
• We welcome your photos and stories on the Southern website. Feel free to send one or two photos and a one paragraph byline to the webmaster for publication.
• Support our advertisers. Southern does earn money every time you click on one of our Google ads. Along with our other fundraising efforts, it helps us keep the per player costs as low as possible.
  
• Parents, purchase after-game treat tickets for your child's team at the concession stand. Each $1 ticket buys $1.25 worth of goodies.
• With temperatures expected to reach 80 degrees, you'll want to try our new slushie machine!

Have a great season!

Softball and Juniors Baseball Schedules Now Available

We have now posted the schedules for Softball Juniors, Softball Majors, Softball Minors and Baseball Juniors. You can reach them from the schedules page. Keep in mind that the softball schedules only show the games for Southern's teams, not for teams from other leagues. As always, ee'll alert all our email subscribers of any changes to the schedules during the season.

Umpire Training Sunday, April 26

Umpires, there is a make-up umpire training session for all new umpires this Sunday, April 26 from 4:00 to 6:00pm at Southern. This training session is strongly encouraged for all new umpires. Returning umpires are also welcome to attend. Any questions can be directed here.

Schedule Change for Minors Southwell, Tim Sullivan, Matt Sullivan & McCulloch

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Minor League on May 20 and 27. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Matt Sullivan vs McCulloch game at 5:30pm on May 20 has been switched with the Tim Sullivan vs Southwell game at 5:30pm on May 27.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Schedule Change for Majors Weiss, Vaughn, Casey & Kuperus

At the request of the coaches involved, we have made a change to the schedule for the Major League on May 4 and 5. The changes are now shaded orange on the schedule.

• The Weiss-Vaughn game at 5:30pm on May 5 has been switched with the Kuperus-Casey game at 7:30pm on May 4.

As a rule, whenever we make a change or correction to a schedule, we always announce it to all our email subscribers. That means some of you might receive schedule change announcements for leagues not of interest to you. But hopefully you can understand the importance of notifying players, families, umpires and volunteers about schedule changes.

Coaches: Juniors Practice Field Now Taking Reservations

Coaches, the Juniors field at Southern is now available to accept your reservations.

• You will need a new password this year to make reservations. Email the webmaster to get yours.
• It REALLY can take up to FIVE minutes for your reservation to appear on the schedule. Please don't submit another duplicate request until you've waited at least 5 minutes. Be patient and keep refreshing your browser.
• Limit your team to one reservation per week.
  
• Once you have your password and you have read and understand the instructions above, you can make reservations here.
  

Still Need Players in Some Leagues

We still need players for the following leagues:

• Softball Minors
• Softball Majors
• Softball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors
• Baseball Big League

The online registration for these groups remains open. You can sign up and pay online by clicking here. Please spread the word to your friends and classmates so we can fill up these leagues.

Saturday Events

Because of the good weather and the hard work of our grounds crew, the clean-up day originally scheduled for Saturday, April 18, has been canceled. We'd still encourage you to come out to Southern on Saturday to watch the Catholic Central Phil Burns Tournament. Games are at 9:30am, 12:00pm and 2:30pm. The snack bar will be open, so you can enjoy your first grill delights of the season and try a slushie from our new machine. Coaches, the practice fields and batting cages are also available for you to reserve on Saturday. So come on out for an early start to the fun times at Southern!

Umpire Clinic

The Southern Little League Umpires Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on the west field. All umpires 16 and younger are strongly encouraged to attend. The clinic will be led by our new director of umpires, Jamie Kuhlman. If you have any questions for Jamie, you can find his contact information here.

Rule Books for Coaches

Coaches of majors baseball and of all levels of softball have not yet received their rule books. Please contact your league director to pick these up.

• Majors Baseball: Joe Mead (contact info)
• Softball: Steve Parks (contact info)

2009 Schedules for Majors, Minors & 78ers

The 2009 schedules for the Majors, Minors and 78ers are now available here. Other league schedules will follow as they become available. You can find the schedules any time by clicking on the Schedules link on the right side of the website.

Rest assured that any changes we make to the schedules during the season will be shaded in orange on the schedules and will be announced via email.

Coaches: Saturday Morning Practice Slots Available

Coaches, because there is no need for field clean-up this coming Saturday morning, April 18, the fields and batting cages at Southern are available to be reserved in one-hour slots from 9am to noon. You can reserve these fields and cages in the usual spot, here. Please consider the one-slot-per-week limit.

Coaches and Team Parents Meeting

The coaches and team parent meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30pm at the East Middle School cafeteria. It is mandatory for at least one coach and a team parent from each team to be present. We will be going over all organizational aspects of the season. We appreciate your attendance in advance.

NOTE: This meeting is not for all parents and players. It's just for coaches and team parents.

Coaches Page Updated

Hey, coaches, we are now accepting reservations for practice fields at Lakeside Elementary (2 fields), Breton Downs Elementary (2 fields), and for the east and west fields at Southern. We are also accepting reservations for the two batting cages at Southern. You'll need a new password to make reservations this year.

We have also updated the instructions for calling in scores. There are changes from last year including a different phone number, so please take a moment to read the new instructions.

You can get to the coaches page by clicking the "Coaches" link on the right side of the website under "Find It Fast."

We are getting very close on schedules. Expect to see those posted online in the coming days.

See you all at the mandatory coaches and team parent meeting on Tuesday at 7:30pm at East Middle School!

Extended Sign-up for 15-18-Year-Old Baseball

You can still sign up online for Seniors (15-16) and Big League (17-18) Baseball until May 15. Click here to sign up online. For other sign-up details, see our original sign-up post here.

Online Registration Extended for Seniors and Softball

Online registration for seniors baseball (over 15) and all softball levels has been extended until April 15. The cost is $125. Details here.

Tryout Session & Umpire Meeting Reminder

A reminder that the tryout session is scheduled for this coming Saturday, March 28, at the East Grand Rapids High School Gymnasium. Only certain players need to attend, so please take the time to read through the information about tryout day to determine if and when your child needs to be there. Click here to read all the details.

One slight change from our original note: softball players will not behaving a tryout session. They can expect to be contacted by coaches once the rosters are finalized.

Also, a change in policy from previous years: If your child is 10 years old and wishes to try out for the Major League (baseball), he or she must be present at tryouts. Otherwise, 10-year-olds will be placed in the Minor League by default.

Finally, umpires, don't forget the informational meeting immediately following the tryouts.

An Important Announcement from Little League International

It has been brought to the attention of Little League officials that there are a few bats for sale in stores or that may have already been purchased that carry the Little League approval, but do not have the required bat performance standard markings. The Little League Rulebook states that beginning January 1, 2009, all non-wood bats used for play in Little League Baseball (majors and below) shall be printed with a bat performance factor (BPF) of 1.15 or less. While the bats we have identified pass the BPF standard and other standards of proportion and measurement, they do not have the proper label. These bats are in the marketplace for a variety of circumstances. After review by Little League officials, it has been determined that these bats may remain in the marketplace and shall be allowed for play during the 2009 season only, with the understanding that these bats shall not be allowed for play after December 31, 2009, even though some improperly labeled bats may still remain in the marketplace, or retained by leagues and players after the 2010 deadline. Also, check the model you are purchasing. If these bats, like the Vanquish, are replaced with corrected labeling, and have the BPF 1.15 label, they will be allowed after 2009.

Specifically, the bats in question are as follow:

Adidas Vanquish Blue design (There is a newer model of this bat, also named the Vanquish and it has copper and black markings. It contains the proper labeling and therefore is not subject to the one-year rule).

DeMarini:
Black Coyote
Rogue
Distance
Rumble
Tengu

Easton:
LZ-810

Louisville Slugger:
YB31


Sincerely,

Little League International
P.O. Box 3485
539 US Route 15 Hwy
Williamsport, PA 17701-0485
Phone: 570-326-1921
Fax: 570-326-1074

One Final Reminder

Just one final reminder that the deadline for signing up for the 2009 season is Sunday, March 15. And if you haven't signed up yet, there's still time to guarantee a spot before the deadline. If you have already signed up - thanks again for your patience.

• The deadline is March 15. After that deadline, there is a $15 penalty and we can no longer guarantee a spot.
  
• You'll need to sign up online.
• Don't forget the tryout day March 28. Details here.
  
• All the other details you need to know are here.

A Gentle Reminder

Just a reminder that sign-up for the 2009 Little League season is almost over. And if you haven't signed up yet, there's still time to guarantee a spot before the deadline. If you have already signed up - thanks. And thanks for your patience with our efforts to coax everyone else to register, too.

• The deadline is March 15. After that deadline, there is a $15 penalty and we can no longer guarantee a spot.
  
• The in-person sign-up sessions are over, so.....
• You'll need to sign up online.
• All the other details you need to know are here.

Volunteer Opportunity

Southern Little League is looking for a couple of volunteers to work together to schedule umpires for the Minor and Major league games. This is a great opportunity to get involved with the younger umpires and teach them valuable life lessons off the field. The umpire program teaches responsibility, time management, and the benefits of earning money. This is a very rewarding opportunity and only requires a couple of hours per week. Previous umpiring or coaching experience is not needed. If you are organized and enjoy spending time with the a great group of kids at Southern Little League, this is a perfect fit. For more information please contact Jeff Elble at umpires@southernll.org or at 942-0956.

Sign-Up Reminder

Just a reminder that sign-up for the 2009 Little League season has started.

• The deadline is March 15.
• The first of our four in-person sign-up sessions is this coming Wednesday, February 4.
• The sign-up sessions are at Breton Village Mall this year, not at Southern Little League.
• The sign-up table will be located near the fireplace inside the mall.
  
• Of course, you can always sign up online.
• And all the details are available here.

Aquinas Softball Clinic Feb 21 & 22

Hey, softball players, Aquinas is offering a softball clinic on February 21 and 22, for girls in grades 3 thru 10. You can download the information flyer and application (pdf) here.

Let Your Equipment Play Extra Innings

We are currently accepting donations for new or gently used baseball equipment. Donated equipment will be distributed to deserving children through Southern Little League's scholarship program.

Equipment can be dropped off at any one of our in-person sign-up sessions at Breton Village Mall. Click here for details.

For more information, contact:

• Eric O'Connor
• eric@spartansells.com
• 292-2388

Attention Softball Players

Great news for Southern Softball! We are happy to announce that this season, we will be participating in inter league play with the softball leagues from Northview, Northern, Northeastern, Caledonia and Lowell. We're looking forward to a great season.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Majors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Weekly Umpire Schedule for Minors

• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule are shaded in orange on the team schedule and will be announced via email.
• Be sure to scroll over to the right to see both umpire columns.
  
• If you find this view of the schedule inconvenient and would prefer to download it, print it, or view it on its own, you can do that here: pdf html text.

Field Location: Lowell Cherry Creek

View Lowell Cherry Creek in a larger map

Field Location: Caledonia Kraft Meadows

View Caledonia Kraft Meadows in a larger map

Field Location: Forest Hills Eastern High School

View Forest Hills Eastern High School in a larger map

Field Location: Northview Crossroads

View Northview Crossroads in a larger map

Field Location: Lowell Creekside

View Lowell Creekside in a larger map

Field Location: Northview Airway

View Northview Airway in a larger map

Field Location: Northeastern Aberdeen

View Northeastern Aberdeen in a larger map

Field Location: Pinery Park

View Pinery Park in a larger map

Field Locations

We maintain maps to a variety of away fields. For any fields not listed here, you will likely find directions over on Michigan District 9's website.

We also have textual directions to every District 9 ballfield that you can print out here.

Here are some maps to away softball fields:

• Belding High School
• Belding Little League
• Caledonia Kraft Meadows
• Cat Fields
• East Rockford Middle School
• Forest Hills Eastern High School
• Forest Hills Northern High School
• Lowell Cherry Creek
• Lowell Creekside
• Manhattan
• Northeastern Aberdeen
• Northeastern Huff
• Northern
• Northview Airway
• Northview Crossroads
• Northview Quad
• Pinery Park
• Rockford High School
• Rockford River Valley

Field Location: Northview Quad

View Northview Quad in a larger map

Field Location: Northern Little League

View Northern in a larger map

Sign Up for the 2009 Season

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to start thinking about Southern Little League baseball.

Here's what you need to know. Please take the time to read this information thoroughly.

• Deadline: You must sign up online or in person no later than March 15.
  
• Cost: $110 per player before the deadline. $125 after the deadline based on availability. This is the same cost as last year. (No player will be denied based on inability to pay. Please see our sign-up staff for details.)
  
• How to sign up: Online (click here) or at one of our in-person sign-up sessions at Breton Village Mall (click here). The cost is the same either way. You cannot sign up by mail. You can download the registration form here.
  
• Age eligibility and divisions: Read more here.
  
• Geographical boundary eligibility: See our official league boundaries here. You must reside within these boundaries or have played in Southern last year to be eligible.
  
• Tryouts: After signing up, players in certain situations MUST attend their player evaluation (aka "tryout") session. Click here for details.
  
• Umpiring: Anyone 13 years old or older who is reliable and passionate about baseball can earn some extra cash umpiring at Southern. Sign-ups for umpiring will be held after tryouts at 2:30 on Saturday, March 28, in the East Grand Rapids gym. Training will take place at a later date.
  
• Volunteering: Southern depends on volunteers for a wide variety of roles. Make sure to fill out a volunteer form when you sign-up. Learn more here.
  
• Important dates:
• In-person sign-up sessions: February 4, 7, 11 and 14
  
• Sign-up deadline: Saturday, March 15
• Player evaluation/tryout day: Saturday, March 28
• Clean-up day: Saturday, April 18, 9am (we need lots of volunteers)
• Practices begin: After March 29 (depends on coach)
• Games begin: Week of April 19
• Family day: Saturday, June 6 (volunteers needed)
• Our website: We make all our weather and schedule announcements and we keep all our schedules, results, standings and other information here on our website. So bookmark us! Better yet, make sure to stay on top of all the latest news by signing up for automatic email updates here. It really is the simplest way to make sure you don't miss an important announcement.
  
• Questions? Call Mark Norton at 954-0504. Make your message only your name and clearly state your phone number twice.
  

A Message from League President Bob Hams

As I look out the window and see mountains of snow, it is hard to believe that the Little League season is just around the corner. After recapping the 2008 season I will highlight some important dates for 2009.

2008 was one of the best seasons ever for Southern. Under the direction of our President Bernie Malewitz, we saw some 775 boys and girls participate in baseball and softball. Bernie served for 3 years as league president and among many other programs, Bernie established a very successful and much needed raffle program, reinstituted the kick off meetings with the coaches and parents to organize the season and added many additional volunteers to help the program go smoothly.

2008 was also a successful season as for the huge financial responsibility of Southern. Many thanks go out to the sponsors, Jen Rowe and Marcia Lewis with the concession stand, John Belanger and the raffle staff, Julie Jager and the bingo staff and all of the other volunteers who combined to raise the funds needed to offset the estimated $310 per player it costs to run Southern Little League. Bernie has stepped down as President to concentrate on coaching and on watching his kids play all sports. The Southern board would like to thank Bernie immensely for his dedication to Southern. If you see Bernie this Summer please give him a nice thank you. Bernie will be remaining on the board as an adviser, and we look forward to working with him.

The Board of Directors has elected me as the next league president, and I began my term at the January 15, 2009, meeting.

The sign-ups for 2009 will start soon. Online sign-up will be available in the coming days and the in-person sign-ups will be held on several dates in February. Please watch this website (and your email if you are a subscriber) for information coming soon about sign-ups. All of the important dates will be included in the announcement, so don’t miss it. We are happy to announce that Southern will not need to raise fees this season as long as everyone continues to participate in fundraising and supports the concession stand. Fees will again be $110 per player.

Southern is working on improving its softball program and has secured Caledonia and Lowell as interleague partners for juniors and is working with Byron TSP, Northern, Northeastern and others as partners in the younger ages.

We look forward to a great 2009 season. See you at the sign-ups or at the fields.

Bob Hams

President, Southern Little League