Save the Date: 2017 Southern Little League Annual Lead-off Party

Please add this date to your calendar:
Saturday, February 25, 2017

This is our annual winter (almost spring) fundraiser for Southern Little League.

Food, drinks, entertainment, and our silent auction. Join us for a great evening of fun, Southern Little League style!

This year we will again host the event at the Applause Event Center. Our event will be one of the first in the newly renovated facility!

To make this event even more successful than last year please consider donating quality items for the auctions.

Sign Up Online for the 2017 Season

• DEADLINE IS MARCH 15! (Deadline for Seniors is not until May.) Online sign-up will close after the deadline.
• The cost is $150. ($100 for softball.) After the deadline, the cost increases to $175.
• You can read all the details here.
• You can sign up and pay online by clicking here.
• Please note: The online sign-up is hosted by a third party (active.com). There have been reports of high volume on their site. Please keep trying. There is nothing the Southern webmaster can do about this.
• We have heard from several folks that they are having difficulty receiving confirmation emails from the sign-up provider. Please check your spam folder for these confirmations. We apologize for any inconvenience.
• There is no additional fee for online sign-up. The cost is the same as in-person sign-up.
• We no longer need to see birth certificates.

2017 Tryout Schedule

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTE

First off, keep in mind that the term "tryout" here is a bit of a misnomer. It's actually more of an evaluation to help determine the appropriate league for each child. No one is omitted from participation based on this evaluation. We use the term "tryout" regardless, so bear with us.

To determine your child's official Little League Age, use the online age calculator here. Please use ONLY this official Little League age when considering which tryout session to attend.

All of the time slots listed below are for baseball only. There will not be a softball tryout session this year.

Please notice that only kids in certain situations need to come to tryouts. Read the conditions below carefully. If you find that your child does not fit into any of these situations, then there's no need to come to tryouts. Get it? If you're still not sure, you can contact the director.

Here is the schedule for tryouts:

• Date: Saturday, March 25th
• Location: East Grand Rapids High School Gym.
• Please plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time slot.
• These times are subject to change. We will announce all changes on the website and email all subscribers. Sign up for email notification here.
• 9:00am-10:00am: all 9 yr olds (baseball). If you have an 8 year old who wants to move up to Minors, they must attend tryouts with the 9 year olds. No exceptions. There is no guarantee any 8 year old will be placed in the Minors until all of the 9 thru 11 year olds are placed.
• 10:30am-11:30am: all 10 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the majors last year and who wish to try out for majors this year. Also, any 10 yr olds (baseball) who are new to Southern this year must attend at this time. (For 10-yr-olds who were in minors last year and want to play in minors again this year, you do not need to attend the tryout.)
• 12:00pm-1:00pm: all 11 and 12 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the majors last year
• 1:30pm-2:00pm: umpire sign-up and meeting. Details here.

It is mandatory that all players that will be entering a division or the draft be evaluated. We have three options for you.

• You must be at your assigned time on Saturday, March 25, to be evaluated.
• If you have a conflict at that time, you must contact the league director and make arrangements to be at the evaluations at a different time on Saturday March 25.
• In case of emergency or other unforeseen conflict, a parent or guardian of the player must call the league director and give a detailed evaluation over the phone to the director.

If none of these three options is completed, then the following will apply:

• If the player is 11 or under and trying out for Majors, the player will be placed in Minors automatically.
• If the player is 12 in Majors or any age in Juniors, the player will not be drafted but will be randomly placed on a team after the draft is completed.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you know your child will not be able to attend, please contact the director.

Sign Up In Person for the 2017 Season

You can sign up in person for the 2017 season. This is for folks who do not want to use a credit card to register online. If you'd rather pay by cash or check, come to the in-person sign-up sessions where we'll be able to accept your payment and provide you with access to a laptop so you can fill out the rest of the registration information online. There are no paper sign-ups this year.

The in-person sign-ups will take place at Blimpie next to Breton Village Mall.

• Where: Blimpie next to Breton Village Mall
• When:
• Saturday, March 4th, 11am-1pm
• Saturday, March 11th, 11am-1pm
• Signup is ONLY available at those times.
• A parent or legal guardian must be present at sign-up.
• The child need not be present.
• We do not need to see birth certificates.
• Cost is $150, payable by check, cash, or credit card. ($100 for softball.)
• You cannot sign up by mail.

Schedule Change in Juniors Fall Ball: Kolk & Warners

We have switched the two juniors games for this coming Sunday, October 23. The new schedule is:

Juniors:
   Conway vs. Kolk – 1:00pm Henwood
   Conway vs. Warners – 3:00pm Henwood

Make-Up Week: Sunday, October 23

On Sunday, October 23, we will be making up all the canceled games from October 2. Here is the schedule:

Sunday, October 23

Coach Pitch:
   Stotts vs. Bishop – 1:00pm JC West
   Potter vs. Wisinski – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 1:00pm West
Majors:
   Green vs. Lamange – 1:00pm East
   Green vs. Dwortz – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Conway vs. Kolk – 1:00pm Henwood
   Conway vs. Warners – 3:00pm Henwood

Cancellation

All games are cancelled today. 

2016 Fall Ball Schedule

Sunday, September 11

Coach Pitch:
   Stotts vs. Bishop – 1:00pm West
   Potter vs. Wisinski – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Rohen vs. Kuzner – 1:00pm JC West
Majors:
   Green vs. Lamange – 1:00pm East
   Green vs. Dwortz – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Kolk vs. Conway – 1:00pm Henwood
   Conway vs. Walters – 3:00pm Henwood

Sunday, September 18

Coach Pitch:
   Bishop vs. Wisinski – 1:00pm West
   Stotts vs. Potter – 1:00pm JC West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 3:00pm West
Majors:
   Dwortz vs. Lamange – 1:00pm East
   Dwortz vs. Green – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Kolk vs. Conway – 1:00pm Henwood
   Kolk vs. Walters – 3:00pm Henwood

Sunday, September 25

Coach Pitch:
   Wisinski vs. Stotts – 1:00pm JC West
   Potter vs. Bishop – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 1:00pm West
Majors:
   Lamange vs. Green – 1:00pm East
   Lamange vs. Dwortz – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Walters vs. Kolk – 1:00pm Henwood
   Walters vs. Conway – 3:00pm Henwood

Sunday, October 2

Coach Pitch:
   Stotts vs. Bishop – 1:00pm JC West
   Potter vs. Wisinski – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 1:00pm West
Majors:
   Green vs. Lamange – 1:00pm East
   Green vs. Dwortz – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Conway vs. Walters – 1:00pm Henwood
   Conway vs. Kolk – 3:00pm Henwood

Sunday, October 9

Coach Pitch:
   Bishop vs. Wisinski – 1:00pm JC West
   Stotts vs. Potter – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 1:00pm West
Majors:
   Dwortz vs. Lamange – 1:00pm East
   Dwortz vs. Green – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Kolk vs. Walters – 1:00pm Henwood
   Kolk vs. Conway – 3:00pm Henwood

Sunday, October 16

Coach Pitch:
   Wisinski vs. Stotts – 1:00pm JC West
   Potter vs. Bishop – 3:00pm West
Minors:
   Kuzner vs. Rohen – 1:00pm West
Majors:
   Lamange vs. Green – 1:00pm East
   Lamange vs. Dwortz – 3:00pm East
Juniors:
   Walters vs. Kolk – 1:00pm Henwood
   Walters vs. Conway – 3:00pm Henwood

Fall Ball Rosters Published

We have finished assigning the players to teams for Fall Ball. You can view the rosters by clicking the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Games start this coming Sunday.

We assign players to teams based on age for Fall Ball. Fall Ball is a league for the players to get extra games in so they get more experience for next season. It is much less competitive than the regular season. Even though it is called Minors, Majors, Juniors, etc. we divide the players up by age. Over the past few years we have found this system works much better with the limited amount of teams in Fall Ball.

Fall Ball Update

• As of today, Fall Ball signup is closed. If anyone still wants to sign up, you will need to contact Bob Hams (bhams@roofmelt.com) or Ethan Rohen (erohen@rivercitymech.com).
• We will be dividing up the teams on Wednesday, so expect to hear from your coaches no later than Thursday.
• Games start on Sunday, September 11.

Fall Ball Signup Deadline is TONIGHT

Please sign up for Fall Ball as soon as possible. The deadline is Monday at midnight.

Click here to read all the details and to sign up.

Fall Ball Signup Deadline is Monday at Midnight

Please sign up for Fall Ball as soon as possible. The deadline is this Monday at midnight.

Click here to read all the details and to sign up.

Fall Ball Signup Extended

The Fall Ball signup deadline has been extended until Sunday, August 28.

The Fall Ball season will now begin AFTER Labor Day, on Sunday, September 10. The season will continue for six weeks, ending on Sunday, October 16.

Please click here to read all the details and to sign up.

Last Call for Fall Ball Sign Up

Please sign up for Fall Ball as soon as possible. The deadline is this Sunday at midnight.

Click here to read all the details and to sign up.

Sign Up ASAP for Fall Ball!

Please sign up for Fall Ball as soon as possible. The deadline is this Sunday at midnight.

Click here to read all the details and to sign up.

Register Now for Fall Ball

It's time to think about Fall Ball again!

• Fall baseball will be for ages 6-14.
• This is a fun and instructional season. There are no practices, and we don't keep standings.
• The 6-8 age group will play coach pitch. The 9-10 age group and the 11-12 age group will play on the East and West small fields. Ages 13-14 will play on the Henwood big field.
• Please note that if you played as an 8-year old in coach pitch this past Summer, you now move up and play in the 9-10 age group for the Fall. If you played as a 10-year-old in the minors this past Summer, you will move up and play as an 11-year-old for the Fall. If you played as a 12-year-old in the majors this Summer, you will play as a 13-year old on the Henwood big field for the Fall. If you played as a 14-year old in the Juniors this past Summer, you continue to play as a 14-year old on the big field for the Fall.
• The season will start on Sunday, September 10, with the final games on Sunday, October 16. That's a total of six Sundays of play.
• All games will be played on Sunday afternoons at 1:00pm and 3:00pm, with some games at 5:00pm only if required by the number of teams.
• The cost will remain $60 this year and includes a jersey you can keep. This fee helps us cover the costs of umpires, baseballs, etc.
• Please note: You must live within or go to school within Southern's official boundaries to be eligible to participate in Fall ball. The only exception is if you used to live within the boundaries while playing baseball at Southern, you continue to qualify. If this is too confusing or if you're hoping for an exception, please contact Bob or Ethan.
• Interested in Fall Softball? If enough people email Wendi Moore (weemoore@comcast.net), then we will organize a fall softball season with Sunday afternoon games at JC West. Please do not sign up yet for softball, but do email her ASAP.
• 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 deadline for signing up is Sun-28-Aug.
• Bob Hams, league director (bhams@roofmelt.com) or Ethan Rohen, league director (erohen@rivercitymech.com)
• We need coaches! Please contact Ethan if you are interested in coaching. (No full teams will be allowed this year so we can achieve an even competitive balance.)

A Big Thank You from Birmingham

From one of the Birmingham coaches:

"I told some of you but not all - you guys and your crew (umps/grounds/concessions/announcers/t-shirt sales, etc.) did an amazing job. First class in every way.  We do not take it lightly, and we have some idea of how much work and time you all give to this.  You made this a great experience for our kids and families and we cannot thank you enough."

This is what makes Southern so great! Thank you, Southern volunteers, for all your hard work on the 10/11-year-old state tournament!

Congratulations to the 2016 9-11 Year Old State Tournament Final Four

Southern Families and Friends,

Please come out and support the final four, enjoy a great time, and have a great meal tonight.

D14 Bay City Southwest vs. D9 Hudsonville at 5:00pm on Southern East

D6 Grosse Pointe Farms City vs. D4 Birmingham at 7:30pm on Southern East

2016 Fall Ball Juniors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Fall Ball Junior League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2016 Fall Ball Majors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Fall Ball Major League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2016 Fall Ball Minors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Fall Ball Minor League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2016 Fall Ball Coach-Pitch Roster

These are the team rosters for the Fall Ball Coach-Pitch League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

Southern's Juniors Baseball All-Stars Bow Out

The Southern Juniors All Star team has reached the end of a really fantastic run for the State Tournament Title. The boys made a strong showing as they won their way through the pool play portion of the tournament to make it to the semifinals. Today brought a very difficult and disappointing loss to the host team of Midland.

Everyone at Southern is proud of these young men for representing all of us with such excellent sportsmanship. Congratulations to each and everyone of the boys and their coaches!

Volunteers Needed for 10-11 State Tournament at Southern

Southern Little League has been chosen to host this year's 10-11 year old Baseball State Tournament, July 28 - August 3, 2016, and we need you to make it a grand slam!

The event draws players and spectators from all over Michigan.  They will have the opportunity to visit our beautiful city of Grand Rapids and see first hand our top notch little league organization run by devoted staff and committed volunteers!  In addition, the revenue generated from the event will make a positive impact on SLL and our kids!

Please click here to visit the sign up sheet and make your selections at your earliest convenience.  We need to fill all of the volunteer spots in order to host a successful event.

The tournament has its own website separate from Southern's website. Feel free to visit that website and to sign up for email updates there. Click here to visit the tournament's website.

Thank you for your continued support!

Juniors Baseball All-Stars Rained Out

Southern's Juniors Baseball All-Stars were rained out in their first game of state tournament today. They now play a double header tomorrow at 11:00am and 6:00pm.

Southern Seniors Bow Out of Regional Tournament

Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars wrapped up an incredible tournament run after a tough loss to a very good Clear Ridge Little League team. The team finished 3rd/4th in Regional play after winning a District Championship, State Championship, and competing in the Regional Tournament. Please join all of us at Southern Little League in congratulating the Senior All-Stars on a great tournament season. Congratulations!

Manager: Rob Henkey
Coach: Jamie Billo
Coach: Alex Luke

Dane Addington
Jack Billo
Henry Breems
Griffin Caul
Jacob Elzinga
Luke Elzinga
Connor Goulet
Nolan Heerema
Matt Henkey
Jake Hoppman
Joe Huffman
Elliott Jung
Peter Kratt
Nick Lambert
Nate Trudeau
Max Vicari

Southern Senior All Stars Advance in Regional Tournament

Peru, IL

Southern's Seniors Baseball All Stars has bounced back with two wins after a close loss in the opening game to the team from Chicago. After defeating Wisconsin in the final pool game the Seniors played the host team District 20 Illinois yesterday and put together their most impressive performance of the postseason.

Peter Kratt and Jack Billo each had 3 RBI's while Nolan Heerema and Jake Hoppman both provided some spectacular defense. Elliott Jung pitched 6-1/3 innings of 3-hit baseball while striking out 7.

Those efforts along with a total team effort led by good hitting and clutch defense helped notch the 10-1 victory over a very good host team.

Nolan Heerema continued his torrid hitting streak while Max Vicari, Peter Kratt, Matt Henkey, and Elliott Jung also are swinging hot bats. The team is playing its best baseball at the most opportune time.

The pitching staff of Henry Breems, Dane Addington, Nick Lambert, Joe Huffman, Connor Goulet, and Elliott Jung continue to impress.

Southern plays Chicago today in the semifinals in a rematch of two of the most talented teams in the tournament. The winner advances to the finals tomorrow with a trip to the World Series in Bangor, Maine, on the line. Good luck to the Southern Senior All-Stars!

D9 Big Leaguers Play Tonight at Cornerstone

District 9's Big League team plays Illinois District 15 for the regional championship tonight at 5:30pm at Cornerstone University. The winner advances to the World Series in Easley, SC. Come out to Cornerstone tonight and cheer on your District 9 team to the World Series!

Southern's Juniors Play Sectional Tonight at Southern

Southern's West Juniors All-Stars play their sectional tomorrow against District 12 Lakeview at Southern at 5:30pm with the second game at approximately 7:30pm. This is a best two out of three matchup with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Midland.

Good luck to the Southern West Juniors. Please come out and cheer them on.

District 9 Big Leaguers Keep Rolling!

District 9 Big League defeated Missouri tonight 8-0 to cap off a two win day in the big league regional tournament at Cornerstone University. Teaming up for the second shutout of the day were Mark Primus and Andrew Bojas from Southern along with Bruce Buurstra from Western who combined for a four-hit shutout.

District 9 plays Indiana Tuesday at 7:30pm at Cornerstone University. Come out and support your D9 all stars tonight!

District 9 Big Leaguers Win, Play Tonight

Host District 9 defeated District 15 Illinois in the first game today 9-0. Christian Falicki pitched 6-2/3 innings with 9 strikeouts for the win. District 9 plays again at 7:30pm tonight against Missouri. Come watch the action at Cornerstone University!

District 9 Big League Action Today

The Big League regional baseball tournament starts today with host District 9 Michigan playing District 15 Illinois at 2:00pm. The winner plays at 7:30pm tonight. All games are at Cornerstone University.

Southern Senior Baseball Wins State Title!

Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars won the Michigan state title Sunday with an exciting 4-3 victory in nine innings. They defeated Grosse Pointe/Harper Woods today when Connor Goulet, Dane Addington, and Henry Breems put together a great nine-inning pitching performance with Breems getting the win.

In the bottom of the ninth inning inning, Nolan Heerema singled and stole second base, bringing up EJ Jung. EJ hit a 375-foot shot that was foul by a mere three inches. He then singled in the winning run on the next pitch for an exciting win.

Now it's on to Peru, Illinois, for the eight team regional. The winner advances to the World Series in Bangor, Maine. Good luck to the Seniors baseball team!

Manager: Rob Henkey
Coach: Matthew Sullivan
Coach: Alex Luke

Dane Addington
Jack Billo
Henry Breems
Griffin Caul
Jacob Elzinga
Luke Elzinga
Connor Goulet
Nolan Heerema
Matt Henkey
Jake Hoppman
Joe Huffman
Elliott Jung
Peter Kratt
Nick Lambert
Nate Trudeau
Max Vicari

Southern's Seniors Advance to State Championship!

Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars celebrate a 7-4 victory in the state tournament semi-finals today at South Portage. E. J. Jung was the winning pitcher. Peter Kratt had a solo home run and Joe Huffman had a three run home run.

They play gross point/Harper Woods for the title at 1:00pm Sunday at South Portage. Good luck to the Seniors!

Southern's Seniors Advance to State Finals Round

On Thursday, Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars defeated St. Clair with a final score of 13-3, and on Friday morning Southern defeated Waterford with a final score of 7-1. They completed pool play with a 2-0 record and now advance to the finals round. The finals are a single elimination format. Southern plays at 1:00pm at South Portage Saturday against either Taylor or Harper Woods. If Southern wins that semifinal game they will play for the State Title at 1:00pm on Sunday. Congratulations to the Southern Seniors Baseball All-Stars and good luck in the final four!

In other all-star news, Southern Little League will host the District 9 Championship games for both the 9/10 and majors baseball Saturday at 10:00am. Please go to Pinery Park tonight at 6:00pm and cheer on Southern East Majors. If Southern East wins tonight, they are in the championship game at Southern tomorrow at 10:00am.

Tonight at 6:00pm at Southern is the finals of the 10/11 baseball consolation round with Southern West playing in that game. Come out and cheer them on.

Southern Juniors Baseball West All-Stars Win District Nine!

Congratulations to Southern's Juniors Baseball West All-Stars for winning the District 9 Championship.

Manager: Steve Southerington
Coach: Tim Sullivan
Coach: Pat Batka

Ian Walschots-Dana
Ryan Sullivan
Jake Fouch
Davis Jennings
Marcellus Vanderkodde
Henry Wassink
Daniel Southerington
Myles Beale
Keegan Batka
John Shelton
Ethan Vanderboegh
Micah Baermann
Jerry Crampton

Baseball Action Tonight at Southern

• Junior Baseball Finals – Southern West vs. Caledonia – Southern Henwood – 6:00pm
  (Southern West is undefeated. Good luck to the Southern Juniors!)
  
  
• Senior Baseball State Tournament – Southern vs. District 7 – South Portage – 6:00pm (Game 1)
  
  
• Majors Baseball – Southern East vs. Rockford – Pinery Park#2 – 6:00pm
  
  
• 10/11 Baseball
• Pool C – Southern East vs. Byron TSP – Southern East – 5:30pm
• Consolation – Southern West vs. Northwestern – Southern East – 7:30pm
• Consolation – Algoma vs. Caledonia – Southern West – 7:30pm

Southern Seniors Baseball All-Stars Win District Nine!

Congratulations to Southern's Seniors Baseball All-Stars for winning the District 9 Championship.

Manager: Rob Henkey
Coach: Matthew Sullivan

Dane Addington
Jack Billo
Henry Breems
Griffin Caul
Jacob Elzinga
Luke Elzinga
Connor Goulet
Nolan Heerema
Matt Henkey
Jake Hoppman
Joe Huffman
Elliott Jung
Peter Kratt
Nick Lambert
Alex Luke
Nate Trudeau
Max Vicari

Who remembers way back in 2010 when this same group of players won the District 9 Championship as 9-10 year olds?

Southern's Baseball Seniors Play for District Championship at11:00am TODAY

Souther's seniors baseball team is playing for the district championship vs. Western at 11:00am this morning at Southern. Southern is undefeated and Western has one loss. If necessary, they'll play again today at 1:00pm. Come cheer them on to a district title!

More Great Baseball Tonight at Southern

Join us tonight for more great baseball and great food fresh off the grill!

9/10 Baseball – Southern East vs. Lowell #2 at Southern East 5:30pm

Major Baseball – Southern West vs. Northwestern at Southern East 7:30pm

Junior Baseball – Southern West vs. Western at Southern Henwood 5:30pm

Senior Baseball – Southern vs. Western at Southern Henwood 7:30pm

Junior Baseball – continuation 9th inning Southern East vs. Northwestern at Pinery #3 5:30

Winner plays Northeastern at 6:30 at Pinery #3

More Baseball Action Tonight at Southern

Four baseball games tonight at Southern plus four away games, too. Come on out and cheer on your Southern teams! Don't forget - we'll have the grill fired up with burgers and dogs, too!

9/10 Pool G – Southern East vs. Algoma at Southern East – 7:30pm
9/10 Pool F – Southern West vs. Holland at Holland Maplewood #1 - 6:00pm

Majors Pool C – Southern East vs. Grandville at Grandville #2 – 6:00pm
Majors Pool F – Southern West vs. West Ottawa at Southern East – 5:30pm

Juniors Pool B – Southern West vs. Algoma at Algoma Sports Park #3 – 6:00pm
Juniors Pool C – Southern East vs. Northwestern at Northwestern #6 – 6:00pm

Seniors – Southern vs. Sparta at Southern – 5:30pm

Big League – Southern vs. Western at Southern – 7:30pm

Lots of Tournament Action Tonight!

Lots of Tournament action at Southern tonight, Tuesday, July 5.

We'll have the grills fired up, so bring the whole family and enjoy a summer night of great baseball. Help cheer our Southern teams on to victory!

Tonight at Southern

5:30pm
     East Field: Majors Baseball Pool C (Southern East vs Pinery Park)
     West Field: 9/10 Baseball Pool F (Southern West vs Caledonia #2)

7:30pm
     East Field: Majors Baseball Pool F (Southern West vs Hudsonville)
     West Field: 9/10 Baseball Pool G (Southern East vs Northeastern)
     Henwood Field: Seniors Baseball (Southern vs Grandville)

Tonight's Away Games

6:00pm at Zeeland: Juniors Baseball Pool B (Southern West vs Zeeland)

7:30pm at Pinery Park #3: Juniors Baseball Pool C (Southern East vs Northeastern)

Congratulations 2016 Seniors Baseball All-Stars!

Manager: Rob Henkey
Coach: Matthew Sullivan

Dane Addington
Jack Billo
Henry Breems
Griffin Caul
Jacob Elzinga
Luke Elzinga
Connor Goulet
Nolan Heerema
Matt Henkey
Jake Hoppman
Joe Huffman
Elliott Jung
Peter Kratt
Nick Lambert
Nate Trudeau
Max Vicari

Congratulations 2016 Majors Baseball East All-Stars!

Manager: Scott Bernecker
Coach: Jim Passinault
Coach: Kevin Burns

David Bernecker
Levi Heerema                
Brendan Burns            
Adam Hall                  
Matthew Ydenberg      
John Passinault    
Tanner Warners      
Ben English            
Conor Callahan          
Nate Van Dyke          
Luke Kuzner        
Ian Masek              
Hans Pruis

Congratulations 2016 Majors Baseball West All-Stars!

Manager: Nick Stadel
Coach: Jack Conway
Coach: Matt Vriesenga

Charlie Walters
Luke Bentley
Alec Koval
Jose Molero
Peter Bos
Jaiden Burgess
Mekhi James
Gabe Sova
Aiden Stadel
Tevon Vanderkodde
Cole Knuble
Zach Vriesenga

Congratulations 2016 11-Year-Old Baseball East All-Stars!

Manager: Joel Passinault
Coach: Mark White
Coach: Peter Stuursma

Liam O'Malley
Luke Gelderloos
Jack Bertke
Nick Collins
Mitchell White
Ben Passinault
Mitchell Stuursma
Drew Caswell
Cam Seth
Ryan Padgett
Mason Keyes
Cade Boender

Congratulations 2016 11-Year-Old Baseball West All-Stars!

Manager Andy Vanderboegh
Coach: Rob Dwortz

Daniel McIntyre
Kerry McCarthy
Christian Burgess
Landon Batka
Charles Rosmarin
Jack Scrimshaw
Noah Bilyeu
Christopher Tepper
Ethan Rapoport
Cole Miller
Robbie Dwortz
Roman Kortman

We Need Grillmasters Again This Weekend!

This upcoming weekend is a busy one at our ball fields, and we need volunteers to work the grill. They are one-hour volunteer sessions. If you have the time and would like to sign up for multiple hours, that would be great. The more the better!

You can sign up for available slots here.

Congratulations 2016 Juniors Baseball West All-Stars!

Manager: Steve Southerington
Coach: Tim Sullivan
Coach: Pat Batka

Ian Walschots-Dana
Ryan Sullivan
Jake Fouch
Davis Jennings
Marcellus Vanderkodde
Henry Wassink
Daniel Southerington
Myles Beale
Keegan Batka
John Shelton
Ethan Vanderboegh
Micah Baermann
Jerry Crampton

Congratulations 2016 Juniors Baseball East All-Stars!

Manager: Jim Weiss
Coach: Jerry Moore
Coach: John Mundell

Kyle Kirk
Jack Sheridan
Aaron Houze
Alex DeBoer
Jack Mundell
Matt Moore
Trinidad Chambliss
Kyle Tepper
Nick Christians
Josh Weiss
Ben Whiteside
Billy Bernecker
Patrick Burns

Two Games Added in Seniors Baseball: Henkey, Kirk, HopPman, Passinault

We have added two games to the seniors baseball schedule:

• Teams Henkey & Kirk:
  You will play on Wednesday, June 29, at 5:30pm.
• Teams Hoppman & Passinault:
  You will play on Wednesday, June 29, at 7:30pm.

Congratulations 2016 Minors Baseball East All-Stars!

Manager: Jamie Billo
Assistant: Chris Laming
Assistant: Matt Bertke

Luke Bertke
Rieden McIntosh
Ben Billo
Scott Millman
Parker Seth
Logan McCahill
Zeke Heerema
Jackson Groen
Sam Tietema
JT Lamange
Leland Whinery
Phillip Blackport
Jameson Beale

Congratulations 2016 Minors Baseball West All-Stars!

Manager: Lyn Sova
Assistant: Greg Sova

Levi Bodziak
Thomas Cavanaugh
Abram Eckley
Glenn Green
Peter Heinz
Charles Hoekstra
Ethan Ogle
Connor Morse
Andrew Sova
Nathan Sova
Carson Stadel
Matthew Stotts
Mark Vogel

Baseball Big League Schedules are Available

The schedule for Big League Baseball is now live on the website. Go to southernll.org and click on the Schedules link on the right sidebar.

Make-Up Games in Minors Baseball: Billo, Rosmarin, VanGessell, Sova

We have rescheduled two rained out games in the minors baseball schedule:

• Teams Billo & Rosmarin:
• Your make-up game will be played on Friday, June 17, at 6:00pm on the West Field.
• Teams VanGessell & Sova:
• Your make-up game will be played on Friday, June 17, at 6:00pm on the East Field.

Calling All Grillmasters!

This upcoming weekend is the Pioneer Classic at our ball fields, and we need volunteers to work the grill. They are one-hour volunteer sessions. If you have the time and would like to sign up for multiple hours, that would be great. The more the better!

You can sign up for available slots here.

Game Location Change Back to Original in 78ers Softball: Sarnicola

There has been a game relocation back to the original location in the 78ers softball schedule:

• Team Sarnicola:
  The game originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, has been moved back to its original location at Southern's JC West field. The game time remains at 6:00pm. Sorry for the confusion.

Baseball Big League Rosters Now Available

Baseball players in Big League have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Coaches should be contacting players soon.

Game Location Change in 78ers Softball: Sarnicola

There has been a game relocation in the 78ers softball schedule:

• Team Sarnicola:
  The game originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, at the JC West field has been moved to Pinery Park field #7. The game time remains at 6:00pm.

Game Cancellation in Majors Softball: Hildebrand

There has been a game cancellation in to the majors softball schedule:

• Team Hildebrand:
  The game originally scheduled for Saturday, June 11, has been canceled.

Schedule Change in Juniors Softball

We have made changes to the juniors softball schedule:

• The game originally scheduled for Thursday, June 9, has been canceled.
• On Monday, June 13, we have added a double-header starting at 6:00pm at the JC West field.

Thanks for a Successful Family Day!

Dear Southern Family,

Another year, another Family Day, and, of course, RAIN. That did not put a damper on the day's festivities. On behalf of the Southern Board, I would like to thank all of the volunteers who spent countless hours volunteering as well as the coaches. If you have family members and friends that participate in other leagues and you have a chance to compare notes about the respective leagues, be proud of Southern Little League. We should all be proud to be part of the best Little League in West Michigan.

Thank you all again for your support!

Regards,
Joe Mead
President, Southern Little League

Last Call for Big League

The big league baseball season starts in a couple weeks for boys ages 16 to 18. The signup deadline is midnight tonight (June 6). Click here to sign up.

Jim Henwood Scholarship Recipients

from left: Harrison Rohen, Ethan Sullivan, Jim Henwood, Bryce Henkey, and Tanner Hoppman

TODAY is Family Day!

Saturday, June 4, is Family Day. Dozens of ball games and lots of other activities will be going on all day long, so bring the whole family - Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, and uncles.

Join us for lunch or dinner, and enjoy our expanded menu:

• Marinated sirloin steak-on-a-stick
• Chicken sandwiches
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Hamburgers, jumbo hot dogs and fresh brats from Ken's Market
• Famous sauteed onions and all your favorite condiments
• Corn-on-the-cob

Activities for the kids:  free!

• Double water slide
• Bounce land

Raffle:

• Reminder: Please sell your raffle tickets and turn in the money and stubs before the deadline at 2:00pm on Saturday. Look for the raffle table near the concession stand.
• The big raffle drawing will take place at 7:00pm.

All-Star Games:

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

Volunteer:

• It's not too late to volunteer to help out: click here.
• We have a separate sign-up for grill volunteers here.

Weather Updates:

• Sign up to get notified by text message of any cancellations or schedule changes due to the weather. It is SO simple to sign up. Click here.

Family Day Schedule

Family Day is Saturday, June 4. Here is a complete list of games taking place on that day.

• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

Make-Up Game in Majors Baseball: Vanderboegh, Dwortz

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Vanderboegh & Dwortz:
• Your rained out game from May 10 has been rescheduled. The make-up game will be played on Friday, June 3, at 7:30pm on the East Field.

Congratulations Minors Family Day All-Stars!

Come watch these teams play in the Minors All-Star Game on Saturday at 7:30pm on the West Field.

American League: Manager John VanGessell From Team VanGessell J. T. LaMange Peter Heintz Leland Whinery From Team Kehr Jameson Beale Levi Bodziak Zeke Heerema From Team Bertke Luke Bertke Tommy Cavanaugh Rieden McIntosh From Team Green Phillip Blackport Logan McCahill Tripp Deboer From Team Rosmarin Tommy Rosmarin Carson Stadel Alex Cummings From Team Ledesma Connor Morse Abram Eckley Zachary Clark

National League: Manager Jamie Billo From Team Billo Ben Billo Scott Millman Frank Debartolo From Team Moore Jackson Groen Matt Stotts Trey Urban From Team Doezema Parker Seth Nigel Doyle Ezekiel Araujo From Team Sova Sean O’Rourke Nathan Sova Sam Tietema From Team Fredrickson Glenn Green John Kantor Ethan Ogle From Team Maher Myles Gabridge Walter Zimdar Morrison Maher

Congratulations Majors Family Day All-Stars!

Come watch these teams play in the Majors All-Star Game on Saturday at 7:30pm on the East Field.

American League: Manager Scott Bernecker From Team Bernecker David Bernecker Ben English Mitchell Stuursma From Team Conway Luke Conway Luke Bentley Alec Koval From Team Stadel Aiden Stadel Mekhi James Conor Callahan From Team Hall Adam Hall Mitchell White Jaiden Burgess From Team Gelderloos Peter Bos Danny McIntyre Luke Gelderloos

National League: Manager Joel Passinault From Team Passinault Luke Kuzner John Passinault Nate Van Dyke From Team Seth Tanner Warners Levi Heerema Camden Seth From Team Vanderboegh Matthew Ydenberg Benjamin Rusticus Hans Pruis From Team Dwortz Ian Masek Nick Collins Jose Molero From Team Burns Brendan Burns Liam O'Malley Oliver Beale

Grill Volunteers Needed for Family Day

Saturday is Family Day, and everyone loves the great food from the grill at Southern. Show off your grilling skills and sign up to volunteer for a shift at Southern's grill. We need lots of help on Family Day, so please click here to sign up ASAP.

Family Day Volunteers Needed

Saturday is Family Day, and every year we depend on Southern families to volunteer to make the day a success. Please take a moment to sign up for a two-hour shift. Click here to sign up.

Please Sign Up for Big League Baseball ASAP

The big league baseball season starts in a couple weeks for boys ages 16 to 18, but we need folks to sign up ASAP so we know how many teams to form. The deadline is Monday, June 6, but please don't put this off. Click here to sign up.

Southern's 20th Annual Family Day is Saturday, June 4

Saturday, June 4, is Family Day. Dozens of ball games and lots of other activities will be going on all day long, so bring the whole family - Grandma, Grandpa, aunts, and uncles.

Join us for lunch or dinner, and enjoy our expanded menu:

• Marinated sirloin steak-on-a-stick
• Chicken sandwiches
• Pulled pork sandwiches
• Hamburgers, jumbo hot dogs and fresh brats from Ken's Market
• Famous sauteed onions and all your favorite condiments
• Corn-on-the-cob

Activities for the kids:  free!

• Double water slide
• Bounce land

Raffle:

• Reminder: Please sell your raffle tickets and turn in the money and stubs before the deadline at 2:00pm on Saturday. Look for the raffle table near the concession stand.
• The big raffle drawing will take place at 7:00pm.

All-Star Games:

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

Weather Updates:

• Sign up to get notified by text message of any cancellations or schedule changes due to the weather. It is SO simple to sign up. Click here.

Raffle Update

The raffle is getting close! Players must sell three tickets each. There is a prize for the top two players who sell the most! Don't forget you can request extra raffle tickets any time. Ask your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Lots of prizes to give away! This is a big fundraiser for Southern. It helps maintain field conditions and keep costs down for players. Tickets already sold can be turned in to the team parent or at the concession stand. Please keep ticket stubs and money together in an envelope when turning them in. Checks can be made out to Southern Little League. All unsold tickets need to be turned back in as well. Let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for all you do, Southern families!

Kari DeBoer and Sara Stadel

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Burns, Vanderboegh

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Burns & Vanderboegh:
• Your game on Wednesday, June 1, has been rescheduled to place on Wednesday, May 25, at 5:30pm.

Schedule Changes and Additions in Majors Softball: Hildebrand, Klop

We have made a change to the majors softball schedule:

• Team Hildebrand:
• Your game on Family Day, Saturday, June 4, has been rescheduled for 1:00pm and will be against Klop.
• Team Klop:
• Your game on Family Day, Saturday, June 4, has been rescheduled for 1:00pm and will be against Hildebrand.

Schedule Additions in Juniors Softball: Southern

We have made a change to the juniors softball schedule:

• Team Southern:
• You will now play a double-hear on Monday, June 6, at 6:00pm and 7:30pm at Granville High School.

Schedule Change in 78ers Softball: Sanders, Shelton, Wisinski, Klein

We have made a change to the 78ers softball schedule:

• Teams Sanders & Shelton:
• Your game on Thursday, May 26, at 5:30pm has been moved from he West field to the East field.
• Teams Wisinski & Klein:
• Your game on Thursday, May 26, at 7:00pm has been moved from he West field to the East field.

Last Chance to Sign Up for Seniors Baseball

The deadline is midnight Tuesday night. Please click here to sign up.

Game Cancellation in Minors Softball: Barrett

We have made a change to the minors softball schedule:

• Team Barrett:
• The game on Saturday, May 21, at 12:00 on JC West that we *just* announced earlier today has been canceled. Sorry for the chaos!

Schedule Change TODAY in Minors Softball: Barrett, Groendyke

We have made changes to the minors softball schedule:

• Team Barrett:
• Your game TODAY, Friday, May 20, has been rescheduled to 7:30pm and moved to Pinery Park field #4 (not field #7).
• We have added a game to your schedule on Saturday, May 21, at 12:00 on JC West.
• We have added a game to your schedule on Family Day, Saturday, June 4, at 9:00am on JC West.
• Team Groendyke:
• We have added a game to your schedule on Saturday, May 21, at 12:00 on JC West.

Complete Softball Schedules are Available

The full season schedule is now available on the website for softball 78ers, minors, and majors. Visit southernLL.org and click on Schedules on the right sidebar.

Team Parents: Pictures are Ready

Team Parents, please pick up pictures for your team from the concession stand. Please note, this is for Team Parents only, not for every parent. The Team Parent is the one parent from each team assigned to handle pictures, raffle tickets, etc. The Team Parent should pick up all the pictures for the team and distribute them to the team members.

Please Sign Up for Seniors Baseball ASAP

The seniors baseball draft takes place on May 25, so the deadline for signing up is Tuesday, May 24. Please sign up as soon as you can. This makes it much easier for the people organizing the draft.

Seniors Baseball Schedule is Available

The schedule for seniors baseball is now live on the website. Go to southernll.org and click on the Schedules link on the right sidebar.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Mundell, Weiss

We have made two changes to the juniors baseball schedule:

• Teams Mundell & Weiss:
• Your game on Monday, May 23, has been rescheduled to start at 5:00pm.

Schedule Changes in Majors Baseball: Hall, Dwortz

We have made two changes to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Hall & Dwortz:
• Your game on Saturday, May 21, has been rescheduled to start at 8:30am.
• Your game on Tuesday, May 24, has been rescheduled to start at 4:30pm.

Coaches ONLY: Practice Field Slots Added

Coaches ONLY: You can now sign up to reserve practice fields at Lakeside School thru May 21. After May 21, Southern no longer has access to practice fields at Lakeside. Click the Coaches link on the right sidebar to make your reservations.

Make-up Game in 78ers Softball: Sarnicola, Groendyke

We have made a change to the 78ers softball schedule:

• Teams Sarnicola & Groendyke:
• Your rained out game from May 12 has been rescheduled. The make-up game will be played on Wednesday, May 18, at 6:00pm on JC West.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Seth, Conway

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Seth & Conway: Your game on Tuesday, May 17, has been rescheduled to start at 5:00pm.

Softball Juniors Schedule is Available

The softball juniors season starts TONIGHT, so click the Schedules link on the right sidebar at southernll.org to see your season schedule. Good luck and have a great season!

Please Sign Up for Grilling

As you probably know, Southern Little League is largely run by volunteers, so that we can keep as much of the money on the field as possible. One area that we need volunteers this year is at the "Grille At Southern". We ask that each team sign up for a 1 hour block of time at the Grille at Southern. We would like two volunteers per team each Saturday. Team parents and coaches, please ask your team to sign up for an hour block on at least one Saturday. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact Nick Stadel (stadel3@yahoo.com or 350-7629).

This is only for Saturdays. Your volunteer time does NOT have to be during your child's game time, you are welcome to volunteer for any time slot that is available. We welcome parents, grandparents, and other supporters to sign up for a shift at the grill. Adults over 18 only, please.

The grill will already be set up and ready to go, so all you have to do is make sure there are enough dogs, burgers, and onions available for people that are buying them. It's a lot of fun, and a great way to meet other Southern families and to show your support for Southern.

Click here to sign up (updated for 2016)

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach Nick Stadel at 616-350-7629, or by email at stadel3@yahoo.com

CORRECTION: Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Hall, Vanderboegh

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Hall & Vanderboegh: Your game on Monday, May 16, and also your game on Thursday, May 19, have both been rescheduled to start at 4:00pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Hall, Vanderboegh

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Hall & Vanderboegh: Your game on Monday, May 16, and also your game on Thursday, May 19, have both been rescheduled to start at 4:00pm.

All Games Canceled

All Games at Southern are canceled for Tuesday, May 10, because of the weather. 

Schedule Change for Softball Majors: Hildebrand

We have made changes to the majors softball schedule:

• Team Hildebrand:
• Your rained out May 4 game has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 11, at 7:30 at Pinery #4.
• Your game scheduled for Thursday, May 19, at 6:00pm will now be played on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:30pm at Pinery #4.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Mundell, Batka

We have made a change to the juniors baseball schedule:

• Teams Mundell & Batka: Instead of playing Saturday, May 14, at 9:00am, you will now play on Saturday, May 14, at 6:30pm. Same date, different time.

Schedule Changes for Softball Majors: Klop & Hildebrand

We have made changes to the majors softball schedule:

• Team Klop:
• Your May 6 game has been canceled. We are still working on finding a new date for this game.
• Your May 10 game at Pinery #4 has been rescheduled from 6:00pm to 5:30pm.
• Team Hildebrand:
• Your May 19 game has been canceled. We are still trying to reschedule it.

Rescheduled Rainout in Majors Baseball: Burns vs Bernecker

The rained out game from Wednesday, May 4, between Burns and Bernecker has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 5, at 5:30pm.

All Games Canceled

All games scheduled for Wednesday, May 4, at Southern are canceled because of rain and field conditions.

Schedule Change CORRECTION in Majors Baseball: Hall, Passinault

We have made a correction to the previously announced change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Hall & Passinault: Instead of playing Thursday, June 2, at 7:30pm, you will now play on Thursday, June 2, at 5:30pm. This game HAS NOT BEEN MOVED TO MAY 5. It is still on June 2, just at 5:30pm instead of 7:30pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Hall, Passinault, Seth, Dwortz

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Seth & Dwortz: Instead of playing Thursday, May 5, at 5:30pm, you will now play on Thursday, June 2, at 7:30pm.
• Teams Hall & Passinault: Instead of playing Thursday, June 2, at 7:30pm, you will now play on Thursday, June 2, at 5:30pm. Same date, different time.

Schedule Correction in Majors Softball: Klop

We have made a correction to the majors softball schedule:

• Team Klop: Your game on May 20 was incorrectly scheduled for 3:00pm. The schedule has been corrected to show the game at 8:00pm.

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Klein, Sanders, Spoelma, Kuzner

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule:

• Team Klein: Instead of playing against Team Sanders on Tuesday, April 26, at 7:15pm, you will now play against Team Kuzner on Thursday, April 28, at 7:15pm.
• Team Sanders: Instead of playing against Team Klein on Tuesday, April 26, at 7:15pm, you will now play against Team Spoelma. The date and time is unchanged.
• Team Spoelma: Instead of playing against Team Kuzner on Thursday, April 28, at 7:15pm, you will now play against Team Sanders on Tuesday, April 26, at 7:15pm.
• Team Kuzner: Instead of playing against Team Spoelma on Thursday, April 28, at 7:15pm, you will now play against Team Klein. The date and time is unchanged.

Parking Lot Restriction

The parking lot is being seal coated on Sunday, April 24. Please do not park on it Sunday through 3:00pm Monday.

Practice Fields

Southern would like to clarify the following regarding practice fields. First we would like to thank the teams for their cooperation in moving their practices yesterday and today from the JC West field as the softball schedules were released late and games started last night. During the season, which has started for softball and starts tomorrow for baseball, we encourage you to continue to practice once a week. This can be done by using the batting cages, securing Lakeside or using another site. Please contact your league director for suggestions of other sites.

Reminder: The JC East field is no longer available to Southern for practices or games. That field is exclusively used for soccer. The city of Grand Rapids has been gracious in leasing the JC West field to Southern as part of a growing need for our field space. Please do not use the JC East field even if nobody else is on it. It simply is not for baseball or softball use.

Lastly the city of East Grand Rapids has asked that all Southern coaches contact Southern regarding any use of fields in East Grand Rapids. We have a working relationship which grants Southern permission to use Lakeside for practices thru the end of May. No other fields are available for reservation thru EGR as they are used by multiple sports programs. Please respect the request from the EGR Recreation department and address your requests thru your league director.

On behalf of everyone at Southern have a Great Season!!

Baseball Juniors Schedule Now Available

We have published the baseball juniors schedules. Click the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website.

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Wisinski, Scholten

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule:

• Teams Wisinski & Scholten: Instead of playing Thursday, April 28, at 5:30pm, you will now play 30 minutes earlier at 5:00pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Seth, Bernecker, Hall, Gelderloos

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Seth & Bernecker: Instead of playing Tuesday, June 7, at 5:30pm, you will now play on Monday, June 6, at 7:30pm.
• Teams Hall & Gelderloos: Instead of playing Monday, June 6, at 7:30pm, you will now play on Tuesday, June 7, at 5:30pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Seth, Vanderboegh, Dwortz, Passinault

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Dwortz & Passinault: Instead of playing Thursday, May 12, at 5:30pm, you will now play on Thursday, May 12, at 7:30pm.
• Teams Seth & Vanderboegh: Instead of playing Thursday, May 12, at 7:30pm, you will now play on Thursday, May 12, at 5:30pm.

Softball Coach Pitch, Minors, and Majors Schedules Available

We have published the first several games for the softball 78ers (coach pitch), minors, and majors schedules. We'll announce it again once we add the rest of the season to the schedules. Click the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website.

Softball Minors and Majors Rosters Now Available

Softball players in Minors and Majors have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Coaches should be contacting players soon. If you have not heard from your coach by April 22, feel free to call your coach using the contact information listed on the roster.

Other rosters are coming soon.

The Grille at Southern Little League

As you probably know, Southern Little League is largely run by volunteers, so that we can keep as much of the money on the field as possible. One area that we need volunteers this year is at the "Grille At Southern". We ask that each team sign up for a 1 hour block of time at the Grille at Southern. We would like two volunteers per team each Saturday. Team parents and coaches, please ask your team to sign up for an hour block on at least one Saturday. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please contact Nick Stadel (stadel3@yahoo.com or 350-7629).

This is only for Saturdays. Your volunteer time does NOT have to be during your child's game time, you are welcome to volunteer for any time slot that is available. We welcome parents, grandparents, and other supporters to sign up for a shift at the grill. Adults over 18 only, please.

The grill will already be set up and ready to go, so all you have to do is make sure there are enough dogs, burgers, and onions available for people that are buying them. It's a lot of fun, and a great way to meet other Southern families and to show your support for Southern.

Click here to sign up (updated for 2016)

If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach Nick Stadel at 616-350-7629, or by email at stadel3@yahoo.com

Clean-up Day is Saturday

Clean-up day is this Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. We need help with four major projects, so please bring rakes, tools, etc. to help.

1. Rake all leaves from fences and pick up all dead branches. Please bring rakes. No Bags Needed
2. Put new metal bleachers together. Please bring tool sets.
3. Paint the dugouts on the major field. Just bring paint clothes and we will have paint and rollers. 
4. Install fixtures in the bathrooms. Ethan Rohen will lead this project but can use a couple plumbing handy helpers.

Coaches and Team Parent Meeting: Tue-19-Apr

The Southern Little League Coaches and Team Parents meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19, at 7:30pm at the East Grand Rapids Middle School cafeteria. This is a mandatory meeting for at least one coach from every team and a Team Parent from every team. (Just to clarify, the term "Team Parent" here does not mean every parent of every player. The "Team Parent" is the one parent on each team who has volunteered to help the coach organize the team's picture day, raffle sales, snack schedule, etc.) Topics will include picture day, raffle, sponsors, concession stand volunteers and general operating information for the 2016 season. We appreciate your attendance as this is the most important meeting of the year for organizational purposes.

Sign Up NOW for Seniors and Big League

It is now time to sign up for Seniors and Big League Baseball. The deadline is May 18, after which you will be assessed a late fee.

PLEASE DON'T PUT THIS OFF. WE NEED YOU TO SIGN UP RIGHT AWAY SO WE CAN ARRANGE TEAMS AND COACHES.

Click here to sign up.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Hall, Bernecker, Passinault, Seth

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Hall & Bernecker: Instead of playing Tuesday, May 10, at 5:30pm  you will now play on Monday, May 9, at 7:30pm.
• Teams Passinault & Seth: Instead of playing Monday, May 9, at 7:30pm, you will now play on Tuesday, May 10, at 5:30pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Stadel, Bernecker, Burns, Hall

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Stadel & Bernecker: Instead of playing Saturday, May 14, at 5:00pm, you will now play on Saturday, May 14, at 1:00pm.
• Teams Burns & Hall: Instead of playing Saturday, May 14, at 1:00pm, you will now play on Saturday, May 14, at 5:00pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Seth, Burns, Stadel, Hall

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule:

• Teams Seth & Burns: Instead of playing Saturday, April 30, at 5:00pm, you will now play on Saturday, April 30, at 9:00am.
• Teams Stadel & Hall: Instead of playing Saturday, April 30, at 9:00am, you will now play on Saturday, April 30, at 5:00pm.

Clean-up Day is Saturday

Clean-up day is this Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. We need help with four major projects, so please bring rakes, tools, etc. to help.

1. Rake all leaves from fences and pick up all dead branches. Please bring rakes. No Bags Needed
2. Put new metal bleachers together. Please bring tool sets.
3. Paint the dugouts on the major field. Just bring paint clothes and we will have paint and rollers. 
4. Install fixtures in the bathrooms. Ethan Rohen will lead this project but can use a couple plumbing handy helpers.

Coaches ONLY: More Practice Field Slots Added

Coaches ONLY: You can now sign up to reserve practice fields at Lakeside School from April 14 thru May 14. Click the Coaches link on the right sidebar to make your reservations.

2016 Rosters Now Available

Baseball players from 78ers (coach pitch), Minors, Majors, and Juniors have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Coaches should be contacting players in the next day or two. If you have not heard from your coach by Friday, feel free to call your coach with the contact information listed on the roster.

Softball rosters are coming soon.

Seniors Baseball will be a few weeks, since the sign ups are still open.

Coaches ONLY: Practice Field Signup is LIVE!

Coaches ONLY: You can now sign up to reserve practice fields at Southern. We will be adding more slots for Breton Downs and Lakeside schools in the next few days. Click the Coaches link on the right sidebar to make your reservations.

Still Room for a Few More Players!

Online signups are now closed. We still have room for a few more players. So please contact Mark Norton by email (mnorton@kochllc.com) ASAP if you still want to sign up.

• Coach pitch baseball (7-8 year olds): room for 10 more kids.
• Minors baseball (9-10 year olds): all full.
• Majors baseball (11-12 year olds): all full.
• Juniors baseball (13-14 year olds): room for 3 more kids.
• Coach pitch softball (7-8 year olds): all full.
• Minors softball (9-10 year olds): room for 6 more girls.
• Majors softball (11-12 year olds): room for 6 more girls.
• Juniors softball (13-14 year olds): all full.

Tryouts are THIS SATURDAY, March 26

Saturday is tryout day at East GR High School Gym. Not every child needs to attend, but attendance is MANDATORY for some kids. Please take the time to read all the details here. If parents are fully informed, it really makes a huge difference in how smoothly this busy day runs.

LAST CALL for Late Sign-Ups

We have limited room left for the 2016 Southern baseball and softball season. The late fee of $25 is now in place, and it is first come, first served. There is no late fee for softball as their season starts later. If you know of someone who forgot to sign up please ask them to do so as soon as possible.

ALL BASEBALL SIGNUPS MUST BE IN NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, AS TEAMS WILL BE DRAFTED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26. After the March 23 deadline, any requests to sign up will be handled on a case-by-case basis. You will need to contact the league director directly if you need to sign up after the deadline.

Here's the latest status as of 10:40am on Tuesday, March 22:

Softball 78er coach pitch – We have room for 6 more girls

Softball Minors 9/10 year olds – FULL

Softball Majors 11/12 year olds – We have room for 5 more girls

Softball Juniors 13/14 year olds – We have room for 6 more girls

Junior softball will continue signups until May 10.
All other softball signups will go until teams are filled or April 15, whichever comes first.

Baseball 78er – We have room for 8 more players

Baseball Minors 9/10/11 year olds – We have room for 9 more players

Majors 11/12 year olds – We have room for 4 more players

Juniors 13/14 year olds – We have room for 5 more  players

Senior and Big League Baseball - Please hold off on signing up until we send out an official email blast in another week or so.

Click here to read the details and to sign up.

Late Fee Now In Effect

We still have limited room left for the 2017 Southern baseball and softball season. The late fee of $25 is now in place, and it is first come, first served. If you know of someone who forgot to sign up please ask them to do so as soon as possible.

Senior and Big League Baseball: Please hold off on signing up until we send out an official email blast in another week or so.

Click here to read the details and to sign up.

20% Off Tuesday Night at MC Sports

Tuesday night, March 15, from 6-9pm, MC Sports on 28th Street is having a Southern Little League appreciation night. 20% off everything in the store for Southern players. No coupon required. Just tell them you are with Southern Little League. Family members can take advantage of the discount as well.

Calling All New Umpires

If you are passionate about the game of baseball or softball and turn the age of 13 by April 30, 2016, then you are invited to a meeting at East Grand Rapids High School's gym on Saturday, March 26th, at approximately 2:30pm -- and immediately following the Boys Juniors' tryout/evaluation. This meeting will last about 30 minutes and will give you the opportunity to learn more about how to become a new umpire at Southern Little League for the upcoming season.

Jack Conway, Southern's Umpire Director, will host this meeting and address several topics including training dates, sign-up dates, pay scale, etc. This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn some money this spring, take on the responsibility of running a baseball game, interact with players and coaches, and enhance your future college application or job resume by becoming an umpire.

If you have umped before you don’t have to come to this meeting as Mr. Conway will be reaching out to last year’s umps. Also, take note of Mr. Conway’s new cell phone number of 616-916-4911.

20% off Tonight at MC Sports

Tuesday night, March 1, from 6-9pm, MC Sports on 28th Street is having a Southern Little League appreciation night. 20% off everything in the store for Southern players. No coupon required. Just tell them you are with Southern Little League. Family members can take advantage of the discount as well.

Because of the nasty weather today, MC has agreed to an additional Southern Little League night on March 15, again from 6-9pm. 

Important Reminder: Bat Regulations

Before you visit MC Sports on Tuesday, March 1, for 20% off night (see announcement) or make any other bat purchases for this coming baseball and softball season, be sure to read and understand Little League's official bat regulations by visiting their page here.

20% Off at MC Sports on March 1!

Tuesday night, March 1, from 6-9pm, MC Sports on 28th Street is having a Southern Little League appreciation night. 20% off everything in the store for Southern players. No coupon required. Just tell them you are with Southern Little League. Family members can take advantage of the discount as well.

2016 Baseball Big League Schedule

• League Director: Bob Hams
  email: bhams "at" roof melt.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 633-5495
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Softball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Wendi Moore
  email: weemoore "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.
• After the 12-game season, we'll play in a team tournament to be announced.
• Maps to fields can be found here.

2016 Softball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Wendi Moore
  email: weemoore "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Softball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Wendi Moore
  email: weemoore "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Softball 78ers Schedule

• League Director: Wendi Moore
  email: weemoore "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Baseball Seniors Schedule

• League Director: Jim Henwood
  email: henwoodjaandij "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 901-9896
  
• Coaches: Please CALL IN YOUR SCORES
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after May 20 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun.
• Due to lack of field space, we will only try to make up rained out games is first place is involved.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Baseball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Rob Henkey
  email: rob "at" metaltechbuildings.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 293-1607
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Baseball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Jamie Billo
  email: jamiebillo "at" hotmail.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 617-0616
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Team tournaments start June 19. Please plan your family vacation after July 2 so you can participate in team tournaments.
• National all-star tournament starts July 5.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2016 Baseball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Ethan Rohen
  email: minors@southernll.org
  phone: 262-5603
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 15 to the original schedule will be announced via email and marked on the schedule with a C in the C column. Rescheduled rain-outs are denoted by an R in that column.
• Family Day is Sat-4-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.