Southern Little League

Thursday, July 23, 2009

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

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

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.

Monday, July 20, 2009

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.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

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.

Friday, July 17, 2009

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

Thursday, July 16, 2009

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, July 15, 2009

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, July 14, 2009

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, July 13, 2009

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

Saturday, July 11, 2009

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!

Friday, July 10, 2009

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

Thursday, July 9, 2009

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.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

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

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

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

Monday, July 6, 2009

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.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

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!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

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!

Monday, June 29, 2009

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.

Friday, June 19, 2009

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.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

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.

Monday, June 15, 2009

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.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

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.

Friday, June 12, 2009

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.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

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.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

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.

Monday, June 8, 2009

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

Saturday, June 6, 2009

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.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

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.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

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!

Monday, June 1, 2009

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.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

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.

Friday, May 29, 2009

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.

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.

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.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

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.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Softball Pitching Instruction

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

Monday, May 25, 2009

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.

Friday, May 22, 2009

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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

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.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

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!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

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.

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.

Monday, May 11, 2009

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

Friday, May 8, 2009

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.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

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.

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

Monday, May 4, 2009

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.

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.

Friday, May 1, 2009

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.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

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

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.

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.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

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.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

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.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

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.

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.

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.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

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.

Monday, April 13, 2009

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.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

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!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

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.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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.

Monday, March 23, 2009

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.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

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

Thursday, March 12, 2009

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.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

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.

Monday, February 9, 2009

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.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

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.

Monday, February 2, 2009

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.