Seniors Baseball Rosters and Schedule Now Available

The team rosters and schedule for seniors baseball are now available online. Click the Rosters and Schedule links on the right sidebar. Coaches should be contacting their players soon.

Southern Fields Shut Down Until Tuesday

The Southern fields are shut down until Tuesday. We appreciate the cooperation as we work very hard to make repairs.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Vulpetti/Vandenberge/Gooch/Southwell

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Thu-7-Jun Vulpetti vs Vanderberge game will now take place at 4:30pm instead of 8:00pm.
• The Thu-7-Jun Gooch vs Southwell game will now take place at 8:00pm instead of 4:30pm.

Family Day Volunteers Needed

Saturday, June 2, is Family Day. We need volunteers of all kinds all day long from 8:00am to 7:00pm. Please contact Amy McCulloch at 813-3512 to sign up for your preferred time slot.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: ALL TEAMS

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• All games on Sat-2-Jun, Sat-9-Jun, and Sat-16-Jun have been moved to earlier start times. Rather than list them all here, please view review the changes for those dates by visiting the online schedule here.

Schedule Change for Minors Baseball: Murray/Potteiger/O'Connor/Stadel

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Wed-13-Jun Murray vs Potteiger game has been rescheduled. It will now take place on Thu-14-Jun at 5:30pm on the East field.
• The Thu-14-Jun O'Connor vs Stadel game has been rescheduled. It will now take place on Wed-13-Jun at 7:30pm on the West field.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Rohen/Gooch

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Fri-8-Jun Rohen vs Gooch game has been rescheduled to start at 4:00pm instead of 5:30pm as originally scheduled.

Sign Up Now for Big League Baseball

Hey, big leaguers, it's time to sign up for the 2012 season.

• DEADLINE IS JUNE 4! Online sign-up will close after the deadline.
• Season starts June 11.
• You can sign up and pay online by clicking here.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Schneider/Smith

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Wed-23-May Schneider vs Smith game has been postponed. That game will be rescheduled for a date to be announced later.

Schedule Change in Majors Softball: Crampton

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Thu-24-May Crampton vs Lowell-2 game at Manhattan has been changed. That game will now take place on Wed-23-May at 5:30pm at Lowell.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Rohen/Grunewald

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Sat-19-May, Grunewald will now play against Southwell at 2:00pm (instead of against Vandenberge at 4:30pm), and Rohen will now play against Vandenberge at 4:30pm (instead of against Southwell at 2:00pm).

Correction in Softball Schedules: Dougherty/Crampton/Donnelly

Last night we mistakenly announced a change in the Juniors Softball schedule, but we announced it with teams that were not actually in Juniors Softball! Let's clear up the confusion.

• Coach Donnelly's team should not have been mentioned at all.
• The announcement below was for coach Dougherty's team, not coach Crampton's team.
• The announcement has been corrected to read as follows.....

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Wed-23-May Dougherty vs Northeastern-2 game will now be played as a SINGLE game at Manhattan Fields on Thu-24-May at 7:15pm.

Schedule Change in Juniors Softball: Dougherty

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Wed-23-May Dougherty vs Northeastern-2 game will now be played as a SINGLE game at Manhattan Fields on Thu-24-May at 7:15pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Softball: Crampton

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• The Fri-18-May Crampton vs Lowell-2 game has been rescheduled to take place on Thu-24-May at 5:30pm at Manhattan Fields.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Adams/Lundeen/Warners/Combs

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• On Sat-9-Jun, the Adams vs Lundeen game will now be played at 11:00am, not 1:00pm as originally shown on the schedule. The Warners vs Combs game will take place at 1:00pm, not 11:00am as originally shown on the schedule.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: Tepper/Passinault/O'Connor/Kirchgessner

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following change:

• On Wed-23-May, the O'Connor vs Kirchgessner game will now be played at 6:15pm, not 8:00pm as originally shown on the schedule. The Tepper vs Passibault game will take place at 8:00pm, not 6:15pm as originally shown on the schedule.

Umpire Sign-up Session Sat-19-May

The third of four umpire sign-ups is this Saturday morning at 7:15am. Line up no earlier than 7:00am to get signed in, and remember to bring your baseball/work schedules to avoid any conflicts! Do not arrive any earlier than 7:00am and camp out as the line will be rearranged after a number draw similar to a "wrist band" method used for concert ticket sales. This will not only be the first time for this new policy, but a permanent one as well to make it fair and equitable for everyone.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: O'Connor/Gelderloos

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following correction:

• On Family Day, Sat-2-Jun, the O'Connor vs Gelderloos game will start at 10:15am, not 10:30am as originally shown on the schedule.

Schedule Change in Majors Softball: Crampton/Donnelly

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Thu-7-Jun, Crampton will play Northview-3 at Northview at 6:30pm to make up the rained out game from Mon-7-May.
• On Fri-15-Jun, Donnelly will play Northview-3 at JC West at 6:30pm to make up the game from Fri-11-May.

Saturday is Picture Day

Sat-12-May is picture day.

• Each team has been given a specific time slot for pictures, and by now your coach or team parent should have contacted you about what time you need to be there. If not, please contact your team parent for details.
• There's also an opportunity for players to have individual pictures taken.
• Even if you're not planning on purchasing a team or individual photo, as a courtesy to others on the team, please make sure your child is present for the team picture anyhow.
• Pictures are taken over near the Mackay Jaycee soccer fields, under the pavilion in the woods, near the playground.
• They run a tight ship, so be on time for your team's scheduled slot.
• RAIN OR SHINE! Regardless of any possible weather-related game cancellations, picture day will go on as scheduled.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Vandenberge/Vulpetti/Rohen/Gooch

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Thu-7-Jun, the 8:00pm Rohen vs Gooch game has been rescheduled. The game will now be played on Fri-8-Jun at 5:30pm.
• On Fri-8-Jun, the 5:30pm Vandenberge vs Vulpetti game has been rescheduled. The game will now be played on Thu-7-Jun at 8:00pm.

Announcing the 2012 Raffle

The Southern Little League Raffle is in full swing. The drawing takes place on Family Day, Saturday, June 2.

Grand Prize: $2,000 cash
Second Prize: $1,000 cash
Third Prize: Apple iPad (3rd generation)

• Tickets cost $20 each. They have been distributed to all coaches and/or team parents. It's important that we sell all these tickets to make the raffle a success. If you coach/team parent has not handed out the tickets yet, please ask them.
• The drawing takes place on Family Day, Sat-2-Jun, prior to the All-Star Game. (You need not be present to win.)
• The individual player who sells the most tickets will also win an Apple iPad (3rd generation). To track this, the player's name must be legibly written on the back of each ticket they sell and turned in by noon on Family Dat, Sat-2-Jun.
• If you have any questions or need extra tickets, please contact Brendan O'Driscoll at 460-8624 or brendano@treadstonemortgage.com.

Changes to Softball Schedules: Allen/Dougherty

The online schedules have been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Sat-12-May, the 6:30pm Allen vs Belding-2 game on the JC East will now take place at 12:30pm on the JC East field.
• The Fri-18-May Dougherty vs Northeastern-2 game has been rescheduled for Sat-9-Jun at 1:00pm on the JC West field.

Weather

All games at Southern Little League all fields are cancelled for Monday, May 7, due to rain.

Schedule Change in 78ers Softball: Sprague

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Mon-7-May, the 6:30pm game on the JC West field incorrectly showed Koetje vs Sprague. The correct game is Koetje vs Northview on JC West. Sprague's team does not play on that date. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Smith/Warners

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Mon-7-May Smith vs Warners game will now be played on Fri-1-Jun at 4:00pm on the East field.

EGR vs Catholic Central Friday Night at Southern

It's East versus Catholic Central in a varsity baseball doubleheader matchup Friday night at Southern. The first game starts at 5:00pm. We'll have the grills fired up, so come out for some great high school baseball action and a delicious dinner, too.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: Tepper/O'Connor

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Sat-5-May Tepper vs O'Connor game will now be played at 1:00pm on the West field.

Next Umpire Sign-Up is Sat-5-May 7:15am

The second of four umpire sign-ups is this Saturday morning, May 5, at 7:15am. Please start lining up no earlier than 7:00am and remember to have your baseball/work schedules handy to avoid any conflicts!

5:30pm Games are OFF. 6:30pm and 7:30pm Games Still ON

5:30pm games are canceled. 6:30pm softball and 7:30pm baseball games are still ON for now. Stay tuned for more announcements if the weather worsens.

Important Safety Reminder

We'd like to remind everyone that no on-deck batters are allowed and no practice swings are allowed until the batter is safely in the home plate area just prior to their at-bat. This is a National Little League rule for all ages 12 and under, and it is a safety rule that has helped prevent hundreds of accidents since being instituted in 2002.

All Games are ON

We know it's cold, but we're going ahead with all games. Bundle up!

Softball Juniors Schedule Now Available

Just click on the Schedules link on the right sidebar.

Hoodies and Shirts Now for Sale

We now have hooded sweatshirts ($25), crew sweatshirts ($20), long sleeve dry fit shirts ($20), and short sleeve dry fit shirts ($15) all with a great Southern Little League logo for sale at the concession stand. If we are out of a size, please leave your order at the concession stand and we will get it for you. We now accept credit and debit cards at the concession stand. And as always please come out and join everyone for lunch at Southern on Saturdays with grilled burgers, brats, hot dogs and sautéed onions.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: Stadel/Sullivan/Tepper/Hebert 18/19-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Fri-18-May Stadel vs Sullivan game will now be played on the West field on Sat-19-May at 12:30pm.
• The Sat-19-May Tepper vs Hebert game will now be played on the West field on Fri-18-May at 6:30pm.

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Seth/Passinault Sat-5-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Sat-5-May Passinault vs Seth game will now be played on the JC West field at 11:00am. The date is unchanged.

Schedule Change in Minors Softball: Allen Sat-2-Jun

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The location of the Sat-2-Jun (Family Day) Lowell-2 vs Allen (Southern) game has changed. The game will now be played at Southern's JC East field. The time remains 1:30pm.

Important Rules on Composite Bats

Click here to read the very latest official rules about composite bats on the Little League Online website.

Umpire Sign-up Dates

Umpire sign-up dates have now been scheduled for this upcoming season at Southern. Any NEW umpire who completed a training session this past weekend and any RETURNING umpire who umpired minors or majors games last season can sign up for games for the first time this Saturday, April 21, at 7:15am. Please plan to line up behind the Henwood Field starting at 7:00am as in past years. Other sign-up dates will take place at the same time and place on May 5, May 19, and June 2.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Vandenberge/Hoppman/Rohen/Grunewald 23-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• Both Wed-23-May games have been rearranged. Vandenberge will now play Rohen on Wed-23-May at 5:30pm. Hoppman will now play Grunewald on Thu-24-May at 5:30pm.

Schedule Change in Baseball Juniors: Rohen/Vulpetti/Gooch/Hoppman 12-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Sat-12-May Rohen vs Vulpetti game will now take place at 4:30pm.
• The Sat-12-May Gooch vs Hoppman game will now take place at 11:30am.

Schedule Change in Baseball Juniors: Rohen/Schwenneker/Southwell/Grunewald 2/3-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Thu-3-May Rohen vs Schwenneker game will now take place on Wed-2-May at 7:30pm.
• The Wed-2-May Southwell vs Grunewald game will now take place on Thu-3-May at 5:30pm.

Get Weather Announcements via Text Message

Now you can get a text message as soon as possible whenever there is a weather announcement! Why would you not do this??

It's super easy to set up!

Just send the following text message to 40404:
     follow southernll
Then follow the instructions in the text message replies. That's it! Now you'll get a text message each time we make a weather-related announcement.

You will only receive weather-related announcements via text message, so you'll still want to be signed up for email updates for everything else.

If you ever need to stop getting those text messages, just send the following text message to 40404:
     unfollow southernll

Change to Baseball Minors Schedule: Kolk/Hebert 14-Jun

It was brought to our attention that the baseball minors schedule had omitted the final game of the season. The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following correction:

• Kolk vs Hebert will take place on Thu-14-Jun at 7:30pm

Softball 78ers, Minors, and Majors Schedules Now Available

Just click on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website.

Change to Baseball 78ers Schedule: Scofield/Conway 31-May

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• On Thu-31-May Scofield will now play the 4:30pm game.
• On Thu-31-May Conway will now play the 6:00pm game.

Change to Baseball Minors Schedule: Kolk/Gelderloos/Hebert/Sullivan 20/21-Apr

The online schedule has been updated to reflect the following changes:

• The Kolk vs Gelderloos game on Sat-21-Apr has been moved to Fri-20-Apr at 7:30pm
• The Hebert vs Sullivan game on Fri-20-Apr has been moved to Sat-21-Apr at 5:30pm

Southern Little League Complex Update

Hello Everyone,

In August of 2011 Southern Little League made the final field lighting payment to Musco lighting. This has been a 15 year project with lights first being installed on the east major field. Five years later lights were installed on the juniors/senior field, and finally in 2006 lights were installed on the West minor field. Improvements are always a top priority at Southern and have been very steady for the past 15 years.

Maintenance and upkeep of the property Southern Little League lies on is the sole responsibility of Southern Little League. The league pays the City of Grand Rapids $1.00 per year to lease the land and then all costs are the league's responsibility. With the fencing being replaced over the past 5 years and concluded last year, and improvements to the dugouts and the entire infrastructure, the next project is the scoreboards on the east and west fields. The existing boards have been a source of disappointment for the past several years and last year they were deemed out of commission.

The Board of Directors is excited to announce, with the sponsorship of Fox Motors, that new scoreboards will be installed before opening day on both the east and west fields. Because of the decline in revenue from our bingo fundraiser and rising costs we were planning on a two to three year delay in this project. Because of the sponsorships by Fox, Southern will not have the need to finance any portion of this project. These boards are very classic and have the pitch count feature built in. The players should be very excited and the parents and supporters will now be able to figure out what the score is.

Thank you to all of the sponsors of Southern Little League who make these and many other projects possible.

We hope everyone will enjoy this much needed improvement, and we look forward to seeing everyone on opening weekend.

Bob Hams
President
Southern Little League

2012 Baseball Seniors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• Click here to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

2012 Standings

If you know of any errors, please email the webmaster. Links without highlighting are not available yet. Stay tuned.

• Baseball Minors
• Baseball Majors
• Baseball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors

No standings are kept for the following leagues:

• Baseball 78ers
• Baseball Big League

• Softball 78ers
• Softball Minors
• Softball Majors
• Softball Juniors
• Softball Seniors

2012 Baseball Juniors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• Click here to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball Majors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• Family day scores do not count in the standings.
• Click here to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball Minors Standings

• These standings are up to date to include all the scores that have been phoned in and appear on the schedule page. If you see a discrepancy in the standings, first check the schedule page to see if scores are missing. If scores are missing on the schedule page, contact your coach, NOT the webmaster.
• Click here to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

Schedules

These are the schedules for the current season. If you know of any schedule changes or errors, please email the webmaster. Schedules without highlighting are not available yet. Stay tuned.

Summer 2018

• Baseball 78ers
• Baseball Minors
• Baseball Majors
• Baseball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors (coming soon)

• Softball 78ers (coming soon)
• Softball Minors (coming soon)
• Softball Majors (coming soon)
• Softball Juniors (coming soon)

Fall 2017

• Baseball Coach-Pitch
• Baseball Minors
• Baseball Majors
• Baseball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors
• Softball 10U

Saturday is Cleanup Day!

Please plan to come out to Southern Little League on Saturday, April 14th. We'll be working to clean up our facilities and prep the fields to get Southern ready to kick off the season. We need volunteers of all ages! The day will begin at 9:00am, and we expect to be done by 1:00pm.If you have practice that day, plan on sticking around after practice to pitch in. All help is greatly appreciated. Bring an extra rake if you have one. We'll also be doing some painting, so bring paint brushes, rollers, and pans. Also, please note that if we need to cancel due to the weather, we will post it on the website. So come out and pitch in!

Please Sign Up Now for Seniors Baseball & Softball

• DEADLINE IS MAY 20! Online sign-up will close after the deadline.
• The cost is now $130.
  
• Please help the tireless volunteers who do the league organizing by signing up sooner rather than later.
• You can sign up and pay online by clicking here.

2012 Softball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• We do not keep standings for this league, so there's no need to phone in scores.
• Changes made after April 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. A DH in that column denotes a double-header.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Softball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• We do not keep standings for this league, so there's no need to phone in scores.
• Changes made after April 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Softball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• We do not keep standings for this league, so there's no need to phone in scores.
• Changes made after April 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Softball 78ers Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• We do not keep standings for this league, so there's no need to phone in scores.
• Changes made after April 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

New Umpire Training Session Times and Dates

All new thirteen and fourteen year old umpires must attend ONLY ONE of two scheduled training sessions before umpiring any minor league games this upcoming season at Southern. Any returning umpire is welcome as well but is not required to attend a session. The first session is scheduled for this Saturday, April 14 at 8:30 am. The second session is scheduled for this Sunday, April 15 at 4:30 pm. Each of these sessions will go on rain or shine, last an hour and a half or less, and be hosted/conducted by Southern's umpire coordinator, Jim Weiss. Plan on meeting Jim at the equipment shed/maintenance building which is located at the far north end of Southern's complex and situated between the minors' and majors' fields. Call Jim at 520-1306 for any additional questions or bits of information regarding these sessions.

Rosters

Parents, please verify that your child appears in the roster for the appropriate league.

Every year we have a few random clerical errors, so if you don't see your child in the appropriate league, please look through the other leagues before contacting the webmaster. If you don't see your child on any of these rosters, or if there's a typo in your child's name, don't worry. It's usually a simple thing to sort out. Contact the webmaster, and we'll get you squared away.

Also keep in mind that these rosters are continuously updated. You won't receive an email each time we update the rosters, but these links will always take you to the very latest updates.

Summer 2018

• Softball 78ers (coming soon)
• Softball Minors (coming soon)
• Softball Majors (coming soon)
• Softball Juniors (coming soon)

• Baseball 78ers (coming soon)
• Baseball Minors (coming soon)
• Baseball Majors
• Baseball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors (coming soon)

Fall 2017

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.

• Baseball Coach-Pitch
• Baseball Minors
• Baseball Majors
• Baseball Juniors
• Baseball Seniors
• Softball

Coaches: Practice Field Reservations Now Available 26-Mar to 14-Apr

Coaches ONLY: Reservations for Lakeside, Breton Downs, and Southern's playing fields and batting cages are now open. We have opened up the practice fields for next week and for the week after Spring Break. Only actual coaches (not assistants or others) may make reservations.

Coaches, also please note: This is the only announcement about practice field reservations that will be sent out to all the email subscribers for the entire league. All future practice field reservation announcements will go out to the "insiders-only" email list. If you have not already signed up for the "insiders-only" list, you need to do that right away. Tell your assistants and team parents to sign up for the "insiders-only" list, too. Click here to sign up for the "insiders-only" email list.

Please head over to the Coaches page on the right sidebar to make your reservations. And DO take the time to read the instructions thoroughly, please.

It's Not Too Late to Sign Up!

Missed the signup deadline? There is still limited availability in all age groups. But hurry!

78ers through Juniors Baseball and Softball must be signed up no later than Thursday, March 22.

Seniors registration is still open, but we are requesting that you sign up sooner than later.

Click here to sign up.

Umpire Meeting Schedule Change

Due to Juniors' baseball tryouts taking place at EGRHS's gym this Saturday at 1:30pm, the new umpire meeting time has been pushed back to 2:30pm and will take place at the same location. Again, any individual interested in becoming a new umpire this season should plan on attending this meeting hosted by Southern's umpire coordinator, Jim Weiss.

Tryout Session and Umpire Meeting Reminder

A reminder that the tryout session is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, 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.

You can verify that your child is registered by clicking here.

Softball players will not be having 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. Also, all 10 year olds who are new to Southern this year should plan to come to the tryouts. 

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

Last Day to Register is TODAY!

Today is the registration deadline. After today, the price goes up to $150 and your child is no longer guaranteed a spot. Please register TODAY!

Already registered? Please double-check that you're on our list here.

Senior leaguers, please sign up now. We know you have school ball first; however, please sign up now so we can plan for the season. You can find out all the details and sign up here.

Is My Child Registered?

Below is a list of all those registered for Southern Little League as of the date and time at the top of the list. Check back often, since this list is updated several times a day.

If you think you have registered, but you do not see your child's name on the list, please send email to:
markn@walgren.com

2012 Baseball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Rob Henkey
  email: juniors "at" southernll.org (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 293-1607
  
• 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 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Joe Mead
  email: joe.mead "at" welchallyn.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 304-8794
  
• 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 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Ethan Rohen email: minors "at" southernll.org (replace "at" with @) phone: 318-4647
• 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 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball 78ers Schedule

• League Director: Eric O'Connor
  email: 78ers "at" southernll.org (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 292-2388
  
• We do not keep standings for this league, so there's no need to phone in scores.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• Changes made after April 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-2-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2012 Baseball Seniors Schedule

• League Director: Jim Henwood
  phone: 901-9896
  
• 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 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-2-Jun.  Family Day games WILL count in the standings.
• Games rained out will not be made up due to lack of field space.
• The June 30 and July 2 games will be cancelled if District 9 decides to run team tournament early.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

Calling All NEW Umpires!

If you are passionate about Southern Little League and the game of baseball--and turn the age of 13 by May 1 of this year--then you are invited to a meeting at East Grand Rapids' High School gym on Saturday, March 24, at 1:30 pm. This meeting will last about a half-hour or so and will give you the opportunity to learn more about how to become a new umpire at Southern for this upcoming season. Jim Weiss, Southern's umpire coordinator, will host the meeting and address training dates, sign-up dates, pay scale, etc. This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn some money this spring, further learn the game of baseball, take on the responsibility of running a baseball game by interacting with players and coaches, and enhance your future college application and/or job resume by taking on this position!

Field Location: Manhattan

View Manhattan Fields in a larger map

2012 Softball Minors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Softball Minors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Softball 78ers Roster

These are the team rosters for the Softball 78ers (coach pitch) League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Softball Majors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Softball Majors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Baseball Juniors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Baseball Juniors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Baseball Majors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Baseball Majors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Baseball Minors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Baseball Minors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Baseball 78ers Roster

These are the team rosters for the Baseball 78ers (coach pitch) League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Softball Juniors Roster

These are the team rosters for the Softball Juniors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

2012 Baseball Seniors Rosters

These are the team rosters for the Baseball Seniors League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. Click here to open this document on its own for downloading or printing.

Field Location: Cat Fields

View Cat Fields in a larger map

Thanks for a Successful Leadoff Party!

Thank you to everyone for a very successful Leadoff Party!

The first annual Southern Little League Leadoff Party was a huge success. We would like to thank all those who organized, donated items, and attended this exciting and fun event. Over 180 people attended the Leadoff Party held at Thousand Oaks Golf Club on February 4th. The event saw both current and former players, parents, and grandparents attend and have a great time. The popular place to mingle early in the evening was around the auction tables. Many stories were told while people were bidding and shopping the auction items. The silent auction winners were posted between 9:30 and 10:00, and then a live auction was held for Comerica Park stadium seats and for team color and naming choices. As the evening progressed people moved over to the dance floor to close out the evening. A great array of food and deserts were served all evening.

The event raised $12, 842.07 net profit after all expenses that has been placed in the general operating fund for Southern Little League. With the steady decline of funds being raised from the bingo that Southern operates, this was a much needed fundraiser and will allow Southern Little League to continue its tradition of being one of the best baseball and softball leagues in the state of Michigan.

Thank you again to all those that made this very special evening possible.

Bob Hams,
President, Southern Little League

In-Person Sign-Up Session Wed-15-Feb 6-8pm

The next in-person sign-up session is Wed-15-Feb from 6-8pm at Berger Chevrolet. You can find out all the details about signing up in person or online by clicking here.

Southern Leadoff Party is Saturday Night

Tomorrow is the big night!

Be sure to be at the Southern Little League Leadoff party. So many people have come forth to make this a great event, and we are going to have great turnout. We'd love to see you there!

Just click here to read all the details and to buy your tickets online. You can also buy your tickets at the door by cash, debit or credit card.

Volunteer Form

Click here to download a form (PDF) that you can print and fill out for volunteering at Southern Little League. (This might not work well in Firefox.)

Questions about Junior and Senior Leagues

Q: My son or daughter is in 9th grade but only league age 14, so he or she will miss half of the Little League season, right?
A: No! A player who is league age 14 and is playing freshman baseball or softball can play Senior League baseball or softball at Southern. Senior League starts after the High School Season and they won’t miss any games. (Click here to determine your child's league age.)

Q: If Senior League starts after the high school season, they don’t play as many games, right?
A: Incorrect! Senior League plays just as many games in a more condensed season.

Q: Does Senior League have team tournaments and all-stars?
A: Yes, they do, just like they do in the younger leagues.

Q: If my 14 year old plays Senior League is he or she still eligible to play Junior League All-Stars?
A: Yes! Any player league age 14 is eligible for Junior All-Stars.

Q: Can my 14 year old son or daughter play Senior League even if he or she doesn’t play high school ball?
A: No. Only those who play high school ball and therefore would miss many of the Junior League games can play in the Senior League.

Southern has a strong tradition of running the best Junior and Senior League programs in the area. Click here to sign up now to keep the tradition going!

Sign Up for the Southern Leadoff Party!

The Southern Little League Leadoff Party is coming up next weekend! Be sure to buy your tickets right away. Just click here to read all the details and to buy your tickets online. You can also buy your tickets at the door by cash, debit or credit card.

Here's another great auction item to ponder: A 2 chair set of Stadium Chairs from Comerica Park, courtesy of American Seating. This and lots of other great items will be up for bids at the silent auction.

This is going to be an event you won't want to miss!

Sign Up for the Southern Leadoff Party!

The Southern Little League Leadoff Party is less than two weeks away! Be sure to buy your tickets right away. Just click here to read all the details and to buy your tickets online.

Our area school systems have come up with incredible experiences to bid on at our silent auction. Here are a few examples:

• Sideline passes to home East, Christian or Catholic football games with your child!
• Varsity Eagle Gear!
• Varsity Cougar Gear!
• Varsity Pioneer Gear!
• Bat Boy at a Game at Fifth Third Park for a Pioneers game!
• Whitecaps Suite!
• Bat Boy at Gainey for an Eagles game!
• Southern Little League MLB Team choice for the season for 7/8ers and Minors!

Plus many, many other great things and experiences from the community!
Please pass the word and let's make this a GREAT NIGHT!

Sign Up for the 2012 Season

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

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

• Deadline: You must sign up online or in person no later than March 15. (Seniors baseball: the sign-up deadline is not until May, and your price is still $130.)
• Cost: $130 per player before the deadline. $150 after the deadline based on availability. (No player will be denied based on inability to pay. Please see our sign-up staff for details.)
  
• How to sign up: Online (click here) or at one of our in-person sign-up sessions at Berger Chevrolet (click here). The cost is the same either way. You cannot sign up by mail.
• Age eligibility and divisions: Signup is for all divisions of baseball and softball. New for 2012: Girls 7 and 8 year old softball! Read more here.
  
• Geographical boundary eligibility: See our official league boundaries here. You must reside within these boundaries or have played in Southern last year to be eligible.
  
• Tryouts: After signing up, players in certain situations MUST attend their player evaluation (aka "tryout") session. Click here for details.
  
• Umpiring: Anyone 13 years old or older who is reliable and passionate about baseball can earn some extra cash umpiring at Southern. Sign-ups for umpiring will be held after tryouts at 2:30 on Saturday, March 26, in the East Grand Rapids High School gym. Training will take place at a later date.
  
• Volunteering: Southern depends on volunteers for a wide variety of roles. You'll have a chance to fill out volunteer information when you sign-up. Learn more here.
  
• Important dates:
• In-person sign-up sessions: February 8, 15, and 25
  
• Sign-up deadline: Tuesday, March 15
• Player evaluation/tryout day: Saturday, March 24
• Clean-up day: TBA
• Practices begin: After April 8 (depends on coach)
• Games begin: Week of April 16
• Family day: Saturday, June 2 (volunteers needed)
• Our website: We make all our weather and schedule announcements and we keep all our schedules, results, standings and other information here on our website. Make sure to stay on top of all the latest news by signing up for automatic email updates here. It really is the simplest way to make sure you don't miss an important announcement. You can also follow all our announcements by liking us on Facebook here.
  
• Questions? Call Mark Norton at 954-0504. Make your message only your name and clearly state your phone number twice.
  

Southern 2012 Leadoff Party

Click here to spread the word on Facebook.
Please buy your tickets in advance here. You can pay by credit card or PayPal.

Attending

1 Attendee $30.00 USD 2 Attendees $60.00 USD 3 Attendees $90.00 USD 4 Attendees $120.00 USD

Greeting from Southern Little League

Please read this important message from Bob Hams, Southern Little League President:

Hello Everyone,

With the holiday season coming to an end, it is time for us to begin planning for the next softball and baseball season at Southern. 2011 was a very successful season with over 650 softball and baseball games played at Southern. From Coach-Pitch thru Big League we would like to congratulate everyone on a great season.

In March we received a letter from the IRS to undergo a review of our books to determine our non-profit status along with over 500 Little Leagues around the country. The IRS reviewed 2008 thru 2010. Southern Little League has been declared exempt and is covered under the Little League blanket 501(c)3. Some changes were made following the review in the way Southern operates. It was declared by the IRS that our Concession managers and our grounds crew are employees and therefore we can’t issue them 1099’s. We would have to withhold taxes and insurance if we wanted to continue as usual. The decision was made based on recommendations from the IRS and also financial advisors to move away from employing people directly thru Southern. Starting with last season we hired Axios, Inc. to handle our staffing needs. This service provides Southern with the ability to have the manpower needed to operate without the management and liability that we would have to have if we were the employer. This service worked out extremely well for us and we plan on using them again in 2012.

With the declaration from the IRS came a 33% increase in the cost of the individuals needed to staff the Little League with taxes and insurance as well as a modest fee from Axios. This caused a complete review of our finances at the yearend meeting in November. While Southern continues to have no creditors and a small cash reserve, we had to use our rainy day fund to finance a portion of the overall cost of running the league in 2011. The overall cost of participation at Southern has risen to over $320.00 per player for the 760 plus participants. This cost reflects all aspects of running Southern from field maintenance, utilities, uniforms and equipment, staffing needs, accident insurance, liability insurance, umpires, tournament expenses and all-star expenses as well as many other small expenses. I am happy to report that again in 2011 the overall administration cost to run Southern Little League was less than 4% of the overall budget and that is due to the fantastic volunteers that make up 98% of the staffing needs at Southern. A big thank you to all of the volunteers at Southern.

In 2006 Southern Little League raised the player fees to $110.00 with a $15.00 late signup fee. This was the first increase in over 6 years. Now in 2012 we have had to make the difficult decision to raise the fees to play at Southern Little League to $130.00 with a late fee of $15.00. Our plan for the league is to be able to sustain the fees at this rate for several years.

Fundraising covers 66% of the cost of playing at Southern. What many of you probably don’t know is that Southern operates a bingo fundraiser every Friday night at the Britteny Bingo Hall. That bingo has provided Southern with a steady source of income for several years. With the opening of the Gun Lake Casino we have seen a 58% drop in revenues from bingo proceeds over the last year. Southern has always tried to be an inexpensive option for baseball and softball in the Southeast Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids areas and has succeeded at that for 58 years. Southern is committed to continuing that tradition by keeping the player fees much lower than the actual cost of $320.00.

One new way Southern is trying to make up for lost bingo revenue while maintaining reasonable player fees is with the new annual “The Season Kickoff Dinner and Fundraiser” This will be a very fun event and will raise much needed revenue for the League. This year’s event will be held at Thousand Oaks Country Club on Saturday, February 4th, thanks to the coordination from Steve Boender, Patti Malewitz and Wendi Moore. You will see a separate email blast in the next few days with all of the particular information for this event. This is an event that all parents and friends of Southern Little League can participate in to make it a huge success. PLEASE HELP SOUTHERN AND THE COMMITTEE BY ATTENDING THIS EVENT AND HAVING A GREAT TIME.

YOU WILL ALSO BE SEEING A SEPARATE EMAIL BLAST ANNOUNCING SIGNUPS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
SEEING ALL OF YOU SOON.

Best Wishes,
Bob Hams
Southern Little League

Sign Up Online for the 2012 Season

• DEADLINE IS MARCH 15! (Deadline for Seniors is May 10.) Online sign-up will close after the deadline.
• The cost is $130. After the deadline, the cost increases to $150.
• 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.
  
• 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.
  

Sign Up In Person for the 2012 Season

You can sign up in person for the 2012 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 Berger Chevrolet.

• Where: Berger Chevrolet
• When:
• Wednesday, February 8th, 6-8pm
• Wednesday, February 15th, 6-8pm
• Saturday, February 25th, 10am-1pm
• 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 $130, payable by check, cash, or credit card.
• You cannot sign up by mail.

2012 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 their 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 24th
• 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). No 8 yr olds will be allowed to play in the minors.
  
• 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-2:30pm: all 13 and 14 yr olds (baseball) who were not in the juniors last year
• 2:30pm-3:00pm: umpire sign-up and meeting

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

Save the Date: Southern Fundraiser

February 4, 2012, 7:00pm: A Southern Little League fundraiser at Thousand Oaks Golf Club. Details to follow…

Fall Ball Schedules Updated

All the schedules for Fall Ball are now available under the Schedules link on the right sidebar. For those of you who grabbed the Minors schedule yesterday, we did make some corrections on it last night, so you'll want to get that again.