Raffle Ticket Turn-In

Raffle tickets may be turned in at the raffle table by the concession stand all day on Saturday. More tickets may be purchased all day long as well. Cash or checks to “Southern Little League” are acceptable forms of payment. The player who sells the most tickets, writes their name on the back when turning them in, AND turns them in by 1:00 Saturday, will win a Wilson A2000 baseball glove. The raffle drawing for the cash prizes is at 7:00pm on Saturday. Tickets may turned in and more purchased up until the drawing. You need NOT be present to win.

Thank You Firefighters!

With a little help from our friendly neighbors at the fire station, we were able to hang our new flag at Southern the easy way! See you all on Saturday for Family Day!

Final Umpire Sign-up

The fourth and final umpire sign-up will take place this Saturday, June 1, at 7:00am. Please have your own baseball schedule handy to avoid any conflicts.

All Games Canceled

All games for Tuesday, May 28, are canceled for the remainder of the night.

Family Day Volunteers Needed

Southern is asking that each team supply two volunteers each for a two-hour time slot on Saturday, June 1. The time slots start at 8:00am and go every two hours until 8:00pm. Besides volunteering, it is a ton of fun. You can sign up at the concession stand. We will also be coming around each game this week with the signup sheets. You can also email Bob Hams at director@southernll.org

Thank you for helping to make Family Day and Southern’s 60th Anniversary such a special event!

Sign Up Now for Big League Baseball

It is now time to sign up for Southern's Big League Baseball. Big League is for 16, 17 and 18 year olds who played high school baseball at the varsity level. The cost is $130. Play starts June 10. Click here to sign up.

2013 Baseball Seniors Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Coaches will be contacting players in the next 48 hours.

60th Anniversary Celebration and Family Day at Southern Little League

For the first time ever, every Southern baseball and softball team plays on Family Day! And we have a special souvenir for every player!

• Saturday, June 1st, all day
• Great food
• Water slide and bounce land with slide
• Baseball and softball games all day
• Minor, Major and Junior Baseball All-Star Games at 7:30pm
• Bring the whole family – grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles, too
• Look for 60th Anniversary T-Shirts for sale

Juniors Baseball Schedule Changes

Team tournaments for juniors baseball starts on Saturday, June 22. Because of this earlier than expected start date, we are canceling the following games:

• Thursday, June 20
  7:30pm - Lundeen vs Sajdak
• Friday, June 21
  5:30pm - Winkle vs Hoppman
  7:30pm - Malewitz vs Murray
• Saturday, June 22
  9:00am - Winkle vs Lundeen
  11:30am - Hoppman vs Malewitz
  2:00pm - Murray vs Sajdak

We have also rescheduled the following games. These are only time changes on the same date:

• Saturday, June 1 (Family Day)
  8:30am - Hoppman vs Sajdak
  10:15am - Lundeen vs Murray
  12:00pm - Malewitz vs Winkle
• Saturday, June 8
  2:30pm Hoppman vs Winkle

Finally, we've added a Juniors Baseball All-Star Game on Family Day:

• Saturday, June 1
  7:30pm - Juniors Baseball All-Star Game

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Pohlman/Hebert/O'Connor,E/Mundell

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule on Saturday, June 1:

• Teams O'Connor,E & Mundell: Instead of playing each other at noon, your game will now take place at 3:30pm.
• Teams Pohlman & Hebert: Instead of playing each other at 3:30pm, your game will now take place at noon.

All Games Canceled

Due to the weather, all games at Southern and Manhattan for Wed-22-May are canceled.

Police Report Update

Southern Little League Parents,

After further investigation by the Grand Rapids Police Department, new information has been reported. The car involved in the incident was not a dark colored sedan, it was a white sedan, nice, possibly a Kia. There was a woman in the passenger seat and what the player said appeared to be 2 to 3 children in the back seat. He assumes it was a family.

We hope you will all continue to be vigilant with the safety of all of the players at Southern and continue to keep Southern a safe and fun environment as it has been for 60 years.

Bob Hams
President, Southern Little League

Next Umpire Signup

The third of four umpire sign-ups is this Saturday morning, May 18, at 7:00am. Please have your baseball schedule handy to avoid any conflicts.

Schedule Changes in Juniors Softball: Crampton

We have made a change to the juniors softball schedule:

• Team Crampton:
• You have an additional game on Monday, June 3, at 6:00pm at Manhattan against Algoma. It will be a double-header.
• Your game on Saturday, June 8, will now be played at 3:00pm at JC East. It will be a double-header.

Schedule Change in 78ers & Majors Baseball: O'Connor,E/Billo/Potter/Sova

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule and to the majors baseball schedule on Tuesday, May 21:

• Teams Sova & Potter: Instead of a 7:30pm game on the West field, you will now play at 5:30pm on the East field.
• Teams O'Connor,E & Billo: Instead of a 5:30pm game on the East field, you will now play at 7:30pm on the West field.

Last Call for Seniors Sign-up

It is now time to sign up for Southern's Senior League Baseball. The season starts after the Memorial Day weekend. Please sign up as soon as possible so we have time to organize teams and contact everyone. The deadline for signing up is midnight on Thursday, May 16. After that, there is a wait list and a $20 late fee. Click here to sign up.

Alert to Parents

Good Morning All Southern Little League Parents,

An incident was reported to us that happened on Saturday, May 11, at Southern and the JC Park. A Caucasian male driving a newer model dark colored sedan stopped his vehicle and tried to persuade one of our 11 year old baseball players to get in his car so he could help the player find his parents. The player immediately ran to the concession stand and found his mother. A police report has been filed, and the GR Police will patrol more often during games. No other incidents similar to this have been reported in the last 30 days.

Southern is a great place for the community and is safe as long as we all keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Let’s all keep Southern a great place for the area youth to enjoy!

Bob Hams
President, Southern Little League

Details from Police Report

• Description: white male with brown hair, possibly in his 40's, wearing a gray shirt.
• Car: white 4-door possibly a Kia model
• Police report: #13-038108

Partial Cancellations - Please Read

• 2:30pm minors baseball games are canceled.
• 3:00pm minors and majors baseball games are cancelled.
• 4:00pm 78ers baseball games are canceled.
• All games 5:00pm and later are still on for now.

Stay tuned for more weather updates!

Saturday is Picture Day

Sat-11-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.

Coaches: Soft Toss Into Fences

There is absolutely NO soft toss allowed with hard softballs or baseballs in to the fences at the city JC fields or the Southern fields. The city called yesterday and observed one of our teams doing that Monday night at JC fields. Joe Malewitz has had to ask 3 teams/coaches not to do it at Southern. It ruins the fences.

2013 Softball Juniors Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

Sign Up NOW for Seniors Baseball

It is now time to sign up for Southern's Senior League Baseball. We look forward to all of you signing up for the Senior League which has a rich tradition of competitive baseball with a great sense of community. Under the direction of Jim Henwood, Southern’s Seniors program is second to none. The season starts after the Memorial Day weekend. Please sign up as soon as possible so we have time to organize teams and contact everyone. Click here to sign up.

Next Umpire Sign-up

The second of four umpire sign-ups is this Saturday morning, May 4, at 7:00am. Please have your baseball schedule handy to avoid any conflicts.

Softball Minors and Majors Schedules Revamped

Due to a change in the set of teams in the league, the schedules for Softball Minors and for Softball Majors have been revamped. Rather than iterate all the changes, we ask that you just revisit the updated schedules. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Schedule Change in Minors Softball: Sprague

We have made a change to the minors softball schedule:

• Team Sprague: The game originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 4, at 1:30pm on Southern JC East.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: Murphy/Force

We have made a change to the minors baseball schedule on Wednesday, May 1:

• Teams Murphy & Force: Instead of playing at 5:30pm, you will now play at 7:30pm.

Schedule Change in 78ers Softball: May 10/11, Couvreur/Ward

We have made a change to the 78ers softball schedule on May 10 & 11:

• Team Couvreur: Instead of playing on Friday, May 10, at 6:30pm, you will now play on Saturday, May 11, at 2:30pm on JC East.
• Team Ward: Instead of playing on Saturday, May 11, at 10:am, you will now play on Saturday, May 11, at 2:30pm on JC East.

Schedule Change in Juniors Baseball: Murray/Lundeen/Winkle/Malewitz

We have made a change to the juniors baseball schedule on Monday, May 6, and Tuesday, May 7:

• Teams Murray & Lundeen: Instead of playing on May 6 at 7:30pm, you will now play on May 7 at 7:30pm.
• Teams Winkle & Malewitz: Instead of playing on May 7 at 7:30pm, you will now play on May 6 at 7:30pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Softball: Prince

We have made a change to the majors softball schedule on Monday, May 6:

• Team Prince: Instead of playing on May 6, you will now play on Saturday, May 18, at 3:15pm.

All Games Canceled Tonight Tue-23-Apr

Because of the weather, all games for Tuesday, April 23, are canceled.

Clarification About Raffle Tickets

We have received some questions asking whether raffle ticket holders need to be present to win. The tickets are printed correctly. You need NOT be present to win the raffle.

2013 Softball 78ers Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

2013 Softball Majors Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

Schedule Change in Minors Softball: Sprague

We have made a change to the minors softball schedule on Saturday, April 27:

• Team Sprague: Instead of playing at 4:00pm, you will now play at 11:00am.

2013 Softball Minors Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

Schedule Change in Minors Baseball: Stadel/Force/Tucker/Kolk

We have made a change to the minors baseball schedule on Saturday, April 27:

• Teams Stadel & Force: Instead of playing at 6:30pm, you will now play at 12:30pm.
• Teams Tucker & Kolk: Instead of playing at 12:30pm, you will now play at 6:30pm.

8:30am and 9:00am Games Postponed Until Tonight

Due to the extreme cold this morning, we have postponed the 8:30am Maher vs O'Connor game in 78ers baseball. It will now take place at 6:30pm tonight on Southern's West field.

Also, the 9:00am Billo vs Passinault game in majors baseball has been postponed until 6:30pm tonight on Southern's East field.

We apologize for the inconvenience and late notice.

Schedule Correction in Minors Baseball: Gardner/Westerbeke

We have made a correction to the minors baseball schedule on Friday, May 3:

• Teams Gardner & Westerbeke: Your 8pm game will be played on the West field, not on the East field as originally scheduled.

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Scofield/O'Connor

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule on Family Day, Saturday, June 1:

• Team Scofield: Instead of a 4:00pm game vs Potter, you will now play Fox at 1:00pm.
• Team O'Connor: Instead of a 1:00pm game vs Fox, you will now play Potter at 4:00pm.

All Games for Fri-19-Apr Rescheduled for Sun-21-Apr

Due to the massive rainfall, we have rescheduled all of Friday's games for Sunday. If you had a game scheduled for Friday, it is now rescheduled for Sunday. Rather than list every rescheduled game here, please visit the Schedules page to find out your game's rescheduled time and field.

2013 Baseball Juniors Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

Boman Family Benefit

Boman Family Benefit

In Loving Memory of Annie

Saturday, April 27^th   

The Orbit Room  * 2525 Lake Eastbrook Blvd. SE

Silent Auction  7:30pm

Music by InDenial  9:00pm – 1am

Cash Bar    *    Snacks    *    50/50 Raffle

Admission:  Free will donations

Must be 21 to enter

Questions or Silent Auction Donations:

Please contact Kim Malewitz (446-3800), Sue Knappen (617-9753) or Missie Polakovich (460-1148).

Donations can also be made directly to the “Annie Boman Charitable Fund”  (Chase Bank, 2263 Wealthy SE)

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Scofield/Henry

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule on Thursday, April 25:

• Team Henry: Instead of a 4:30pm game vs Sova, you will now play Potter at 7:30pm.
• Team Scofield: Instead of a 7:30pm game vs Potter, you will now play Sova at 4:30pm.

Schedule Change in Majors Baseball: Passinault/O'Connor,E/Jacobsen/Warners

We have made a change to the majors baseball schedule on Saturday, May 11:

• Teams O'Connor,E & Passinault: Instead of playing each other at 5pm, your game will now take place at 3pm.
• Teams Warners & Jacobsen: Instead of playing each other at 3pm, your game will now take place at 5pm.

Umpire Sign-up Dates

Umpire sign-up dates have now been scheduled for this upcoming season.  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 starting this Saturday, April 20, at 7:00am.  Please line up along the baseball office located behind Henwood Field and have your baseball or work schedule handy to avoid any conflicts.  Future sign-up dates will be May 4, May 18, and June 1 and take place at the same time and location.

Coaches: URGENT! EGR Parks Practice Policy

Coaches, the East Grand Rapids Parks Department has contacted us and asked that we IMMEDIATELY stop using any and all EGR parks for Southern practices EXCEPT those they have allotted to us. That means that unless you reserve your practice fields on the Southern website, you are NOT permitted to use any EGR parks or fields for practices.

Coaches are asked to immediately cancel any scheduled practices for these fields. If we do not comply, EGR has said they will cancel our allotment of practice slots at Breton Downs and Lakeside.

Please comply immediately. Questions? Contact Bob Hams.

Coaches and Team Parent Meeting Thu-18-Apr

The Southern Little League Coaches and Team Parents meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 18, at 7:00pm at the East Grand Rapids Middle School cafeteria. This is a mandatory meeting for at least one coach from every team and a Team Parent from every team. (Just to clarify, the term "Team Parent" here does not mean every parent of every player. The "Team Parent" is the one parent on each team who has volunteered to help the coach organize the team's picture day, raffle sales, snack schedule, etc.) Topics will include picture day, raffle, sponsors, concession stand volunteers and general operating information for the 2013 season. We appreciate your attendance as this is the most important meeting of the year for organizational purposes.

Games Start This Week!

The season begins this Friday, April 19, with a full slate of baseball games in Majors, Minors, and 78ers. Just a reminder that you can always see a combine schedule of all games at Southern coming up in the next week by clicking on the This Week at Southern link on the right sidebar.

Schedule Change in 78ers Baseball: Scofield/Seth

We have made a change to the 78ers baseball schedule on Saturday, May 4:

• Team Seth: Instead of a 10am game vs Henry, you will now play O'Connor at 5pm.
• Team Scofield: Instead of a 5pm vs O'Connor, you will now play Henry at 10am.

2013 Softball Juniors Roster Available

Softball players from Juniors have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Coaches should be calling players any time now. If you have not heard from your coach by April 15, feel free to call your coach.

New Umpire Training Session Dates and Time

All new 13-15 year old umpires must attend 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 13, at 8:30 am. The second session is scheduled for this Sunday, April 14, at 8:30 am. Each of these sessions will go on rain or shine, last an hour and a half or less, and be conducted by Southern's umpire director, Jim Weiss. Plan on meeting Jim at the equipment shed/maintenance building which is located in the rear of Southern's complex and behind the minors and majors fields.

Call Jim at 520-1306 for any additional questions or bits of information regarding these sessions.

2013 Baseball 78ers Schedule Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

2013 Softball 78ers, Minors, and Majors Rosters Available

Softball players from 78ers (coach pitch), Minors, and Majors have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Coaches should be calling players any time now. If you have not heard from your coach by April 8, feel free to call your coach. Contact information for coaches is coming soon. We'll make a separate announcement once the Softball Juniors roster is available.

2013 Baseball Minors and Majors Schedules Available

You can view those by clicking on the Schedules link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Schedules for other leagues will be published and announced as soon as they are available. Stay tuned.

2013 Baseball Rosters Now Available

Baseball players from 78ers (coach pitch), Minors, Majors, and Juniors have been assigned to their teams for the summer season. You can view those by clicking on the Rosters link on the right sidebar of the website. Or you can just click here. Coaches should be calling players any time now. If you have not heard from your coach by April 8, feel free to call your coach with the contact information listed on the roster.

Softball Coaches Needed ASAP!

If we are unable to secure coaches for 78er softball and junior softball, we will have to split the teams up differently. This is a great experience. Call Courtney now at 446-2587. Please don’t wait for someone else to step up, just call now. Thank You!

No Softball Tryouts

We've gotten some calls asking whether or not the tryout session on Saturday, March 23, includes softball players. It does not. And to be clear, only certain baseball players need to be at the tryout. Please read the details here to see if your child needs to be present at this Saturday's tryout session.

Minors Baseball Coaches Needed

We are still in need of 4 coaches for minors baseball. If anyone is interested, please contact Ethan Rohen at ethanrohen@att.net or call 318-4647.

Limited Space Available - Sign Up ASAP

Southern Little League has the following openings for late signups for each age level:

• 7 and 8 softball – Room for 7 players only!
• 7 and 8 baseball – Room for 11 players only!
• 9 thru 12 softball – Room for 6 players only!
• 9 thru 12 baseball – Room for 23 players only!
• 13 and 14 softball – Room for 8 players only!
• 13 and 14 baseball – Room for 2 players only! (We may add a team and will start a waiting list.)

After these spots are filled on first come first serve basis we will start a waiting list.
Please click here to read the details and to sign up now!

Sign Up for the 2013 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 Breton Village Mall (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. 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 23, 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 11, 18, and 23
  
• Sign-up deadline: Friday, March 15
• Player evaluation/tryout day: Saturday, March 23
• Clean-up day: Saturday, April 13
• Practices begin: April 8 or later (depends on coach)
• Games begin: Week of April 20
• Family day: Saturday, June 1 (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.
  

Calling All NEW Umpires!

If you are passionate about the game of baseball and turn the age of 13 by May 1, 2013, then you are invited to a meeting at East Grand Rapids High School's gym on Saturday, March 23, at approximately 2:30 pm -- and immediately following the juniors' tryout. 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 Little League for the upcoming season. Jim Weiss, Southern's umpire director, will host this meeting and address several topics including training dates, sign-up dates, pay scale, etc. This is an excellent opportunity for you to earn some money this spring, take on the responsibility of running a baseball game, interact with players and coaches, and enhance your future college application or job resume by becoming an umpire.

Preseason Warm-up for Juniors Baseball

We will be forming a preseason warm-up session for juniors baseball this season for the players not playing on their school teams.

• You must be signed up at Southern for the regular season to be eligible.
• There will not be any added cost. The fee will be included with the cost of signing up for juniors baseball.
• There will be two games or practices per week. However, we will have to work around field availability.
• Games will be at Southern.
• Season will begin on or about April 15 and end around May 4th or at the beginning of the juniors baseball regular season.
• Bernie Malewitz and Rob Murray will coach a team each and will play each other each game.
• There will be an umpire for games.
• Instruction and getting ready to play baseball on the big field is the emphasis.
• Again, this is for players who will not be playing on their perspective school teams.
• Please email Rob Henkey (rob@metaltechbuildings.com) if your player would like to play.

Opportunity to Help the Kutsche, LaPonsie, and Cwengros Families

2013 Leadoff Party

2013 Lead Off Party
Annual Fundraiser for Southern Little League

An Evening of Food and Fun!

Saturday, February 9th, 2013
Cascade Hills Country Club
7:00 PM - Midnight

• Live and Silent Auctions Supporting our Scholarship Fund and Annual Operating Budget
• Cash Bar and Hors d’oeuvres
• Music by Tony Reynolds
• $75 per couple / $40 per person
• Casual attire, denim allowed
• Age 21 and over, please

Please extend this invitation to all alumni, parents and grandparents of present and future Southern Little League players. Click here to spread the word on Facebook.

Please buy your tickets in advance here. You can pay by credit card or PayPal.

Or you can pay at the door on Saturday night.

No PayPal account is required.

1 Couple $75.00 USD 1 Person $40.00 USD

Or send checks payable to:
Southern Little League
1530 Groton Road SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

2013 Baseball Big League Schedule

• League Director: Bob Hams
  email: bhams "at" roofmelt.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 633-5495
  
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• Changes to this schedule will typically NOT be announced ont he website.
• We will use high school rules for Big League.
• Each team is to provide 3 high school approved baseballs for each home game.
• Double headers are denoted by DH in the schedule. Home team flip flops after game 1.
• Please DO NOT FORFEIT. Get league age players to fill in if you are going to be short players.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Softball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 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.

2013 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.

2013 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.
• Click here to view the standings on their own page.
• Click here to download these standings as a PDF you can print.

2013 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.

2013 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

2013 Baseball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Rob Henkey
  email: rob "at" metaltechbuildings.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 293-1607
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Team tournament begins Sat-29-Jun.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 Softball 78ers Roster

These are the team rosters for the Softball 78ers League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 Softball 78ers Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Joe Mead
  email: joe.mead "at" welchallyn.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 304-8794
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball Seniors Schedule

• League Director: Jim Henwood
  email: henwoodjaandij "at" comcast.net (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 901-9896
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 10 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-1-Jun.
• Team tournament begins Fri-28-Jun.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball 78ers Schedule

• League Director: Eric O'Connor
  email: eoconnor64 "at" gmail.com (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 292-2388
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• We do not record final scores or keep standings in this league.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball Minors Schedule

• League Director: Ethan Rohen
  email: ethanrohen "at" att.net (replace "at" with @)
  phone: 318-4647
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.
• If you see a discrepancy in the scores or missing scores, please contact your coach, NOT the webmaster. Games without a score in this schedule will not be included in the standings.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun. A coin flip will determine home field that day. Family Day games will not count in the standings.
• Due to lack of field space, no rained out games will be made up unless one team has an unusual number of rainouts.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball 78ers Roster

These are the team rosters for the Baseball 78ers League. If you see any misspellings or other discrepancies, please email the webmaster. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 Softball Juniors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun.
• Team tournaments begin Sat-15-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

2013 Baseball Big League Rosters

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

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 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. You can also download this document as a PDF or CSV (to open with Excel).

2013 Softball Majors Schedule

• League Director: Courtney Moskal
  email: courtmosk "at" sbcglobal.net (replace "at" with @)
  
• Please remember to sign up for email updates. That way you won't miss any schedule changes or weather updates.
• We generally do NOT make weather announcements about away games. Please contact your coach for cancellation updates on away fields.
• Changes made after April 10 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.
• Picture Day is May 11.
• Family Day is Sat-1-Jun.
• Team tournaments begin Sat-15-Jun.
• Click here to view this schedule on its own page.
• Click here to download this schedule as a PDF you can print.

Parents: Before Purchasing a Bat

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Ten weeks following the Fundraiser is the start of the 2013 season. You only have ten days left to register for the 2013 Fundraiser. Look at the smiles on these faces! Follow this link and sign up now...

Thank You, Volunteers

Southern Little League would like to thank Jeanine Luciani and Bella Design for the logo and design work, Jeff Christians and Gilson Graphics for print, mail and email marketing, Tim Kolk, Steve Bender, Patty Malewitz and their committee and Mark Norton, Paul Vanderlei and Jeff Elble for compiling a comprehensive mailing list. The work being donated by all of these people has put Southern in a great spot for a very successful Lead Off Party.

Thank You All,
Bob Hams - President
Southern Little League

Matt Kutsche

On Friday January 11th, Southern Little League lost one of its very own special players. Matt Kutsche was with a team of people on a mission trip in Haiti when tragically their vehicle crashed. Matt did not survive. Matt was a player at Southern from the time his hat hung over his eyes in coach pitch until the most prestigious level of Big Leagues. He was also a dedicated umpire taking the time to teach the littlest players along the way. Matt was a valued team mate to every team he ever played for and leaves a huge hole in the hearts of those who knew him. He was a trusted friend, a loyal brother, and son and a man of impeccable character. My son Chris was lucky enough to call him his best friend, and we were so grateful with how much time we were able to enjoy Matt ourselves. Matt towered over most people and I’m not just speaking of his size. His great optimism in life, his faith in God, and his ability to make even a stranger feel like a friend are all virtues that came naturally to Matt. Simply put, Matt made a difference. Our families, our friends and our community are grief stricken but we will somehow move forward. Spring will come, new life will begin, and the first pitch will be thrown at baseball games all over the world. And this time, with no doubt, Matt will have the best seat in the house for each and every play.

- Terri Vulpetti

2013 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 23rd
• 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.

Sign Up In Person for the 2013 Season

You can sign up in person for the 2013 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 Breton Village Mall. The sign-up table will be located near the fireplace inside the mall.

• Where: Breton Village Mall
• When:
• Monday, February 11th, 6-8pm
• Monday, February 18th, 6-8pm
• Saturday, February 23rd, 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.

Sign Up Online for the 2013 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.
  

Save the Date: 2013 Southern Little League Annual Lead-off Party

Please add the date to your calendar:
Saturday, February 9, 2013

This will be our second annual winter fundraiser for Southern Little League at Cascade Hills Country Club.

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

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

Please contact Tim Kolk (timkolk@grar.com – 616.446.7186) with any questions.

Southern Little League to Celebrate 60 years of Baseball and Softball in 2013!

Hello Everyone,

2013 will bring Southern Little League’s 60th anniversary as a chartered member of the world’s largest youth sports program -- “Little League” -- Serving the youth of Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids with quality baseball and softball and lasting memories for many generations. We will have a celebration next summer to commemorate this exciting time and will have much more information for you after the New Year.

In February we will be hosting our 2nd annual Leadoff Party. For those of you who did not attend last year it was a fantastic party and fundraiser. We had people attend who had kids playing that are 8 years old and we had people attend that had kids play 20 years ago and many in between. A great time was had by all and important funds were raised to help with the ever rising cost of running the league for the over 750 baseball and softball players who participated in 2012. We hope you will attend the Leadoff Party 2013 in February. For additional information please contact Tim Kolk at timkolk@grar.com Tim is our event coordinator for the 2013 Leadoff Party. A huge Thank You to all of the sponsors who donated items for the silent and live auctions.

The 2012 season was another great season for Southern Little League. Fall baseball and
softball closed the season and it was a great time with generally good weather except one Sunday that was rained out. There was a disparity in fall ball minor and major baseball because Western and Northeastern had all-star teams with league age players one year older than ours. We have already informed those leagues that if we are going to include them next year they must adhere to the same rules as Southern uses. Other than that fall ball was a very positive experience for all.

Please look for signup information around the first of the year for the upcoming season and pass along the website to any potential new participants. www.southernll.org

Sincerely,
Bob Hams
Southern Little League

All Games Canceled

All Fall Ball games are canceled for Sunday, October 14, due to poor field conditions and rainy weather.