By WESLIE STRATTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Valley Little League teams celebrated Opening Day on Saturday, March 21 at the Logandale Baseball Complex. Festivities kicked off with a formal flag ceremony by local Boy Scout Troop 26 and the National Anthem sung by Jillian Hancock.
Expo games began at 10 a.m.. Local businesswoman, Judy Metz threw out the first pitch to officially begin the season.
The opening day lasted until 5 p.m. and 14 games were played by various different age groups and divisions including t-ball, coach pitch and the minors.
With the local league made up of just under 400 registered players, Moapa Valley Little League board member Sarah Wadsworth said that the Moapa Valley league is one of the bigger leagues even in comparison to leagues in Las Vegas.
“This is the biggest year we’ve ever had,” Wadsworth said, adding that the t-ball age range has dropped to three years old.
“There are a lot of three-year-olds playing,” she said. “It’s pretty funny.”
Little League President Darren Hadley said that Little League International made the age change for baseball only.
“Basically kids that were age eight and younger pushed them up a division from what they would have been normally,” he said. “In essence it’s making the league a little younger and allowing kids to play a little earlier.”
Hadley added that the change will speed up the level of play for younger kids.
Wadsworth said that all of the participating players and coaches were excited about the beginning of the season and that concessions are open in full swing.
Rockies T-ball team coach Collin Warburton said that, starting out, coaches are focusing on getting the young players to stop the ball and get to first base.
“And figuring out how to hit,” he said, adding that they start out with building a foundation on the basics before moving on.
The season will pause for Spring Break and for the fair but will be in full swing following those events.
