Get ready to play ball — exciting season on tap for NDBA
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The upcoming season looks very promising for Nelson Baseball on the eve of completion of upgrades to Queen Elizabeth Park in Fairview.
Thanks to the many hours of volunteer work, those upgrades should be completed in the next few weeks.
“New irrigation system and natural turf infield replaces the hard clay infield we’ve been playing on for a few decades,” said outgoing Nelson and District Baseball Association President Larry Martel.
“The City of Nelson is helping to upgrade the player dugouts, the backstop fencing and trees this year.
“The outfield banks were overgrown and full of weeds and thorny scrubs which have been cleaned up and re-seeded.”
Martel said had increased by 30 percent in 2014 last season in Nelson and NDBA also saw Okanagan Falls, Salmo and Kaslo join the West Kootenay Little League association for our house league schedule.
The registration increase saw NDBA increase to 20 teams playing in the Minors — 9-10 years — and Majors 11-12 years.
These divisions play a 12-15 game schedule and attend a couple of tournaments during the 10-week season that runs from April to June.
Martel said T-ball 5-6 years — and Rookies —7-8 years — also have seen registrations increasing.
“These younger baseball players have very limited travel and play all their games and practices at the new Lions park diamond,” he explained.
NDBA baseball registration closes Friday (April 1) so that division managers can evaluate and get teams in coaches in place for the start of the West Kootenay League.
Practices usually start soon after April 1 and the first games around the April 15th, weather permitting.
“The season runs to the end of the school year then a few of the players continue with summer baseball in the American Legion, Little League provincials or with travel baseball teams that attend tournaments in July in the Okanagan or in Montana, Idaho and Washington state,” Martel said.
Anyone interested in umpiring should attend at clinic hosted in Castlegar this year in early April before the first games.
David Gray is the new association president for NDBA.
