With 508 children registered in its first year, Hot Springs' youth baseball league was a huge success, and Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips said he expects this year's spring baseball program to continue to thrive.
"I think we should expect a little more participation," he said. "I think some of the younger kids will move over to our T-ball program that are wanting to play more specific baseball. I think we will retain a lot of the kids that played last year, and then also bring in some new kids.
"We were barely ready in time last year to open the park, and I just really believe that we're a lot more widely-known throughout the community now. People love the park, and we did have a good program, and I see more kids in the community knowing about the league here. Even though 508 was a really good number, I think it'll grow."
The league plays under the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth leagues with players ranging from ages 5-15. Cal Ripken League is for the youngest four divisions while Babe Ruth League is 13-year-olds and older.
"It's got a 5- and 6-year-old division, which is T-ball, 7-8 year-old division, which is coach pitch, and then there's a 9- and 10-year-old division, 11- and 12-year-old division, and a 13- through 15-year-old division," Phillips said, noting 9-year-olds and older are player-pitch leagues.
Phillips said the season will start March 27, which is the weekend following spring break, and run through June 2.
"I really like to be done whenever school gets done because kids leave right away and go to camps the week school gets out, so we kind of want to keep it in that school time frame," he said. "And then our all-stars from the league need a few weeks to practice. They get formed and practice right after the regular season ends and play at the end of June, early July."
Phillips said Hot Springs will once again host the T-ball state tournament with the coach-pitch state tournament to be held in Sherwood. The 9-year-old state tournament will be in Stuttgart, 10-year-old state tournament in Lonoke and 11- and 12-year-old state tournament will be in Paragould. Lonoke will also host the Babe Ruth state tournament.
With approximately 40 teams playing last year, the coach-pitch league was the largest, Phillips said. T-ball was the second-largest league.
Costs for the league are $75 for T-ball and $85 for coach-pitch teams. All three player-pitch leagues are $95, and games will be played Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights.
"Registration is right around the corner, and we'll have a schedule pretty soon released about when kids will be ... forming teams," he said, noting that scholarships are available for players unable to pay the registration fee.
For more information, call Phillips at 501-359-2414. Registration is at https://www.majesticpark.org.