By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Recreation Commission has already made their transition to baseball and softball season. On Easter weekend, the Great Bend Sports Complex played host to a one-day tournament with 32 teams participating. There will be six tournaments at the Sports Complex over the next seven weekends.
Youth baseball and softball leagues started through the Great Bend Rec Monday with practice. Sports Director Shane Sandberg said there are 39 teams signed up this year, compared to 46 last year.
"One of the reasons for that is just late registrations," said Sandberg. "It's very hard to anticipate how many teams we can have for each league when everyone wants to sign up two weeks after the deadline."
There is a change in the Rec’s oldest baseball division, the Ralph Terry League. The traveling rec league consisting of teams from Hoisington, Ellinwood, Ellsworth and Russell asked GBRC if they would like to put two teams in the league. Sandberg said he was struggling to get three full teams for the Great Bend league so parents and coaches agreed to participate in the traveling league.
"Great Bend High School hasn't had a baseball C-team for a couple of years now," said Sandberg. "I think we can continue to build this league up. Maybe that will feed that a little better, and get some better participation numbers at the high school as well."
The Ralph Terry League, for children ages 13 to 15, will host several home games on Mondays and travel to the other towns on Fridays.