Area youth baseball and softball leagues are set to start again Friday and local clothing stores are benefiting.

Taylor Sports owner A.C. Taylor said he expects business to pick up even more as opening night draws closer.

“People like to wait normally until the last couple of weeks,” Taylor said. “This year with it falling weird, around the first of the month, people like to have money before they go out and buy stuff.”

The start of baseball season and softball season is one of the two big seasons for Taylor.

“Normally this and the beginning of school are pretty busy periods for us,” Taylor said. “Boys and girls need to go out and pick up their new pants and stuff for both the start of the baseball season and the school year.”

Baseball and softball uniform shirts are contracted out by the city each year to the highest bidder, but pants, quality hats, socks and shoes are still necessary to complete the young baseball or softball player’s outfits.

“The city gives the players hats,” Taylor said. “But most of them like to come get better ones from us each year. We often get them coming in for that and to put names on their shirts.”

The players also need bats, balls and gloves, but that is a little harder to find in Selma but Taylor said he special orders the equipment when necessary and keeps some gloves in stock in the store.

“I think we are about to get busy,” Taylor said. “At least I hope we will be getting busy. We have what people see on television, so that helps.”