By Justin Smith | The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Parks and Recreation Department is set to host the Dixie Youth District 4 All-Star Tournament this weekend.

Selma youth all-star teams will participate. The tournament will run from June 16-20. The teams are broken down into four divisions by age, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 year olds. The two youngest divisions will play in Selma.

“We want Selma to come out and support our youth,” head coach of Selma’s 7 and 8 year old team Quinn Pernell said. “My guys like when a big crowd comes out and cheers them on.”

All-star teams from Thomasville, Monroeville, Eclectic and Holtville will also be in Selma to show what their youth are capable of on the diamond.  The first pitch will be at 6 p.m. Both age groups will play at the same time on different fields.

Selma and Holtville will battle it out to kick off the tournament for 9 and 10 year olds. Eclectic and Thomasville will get things started for the 7 and 8 year olds. Both games will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday.

The tournament will be played under normal little league baseball rules. The overall tournament will go by double elimination rules. Teams will have to lose two consecutive games in order to be eliminated.

These sets of games are going to be the district round for the 7 and 8 year olds. The sub-district games were played in Eclectic last weekend. The 9 and 10 year olds will be playing their first games of the all-star season.

Selma’s 7 and 8 year olds all-star team is expecting big things from their team.

After surviving last week’s round of the tournament they are hoping that their home field advantage will carry them through this round.

“I am looking for my guys to come out hard and play good on offense and defense,” Pernell said.

The all-star teams also give kids an opportunity to play the game they love and compete against talented players.

Pernell, who has two kids that are on separate teams for Selma all-stars, understands what playing baseball at such a young age teaches the kids.

“I feel that playing baseball so young is really great, especially with the group of guys we have,” Pernell said. “We try to keep them together while they are growing up through our program so they will have brother and teammate forever.”