The Dixie Youth Baseball season is back and the 7/8-year old all-stars will host a tournament here in Selma beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

“The kids are excited and the parents are excited,” Selma Recreation Department director Terry Jackson said.

Selma will have all-star teams in the 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, 15U and 17U divisions competing for a chance to advance through the district and state tournaments. Each playing for a chance to make it to the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series tournaments.

According to Jackson, two 9/10-year old teams are traveling to Holtville next weekend and the 11/12 team will also be traveling next Friday.

Last season the 8U team traveled to Eufala, but didn’t win the state tournament. The 10U team lost both its games in Troy. The 12U went 2-3 at the state tournament in Andalusia, and finished eighth in the state. The 13U team was swept in two games

The 15U team will be playing in the state tournament at Eufaula that weekend as well.

Last summer, the 15U team won the World Series down in Independence, Louisiana. The team will attempt to make its third consecutive trip to the World Series and defend their title.

The team that won the championship, however, has moved up to the 17U division.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to win because we this year we have some good all-star players and coaches,” Jackson said.