The fields in Central Oregon are still covered in snow, but Little League season is around the corner.

And if registration numbers are any indication, lots of baseball, softball and T-ball players are excited to get back on the local diamonds.

Bend North Little League president Sam Palermo said 257 kids had signed up for T-ball or baseball by mid-January. Just 150 had registered by that same point in 2016, he noted. Steve LaCrosse, a league board member assisting with registration, estimated that 25 percent of the players who have signed up so far are new to Bend North.

“I think we had a total of 620 players last year, so I really feel that we’re going to exceed that,” Palermo said. “By how many, that’s a guess.”

Bend North registration is open until Feb. 28, but Palermo said more than 50 11- and 12-year-olds had already signed up for majors baseball, which fielded 12 teams with a record 120 kids in 2016. Last summer, Bend North majors all-stars won the Northwest Regional tournament in San Bernardino, California, and became the first Central Oregon team to play in the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Although Palermo said he could not prove the jump in registration was due to Bend North’s tournament success, he said he has received more phone calls from families moving into the area who want to know which neighborhoods are within the Bend North boundaries.

“I’ve probably had half a dozen calls concerning that,” Palermo said. “You see the kids in the Little League World Series, and it gets (parents) thinking. And our 11s team that participated in the tournaments (in 2016) won state in Portland, also, so they’re up and coming.”

Bend South opened online registration Friday, and BSLL president Brad Morris said 200 kids had signed up by Sunday.

Morris said he also noticed an increase in registration numbers after Bend South became the first Bend team to reach the regional tournament in 2011 (Bend North played in the regional tournament for the first time in 2014), but he could not be sure if that was due to the excitement of seeing other local kids on a big stage or the natural result of a growing population.

“It definitely creates excitement. Even though it wasn’t our league, it’s still a Bend Little League, and it’s beneficial across the board, for both leagues,” Morris said. “Bend’s a pretty good baseball town, with the Elks (of the summer collegiate West Coast League) being here and Summit last year winning the high school state championship. A lot of kids on that team were Bend South Little League kids. So that generates excitement, too.”

Both Palermo and Morris said these sign-ups have rolled in without much promotion. Leagues often send fliers home with elementary school students, but schools in Central Oregon were closed for much of January due to winter weather. Yard signs placed by the side of the road would have been buried under piles of snow.

“I finally got a couple (of signs) up on telephone poles that are up high enough that they’re above the snow,” Morris said. “It’s been a little challenging, to say the least.”

Bend South has enrolled 450 to 500 kids in recent years, but Brad Morris said the league is preparing for as many as 50 to 100 more players this year, largely because of the increase in school enrollment. And while this is generally a good problem to have, Morris said he is concerned there will not be enough fields for all the teams to play on. Unlike Redmond, Madras and Prineville, Bend does not have a dedicated Little League complex, so Bend South relies on school fields for games and practices.

“It’s a real concern that as we continue to grow, that we don’t have enough fields,” Morris said. “It helps when they build new schools, but we have more kids coming in than they have new schools.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0305, vjacobsen@bendbulletin.com

“Bend’s a pretty good baseball town, with the Elks (of the summer collegiate West Coast League) being here and Summit last year winning the high school state championship. A lot of kids on that team were Bend South Little League kids. So that generates excitement, too.”— Bend South Little League president Brad Morris

Registration information

Want to sign your kid up? Check for your local league’s registration information below.

Bend North

Boundaries: Includes north portion of Bend, Tumalo and some areas north of Tumalo. Players must reside or attend school within boundaries to participate. A street-by-street explanation of the division between Bend North and Bend South is available at www.bnll.org under the “League Info” tab.

Registration dates: Online registration is available at www.bnll.org until Feb. 28. After Feb. 28, players will be admitted as space allows.

Cost: $100, $110 starting March 1 if space is available

Contact: Registration questions web@bnll.org, general questions contact@bnll.org

Notes: Bend North does not offer softball leagues. All softball players living in Bend will play in Bend South Little League.

Bend South

Boundaries: Includes south portion of Bend and neighborhoods as far south as Lava Butte

Registration dates: Registration is now available online at www.bendsouthll.org. Regular sign-ups will close on March 1 for most divisions; T-ball registration will close on March 15. Late sign-ups will be allowed if space is available.

Cost: The base registration fee varies from $65 for T-ball players to $105 for majors and juniors. All players must pay $50 for Big Deal fundraising cards, although players may recoup that cost by selling the cards. A $20 late fee will be charged for registering after March 1 (March 15 for T-ball players). Families in need of financial aid should email info@bendsouthll.org.

Contact: info@bendsouthll.org; www.facebook.com/BendSouthLittleLeague

Notes: Bend South softball leagues are open to girls who live within either the Bend South and Bend North league boundaries.

Redmond

Boundaries: Includes Redmond and parts of Crooked River Ranch

Registration dates: Online registration is open at www.redmondlittleleague.com and will continue through Feb. 15. Player assessments will be held Feb. 21 and 22.

Cost: $80 per player; $160 cap per family

Contact: web@redmondlittleleague.com

Notes: Redmond Little League is also looking for volunteer coaches and umpires. Volunteers do not need to have a child playing in Redmond Little League, although they do need to pass a background check.

South Central

Boundaries: Includes La Pine, Sunriver, Gilchrist, Christmas Valley and outlying areas

Registration dates: In-person registration will be held Saturday at the La Pine Public Library from 3 to 5 p.m. Parents are asked to bring three proof-of-residency documents and a birth certificate. Any additional registration dates will be announced at www.facebook.com/southcentrallittleleague.

Cost: $65-$115 depending on division, family maximum of $250

Contact: www.facebook.com/
southcentrallittleleague

Crook County

Boundaries: Includes Prineville and most of Crook County

Registration dates: Online registration is available at www.cclittleleague.org. Anyone who registers online by Feb. 28 will receive a $10 discount. Online registration closes March 18. In-person registration and document turn-in will be available from noon to 5 p.m. at the Crook County Middle School cafeteria Feb. 4 and 18 and March 4 and 11.

Cost: $70 for T-ball, $80 for all other divisions. In addition to $10 early registration discount, families registering online will receive a $10 discount for each player. The maximum family cost is $200.

Contact: crookcountylittleleague@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/
CrookCountyLittleLeague

Sisters

Boundaries: Includes Sisters, Camp Sherman and outlying areas

Registration dates: Online registration is available at sisterslittleleague.org through Feb. 28. Late registration will run from March 1 to 10; $25 late registration fee.

Cost: $75-$115, depending on division. Family cap is $230. Scholarships available.

Contact: www.sisterslittleleague.org

Notes: Parents should fill out the online registration and then print off additional registration forms. Parents should bring the completed forms and their players to Sisters Park & Recreation District to be fitted for uniforms.

Jefferson County

Boundaries: Includes Madras, Culver and parts of Crooked River Ranch

Registration dates: Online registration is open at www.jeffcolittleleagueor.org and will continue through March 1. Anyone who does not submit all forms online or who needs help with online registration should attend “Document Days” at the Culver Fire Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 22 or at Washington Federal in Madras from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 23.

Cost: $50 to $75, depending on division; families signing up multiple children will receive discounts.

Contact: Jennifer Holcomb at 541-325-1315; jeffcolittleleagueor@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/JeffCoLittleLeague

Warm Springs Nation

Boundaries: The Warm Springs Indian Reservation and outlying areas

Registration: Details will be finalized and announced later this week.

Contact: www.facebook.com/WSNLL