Softball league games to start Sunday

By Sam Waller

The Albany Softball Association will have four teams in three age groups comprising more than 50 players for the upcoming season.

“We have about 25 8U players, 16 or 17 10Us and 12 or 13 12Us,” ASA president Jacey Shack said. “This is the most we’ve had in some time, more than we had last year. We’ve grown the last couple of years, which I’m really happy about.”

The 12U team, coached by Tate Thompson, and the 10U team, coached by Christina Hargett, will each play 21 games. Albany will have two 8U teams – Albany Heat, coached by Luke Spraberry, and Fire, coached by Matt Stapp. The Heat will play 10 games and Fire will play 11.

Games will start Sunday, March 20 for the 10U team. The 8U teams begin Monday, March 21 with the 12U starting Tuesday, March 22. All teams will conclude play by May 5. All home games will be played at Webb Park.

The teams will play competition from Breckenridge, Cisco, Eastland, Gorman, Stamford, and Ranger.

“Between all the age groups, we have 19 home games,” Shack said.

The ASA has a pair of fundraisers in the works for this spring. An aerial golf ball drop is planned for April, with a parent-daughter softball tournament following the conclusion of the season in May.

Tickets for the golf ball drop will be $5 apiece or $20 for five. Tickets will be available this week, Shack said.

“We’re hoping to have at least three good-size duffle bags of golf balls we’ll drop from a helicopter,” Shack said. “It’ll be a lot of fun for everybody.”

Shack said each ticket will correspond to a golf ball. The ball that lands closest to a golf pin will win a prize.

“We’re planning three drops from different heights,” Shack said.

The parent-daughter tournament will match teams for each age group, with parents and children  paired on teams.

“More than likely, we’ll have the 8Us together and the 10Us and 12Us play against each other,” Shack said. “We’re still working out the details because we have to deal with a lot of schedules.”