NATCHEZ — Baseball season is inching its way closer for the youth of the Miss-Lou. Dixie Youth baseball is right around the corner and registration ends 5 p.m. Saturday.

“Anyone interested in playing Natchez Dixie Youth baseball (this season) has until Saturday at 5 p.m. to sign up at Sports Center,” league organizer Porky Smith said.

Parents can register their children for $75 for the first child, $65 for the second and $50 for the third.

Players new to the league this season need to bring a birth certificate when they come to register.

Tryouts are 5 p.m. Monday at Duncan Park and players need to be registered before they come to tryouts, Smith said.

Last season the league had about 150 more players signed up than they have at this point, this season, Smith said.

Kids ages 4 through 6 will play tee ball. Seven- and 8-year-olds will play coach pitch. There are also two baseball leagues one for 9- and 10-year olds and another for 11- and 12-year- olds.

Last year the league had 376 players join, 132 of those were tee ballers.

The league had five teams in the 9-and 10-year-old league, six teams in the 11- and 12-year old league, seven coaches pitch teams and 10 tee ball teams.

“Right now we are hurting on 11- and 12-year-olds,” Smith said.

“We only have enough for three teams.”

Smith said he hopes that every league but tee ball will start playing games by the second week of April. The tee ball league will start the last week of April or first of May.