VIDALIA — The Vidalia Little League Seniors got a taste of an international stage in the 2015 Little League Softball World Series in Delaware.

Coach Wesley McCarver said he and his team are yearning for another opportunity this year.

“It was amazing, what the kids got to see,” McCarver said. “Little League took great care of us … Our ultimate goal is to win … Last year, our goal was to get to the World Series.”

The Vidalia Senior team will host to the Southwestern Regional tournament, which starts Saturday. The local squad’s first game is set for 8 p.m. against the delegates from Colorado. Arkansas, New Mexico, West and East Texas are also in the tournament.

Vidalia, a 16-and-under team, scrimmaged cross-parish opponent, the Ferriday Gators. Ferriday’s Jania Burns and Brianna Henson are two of McCarver’s former players who made the trip to Delaware last year.

Vidalia third baseman Madison Johnston said the scrimmage against Ferriday’s loud bats built the team’s confidence. She said few opponents would be tougher than the one that plays west on U.S. 84.

“(Ferriday) is going to hit it somewhere,” Johnston said. “They have really good pitching and good hitters … Their pitching helps us for what we’re about to see.”

McCarver said Vidalia doesn’t play weekly tournaments, but the combination of high-school ball and regular practice in summer leagues keeps the team sharp.

“It’s spread around so our girls get to know each other and play each other,” McCarver said. “There are about five of our girls that have been together a long time … We don’t play every Saturday but they play all summer, in high school … It’s chemistry.”

First baseman Katlyn McCarver said that chemistry is important this weekend.

“We’ve got to come together as a team,” she said.

McCarver said Vidalia is familiar with some of the teams, having played in the tournament in past seasons.

“Some of the teams we played in regional last season were young, and they’ll have grown up this year,” McCarver said. “We’ve got to hit. That’s one of the things we found out last year. The teams that won it didn’t have much better pitching than we did, but some teams hit six or seven homers per game.”

One of the six teams in the Southwestern Regional will advance from the Vidalia-based tournament to the World Series.