Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Davie Youth Complex is the home of Davie Little League, a staple in this community for almost 40 years.

Davie Little League believes in the power of baseball and softball to teach children ages 4 and up life lessons that build a stronger community and individuals, to make memories and friendships that will last a lifetime, said Jerry Riddle, president.

For the past five years, the DLL board has worked to improve the overall family experience and exceed any fan’s expectation. There have been numerous facility upgrades, with some in-progress and several planned.

All three lower fields received upgrades throughout 2019-2022, including irrigation, new Bermuda sod, infield dirt, warning tracks and new lights.

Zach Wright Field is due to receive the same upgrades in July.

DLL also maintains several fields outside of the complex to have space for all practices and games.

This spring DLL had close to 400 players (up 14 percent from last spring), played over 300 games and held over 400 practices from March to June.

DLL holds their own All-Star Night at the end of the regular season. Approximately 27 kids from each division, including majors, minors and machine pitch, are selected to be evaluated for their district all-star team. Each has now been selected and are preparing to compete in upcoming tournaments.

While the initial focus was the current fields, attention has now turned to the challenger field project. The Challenger Field will be home to our Challenger Division, a special program for children and adults of all ages with physical and mental disabilities.  DLL has one of the largest Challenger divisions in the area with participants from several counties, including Davie, Yadkin and Forsyth.

It is imperative that DLL provide a field that alleviates inclement weather and a playing surface conducive to provide the optimal conditions for these players, thus the Challenger Field is set to be an artificial turf surface, he said.

The field will also enhance the overall little league experience by providing an additional practice and game field for tee-ball and machine pitch divisions, which is critical to accommodate the growth experienced in the number of participants in these two divisions.

DLL just held its first golf tournament to kick off the Challenger Field Project. The tournament was a great success, raising close to $28,000 to help support this project. A huge thank you to every person who participated and supported the golf tournament, Riddle said.

DLL’s next fundraising effort is a corn hole tournament July 22. You can register a team or sponsor the tournament at DavieLL.com. All it takes is one team, one sponsorship or donation to make a difference.

All-Star Teams

The 8-under softball all-star team members are Kinslee Canter, Annelise Harbour, Makenzie Howard, Gabriella Interlandi, Bryleigh Jenkins, Harper Jones, Madison Kreger, Olivia Marcum, McKenna Murphy, Alivia Naylor, Emily Perez and Charleston Randall. The head coach is Andrew Jones. The assistants are Jason Harbour, Brian Murphy and Kyle Randall.

•••

The 8-under baseball all-star team members are Connor Anderson, Levi Clemmons, Kace Dotson, Camden Dyson, Hudson King, Brandon Rogers, Weston Stroud, Harper Tuck, Braydon Gentry, Grayson Jones, Beckett Wiles and Brantlee Yurek. The head coach is Justin Dotson. His assistants are Justin Dyson, Brandon Gentry and Jake Wiles.

•••

The 10-under baseball all-star team consists of Davis Collins, Ethan Deal, Blake Edwards, Noah Porter, Tyler Robinson, Alexander Swaim, Jud Harbour, Aaron Gutierrez, Ronnie Morgan, Isaac Wallace, Jarrett Waller and Tatum Willard. The head coach is Jason Harbour. Assistant coaches are Martin Edwards, Mike Porter and Rob Swaim.

•••

The 12-under baseball all-star team includes Mason Canter, Angel Cerda, Harper Dyson, Eli Miller, Charlie Mitchell, Hudson Pfaff, Peyton Fishel, Colby Mason, Riley McAndrew, Aydan Shay, Colton Smith and Tanner Taylor. The head coach is Amanda Watkins. Assistant coaches are Keith Mason and Peter Watkins.