Its been nearly two weeks since Governor Gary Herbert announced that much of the state could move out of moderate risk to low risk. That very announcement gives the Castle Country an opportunity to salvage at least a portion of the Little League baseball season.

“Many of the people I’ve talked to in Arizona and California have said we in Utah are lucky to get to play community ball,” said Utah State Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Commissioner Jill Emerson. “Yes, there are many restrictions, but this will get the kids back out on the ball field.”

All games for Carbon Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth are scheduled to begin on Monday, June 1. The guidelines submitted were approved by the South East Utah Health Department on May 18. The approved guidelines include social distancing, healthy participants only, required hand washing, entry and exit plans, no congregating and end of game protocol.

The season is expected to run over the course of six weeks, wrapping up in the early parts of July. Following the season’s end, a possibility of a state invitational tournament exists, pending the restrictions at that time.

“Hopefully towns will be able to host tournaments or have people travel at that time,” said Emerson. “There are options out there to make the season longer, but that will all depend on the situation.”

While the idea of an invitational tournament is still possible, the annual All-Star Tournaments have been officially canceled nation-wide.

For the past three years Carbon County has played host to the Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament. With planning well into the advanced stages, both organizations. decided to cancel regional and national tournaments, putting extra emphasis on local play.

“In our continuing effort to put our focus on local league play and local tournament play, the Board of Directors of Babe Ruth League, Inc. has asked that we forgo our traditional Regional and World Series formats for the 2020 season,” said Babe Ruth President and CEO Steven Tellefsen in a May 14 press release. “Removing these events from the calendar in July and August will give local leagues and states more time to play locally once given permission to safely do so.”

Carbon County will be given the option to host two age groups once again in 2021, if the national and regional tournaments are approved by the organizations.

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