Nogales shortstop Isaac Aguilar reaches for a ground ball as the Sierra Vista runner sprints for third during a 9-11 District 8 playoff game in Nogales in 2021.
Nogales shortstop Isaac Aguilar reaches for a ground ball as the Sierra Vista runner sprints for third during a 9-11 District 8 playoff game in Nogales in 2021.
Little League playoff season has begun in Arizona District 8, which includes leagues in Santa Cruz and Cochise County. Several tournaments are scheduled at local fields.
The three-team Little League Junior Division (ages 12-14) district baseball tournament got underway at War Memorial Stadium in Nogales on Saturday, when the Nogales All-Stars defeated Bisbee, 11-0.
The Nogalians were set to play Douglas at 3 p.m. on Monday. The loser of that game will play Bisbee on Tuesday at 6 p.m., while Monday’s winner takes on Tuesday’s winner at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Majors Division (ages 10-12) tournament in District 8 is scheduled to run July 1-11 at the Nogales National Little League park on Madison Street. Teams from Bisbee, Douglas, Nogales, San Pedro (Benson), Sierra Vista and Willcox are slated to compete.
The schedule calls for the Nogales Majors All-Star team to play its opening round game at 8 p.m. on July 1 against Bisbee.
Several District 8 tournaments are being played at other sites in the region, including the Minors Division (ages 8-10), now underway in Sierra Vista. The Nogales All-Stars won their first contest in that tournament, 28-0 over Bisbee on Saturday. They were set to take on San Pedro at 5 p.m. on Monday.
The Senior League (ages 13-16) district playoff will be a two-team, best-of-three competition between Nogales and Sierra Vista that’s set to begin Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Sierra Vista.
Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions and other factor. For the latest brackets, go to the District 8 website at azdistrict08llsb.com and click on the “Handouts” link.
Nogales was the only league in District 8 to field an all-star team in the Age 9-11 Division, so they advance directly to the state tournament in Phoenix, beginning July 11.
Nogales also won the District 8 title by default in the 50/70 Intermediate Division (ages 11-13). And since the City of Nogales will once again host the West Regional competition in that division, the local team will skip the state tournament and advance directly to the regional.
The 50/70 West Regional, which brings together the state champions from states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and more, is set to be played July 20-29 at Fleischer Park.
Despite its active participation in Little League baseball tournaments, the Nogales National Little League is not fielding teams in any of the District 8 softball tournaments this year.
