The pressure on Selma’s all-star teams has cranked up as the time for state tournaments creeps ever closer.

As teams from this area prepare to go across the state to Center, Enterprise and Guntersville to play in their respective tournaments, the Selma Parks and Recreation department is preparing to send each of them off, but also to host the upcoming Dixie Majors state tournament this weekend.

“There is no rest for the weary,” Selma Parks and Recreations director Elton Reese said. “It’s been a major thing, sending these teams out to where they need to go. We are the only city that still pays for its teams hotel rooms that I know of, and we have never had this many teams make the state tournament before. So we are moving some money over, because we already have our budget.”

On top of getting the teams out and away for their tournaments in the next couple of weeks, the department has been working hard to prepare Bloch Park to be the site of this week’s 17-18 state tournament that will host nine teams.

“They are still using it (Bloch Park) to practice right now,” Reece said.

“So getting to it isn’t bad, but we are ready.”

The incoming teams, at least six of which will stay at hotels here in Selma, could have a big impact.

“I think the only two teams that may drive are Thomasville and Montgomery,” said Reece. “And they will all be here a minimum of three days, because no one is eliminated until Saturday. The latest is Monday, so that is great (for Selma).”

One of the main concerns for this week has been the regular rain clouds that have gathered over Selma skies in the late afternoons the past few weeks.

“It can be a stopper,” Reece said. “We have four games Thursday, four Friday, five Saturday, two Sunday and then the championship game Monday morning. There isn’t any room to push a game back if it rains. But thankfully we will only have to fix one field, and we have a great crew to do it.”