As the summer pushes on, Selma’s youth baseball and softball all-stars continue their push to the state tournaments.

Selma has four all-star teams — three boys baseball and one girls softball — still competing in all-star play and fighting for spots in the state tournament.

Elton Reece, director of the Selma Parks and Recreation Department, said a pair of teams are finishing up play throughout this week.

“Our 9-10 year old boys play tonight (Tuesday) in Billingsley, Alabama, and they’re 2-1 and they’re playing Marbury for the sub-district championship at 6:30 p.m.,” Reece said. “My 12-and-under girls got beat out Saturday, but I’ve got a 15-and-under girls team that is going to Thomasville this Saturday for fast-pitch softball.”

By virtue of making it to the sub-district championship game, Selma’s 9-10-year-old all-stars have already qualified for the district tournament, as the top two teams advance to the tournament at the home field of the south region winner.

Reece said that while some of the teams could not repeat the success of last year, the 9-10 year olds have played well.

“Our Dixie Youth O-Zone, which actually won the district last year and participated in the state tournament up in Center, Alabama, they went 1-2 this year and got beat out in the sub-district tournament in Marbury,” Reece said. “But the 9-10 year olds are doing extremely well.”

Reece said the Dixie Boys and Dixie Majors leagues are also preparing for the next step in competition, with the latter finishing up on Thursday at Bloch Park.

“Our 13-year-old Dixie Boys have already qualified to go to the state tournament, but they’re not playing until July 20,” Reece said. “We’re finishing up the Dixie Majors program Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Bloch Park, and we host that district tournament. We’re having the district tournament between Selma, Butler, and Tuscaloosa, and we host those on July 6 and 7.”

Reece added all-star play is good because it provides competitive play and a reward of sorts for the players for their hard work.

“It gives them another level of competition, playing with a group that’s been selected as the best,” Reece said, “and it gives them an opportunity to travel to different towns, and their parents, too. It’s like a reward to them.”