Rainouts may have taken their toll on local youth baseball and softball leagues as they enter the last week of the regular season. Earlier years, however, have been worse.

Elton Reece, director of the Selma Recreation Department, said the past few years have been relatively dry compared to what is expected.

“Normally in the past we average about 10 rainouts a year,” he said. “In the last few years, we have been having about two. So far this year, we have had five. When it really hurts is when we have them on Saturdays.”

That number may increase to six rainouts because the chance for rain today is 70 percent.

Scheduling becomes that much more important, he said.

“We schedule every available time slot we have,” Reece said. “We don’t make up the rainouts. Some teams will play 18 games a season.”

The regular season, Reece said, is important to determine seedings.

“All but about two teams will play in the city tournament at the end of the year,” he said. “And we have the 13- to 14-year-olds and above — the Dixie Boys and Dixie Majors — that move on to the district tournaments.”

While other leagues are winding up, the Cap League will be registering 3- and 4-year-olds at 9 a.m. June 3-5 at the Selma Softball Complex. Reece said the league of little baseballers is geared toward education.

“We’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Reece said. “There’s no scoreboard, no hitting. They just have a cap that shows what team they are on.”

Most of the league’s time will concentrate on the basics.

“We want them to learn to go to first base,” he said. “And we want them to get used to listening to someone beside their parents.”

All Cap League players will practice at 9 a.m. June 8-9 and 11. The schedule of games and practices will be distributed June 11; the season ends July 24.

Anyone with questions about Cap League can call the Selma Recreation Department at 874-2140 or 874-2141.