FARMVILLE — The sun was shining and bats were cracking on Saturday, April 5, as the Prince Edward Farmville Youth Association held many games on their Opening Day for baseball and softball.

“With all the snow we have been getting and rain in the forecast for Friday (the day before Opening Day), Mother Nature was very nice to us on Saturday. It was great to see so many people come out to see the kids play. I believe everyone enjoyed themselves,” remarked Bruce Davis, a member-at-large on the PEFYA Sports Board and director of PEFYA baseball.

“What really makes a day like Saturday run so smooth are the volunteers. Without their help, we could not run a program as successful as we do,” Davis added.

PEFYA opens up its spring season with 16 baseball teams, eight softball teams, and a Buddy Ball team. Buddy Ball is an organized baseball team for children with disabilities that runs from ages four to 14. “Buddy Ball has its largest number of players in its two-year history with PEFYA. They have 22 players,” commented Davis.

Teams will play games every Friday and Saturday nights at the Field of Dreams and will also travel to surrounding counties to play throughout their season. PEFYA teams will play against teams from Amelia, Crewe, Blackstone, Buckingham, Charlotte, and Lunenburg during the spring.

PEFYA will also be hosting a few special events this year at the Field of Dreams. They are starting to plan ahead for the “First Runs Against Cancer,” which will be held in June.

Davis went on to say, “Several of our PEFYA family members have been affected by cancer, so this will be our way to give back to them and others in the community.”

PEFYA will also host the District 5 Minor and Majors tournament in July, which will bring 18 teams to Farmville to play in a double-elimination tournament.