The weather this past weekend on Whidbey Island couldn’t have been much better for Little League baseball tryouts in Oak Harbor and Coupeville.

The sun was shining and there was no wind to hamper baseballs in flight Saturday afternoon at City Beach Park, and the 11- and 12-year-old players were out in force showing off their skills under the watchful eyes of Little League majors coaches.

Many of the 12-year-olds were putting in a little extra effort, knowing this would be the last season for short distances on the base paths and a shorter distance between the pitching rubber and home plate.

Next year, it would be 13-year-old Babe Ruth baseball with major league distances of 90 feet between the bases and 60 feet, 6 inches from the mound to home plate.

Several of the players said they were members of winning teams last year, and were planning on having a repeat performance in the 2008 season.

“I played for the Tigers last year,” said Christian Ororio, one of the 12-year-old players and a student at North Whidbey Middle School. “The team did really good.”

Ororio said he has played Little League baseball for four years, and pitched and played first base for his team last year.

A second player who said he can fill a lot of positions was 11-year-old Clay Doughty, a member

of the Mariners last season.

“My team did good, really good. We didn’t lose a game last year,” he said.

The left-handed Doughty said he is also a pitcher and a first baseman. “I can also play all the outfield positions,” he added.

Rhododendron Park in Coupeville was a bit muddy Sunday afternoon for Central Whidbey Little League majors tryouts. This made the baseballs a little hard to see after a few times bouncing around on the dirt portion of the infield, but getting dirty is half the fun of being a player.

In his fourth season of Little League, 12-year-old Ty Deckowa showed some talent at the shortstop position in tryouts and is sure to be one of the high picks in the upcoming draft.

Deckowa said he attends Coupeville Middle School and played for the Wolves last summer.

“We had a pretty good team. I think I’m going to have a good season this year,” he said.

Ryan Griggs said he has been playing Little League baseball in Coupeville for three years.

“I pitch and play second base, those are my two favorite positions,” he said.

A member of the Blue Jays in the Little League minors division last year, 10-year-old Donovan Sellgren said he is planning on moving up to majors this year.

“I had fun playing last year and the Blue Jays did real good,” he said.

It won’t be too much longer before the ping of metal bats striking baseballs will be heard, and the smell of concession stand hotdogs will be drifting over the fields in both cities as the 2008 Little League baseball season gets underway.