The weather was not an ally for players at Saturday morning’s “last chance” tryouts for kids wanting to play on one of the Oak Harbor Little League baseball or softball teams this season.

Gray skies, accompanied by blustery winds and occasional rain showers greeted baseball players of all ages at the City Park Little League field and conditions for the softball gals at Victory Square Park weren’t any better.

Bundled up in hooded sweatshirts, knit caps and gloves made trying to hit off the pitching machines at both fields a real challenge — especially when mud-filled dimples made the practice balls fly erratically.

Most of the time the gooey spheres ended up falling short of the plate and nowhere near the strike zone, but all the hitters had their batting helmets on just in case something went wrong with the mechanical machine’s mind and it decided on its own to try and brush a hitter back off the plate.

Kellen Nevane, a 9-year-old minors veteran, appeared to have the best success at City Beach Park, making good contact with a couple of pitches.

Maybe it was because the balls being thrown from the machine were orange in color as opposed to the usual yellow-hued ones, or maybe it was because Nevane has a good batting eye, just like his major league idol, Barry Bonds.

“Barry Bonds is my favorite Big League player,” Nevane said, adjusting his San Francisco Giants cap in the dugout after his turn at the plate. “My favorite position is second base, that’s where I like to play best.”

Austin Bristow, who was also concentrating on his hitting skills, said he played a bunch of different positions in minors last year.

Ichiro is Bristow’s favorite major league player, so maybe he’ll be settling down in centerfield for some Little League team this season.

At Victory Square Park softball players were showcasing their talents for the upcoming draft, among them 10-year-old Kylee Stahlbusch.

“I played last year in Wisconsin,” she said. “My dad is in the Navy and we moved here in August.”

Stahlbusch said she likes to play second base and said she didn’t think she hit as well as she could have that day.

“I did OK,” she said, making a sweeping motion with one arm, “but I could have done better.”

Courtney Fuller was another player who said she didn’t have a favorite position.

“This is my second year playing softball,” the 12-year-old said. “I didn’t play last year, but I played the year before.”

Bayley Brown, who said she is 11 and going to turn 12 soon, is a veteran player.

“I played, let me think, I guess for the past seven seasons,” she said. “I like to pitch and play second base the best of all.”

Fuller summed up the final day of player tryouts in just three words.

“It was exciting,” she said.

The Little League player draft is this week and teams will practice for the remainder of the month. Opening day for Oak Harbor Little League teams is scheduled for after spring break.