Pittston Township and Jenkins Township will host the biggest events locally when Little League Baseball and Softball turn to their all-star tournament seasons over the next two months.
Once again, Pittston Township will be the site of the Pennsylvania District 16 and District 31 baseball championship doubleheaders in the Major Little League Division. The doubleheader, which will again be televised locally by WQMY, is set for July 10.
Major Little League is the 11-12-year-old division, which advances all-star teams from leagues around the world on the path toward potentially playing in the most famous of Little League International events, the Little League World Series in Williamsport in August.
The East Regional 9-10-year-old softball tournament, the farthest that teams at that age level can advance, will bring champions from multiple states to Jenkins Township July 28-Aug. 4.
District 16 and 31 officials conducted an online “Selection Show” June 4 to unveil the brackets for this year’s tournaments.
Pittston Area is the uncontested champion in 10-11 softball and junior softball and will represent District 16 in the Section 5 Tournament.
Greater Wyoming Area is in the same situation in 10-11 softball for District 31, which it will represent in section play.
West Pittston is the defending District 31 champion in the showcase event, Major Little League Baseball.
Both districts will be split into two pools for Major Baseball.
West Pittston is in Pool B of District 31 while Wyoming/West Wyoming and Exeter are in Pool A.
The tournament opens at 2 p.m. June 24 with Wyoming/West Wyoming playing Back Mountain National at Swoyersville and West Pittston playing Northwest at Harveys Lake.
Wyoming/West Wyoming and West Pittston each get to host doubleheaders June 30. Exeter hosts a July 2 doubleheader.
The top two in each pool advance to the July 5 semifinals to determine the July 10 finalists.
District 16 follows the same format.
Jenkins Township is in Pool A while Pittston Township and Duryea are in Pool B.
The tournament opens June 24, but Greater Pittston teams do not join the action until beginning June 26 when Jenkins Township plays Hanover Area at Plains at 5:45 pm.
Pittston Township and Jenkins Township host doubleheaders June 30. Duryea hosts a doubleheader July 2.
Duryea, Pittston Township, Pittston City and Jenkins Township all have teams entered in the 8-9-10 District 16 Baseball Tournament, which has 10 teams in two pools. It is scheduled for June 25-July 8.
Wyoming/West Wyoming and Exeter are entered in the 8-9-10 District 31 Baseball Tournament. They are among eight teams in two pools for the June 29-July 8 event.
Pittston City, Avoca/Dupont and Pittston Township are part of the 9-10-11 District 16 Baseball Tournament, which is set for July 2-15 with eight teams in two pools.
Pittston Area was the 2016 defending champion in Junior Baseball and Senior Baseball where postseason plans still need to be determined.
Pittston and Wyoming/West Wyoming are in opposite pools for the District 16-31 Major Softball Tournament, which has six teams.
The tournament runs June 17-25. Pittston will host a doubleheader June 19 and Wyoming/West Wyoming will host June 21.
District 16 will have a three-team, double-elimination 8-9-10 Softball Tournament June 25-July 2.
Defending champion Pittston Area will host its first game June 27 against the Mountaintop-Nanticoke winner.