It will be a busy next few weeks and possibly month of July for the Spanish Springs Cal Ripken youth baseball league. The summer all-star season gets underway today and continues through the month with state and regional tournaments.

Spanish Springs will field all-star teams in seven different divisions — 8-and-under, 9-and-under, 10-and-under, 11-and-under with 60-feet bases, 11-and-under with 70-feet bases, 12-and-under with 60-feet bases and 12-and-under with 70-feet bases.

“This is a really busy time for myself and our staff,” Spanish Springs Cal Ripken President Damon O’Connnell said. “The paperwork side of it’s not fun, but seeing the kids out there and playing at the level they are, that’s exciting.”

The 8-and-under Nevada state all-star tournament begins today and runs through Sunday. The event will be hosted by Silver State Cal Ripken in Reno’s North Valleys area.

Spanish Springs, Silver State and Fallon will all field teams in the tournament.

The 9-and-under, 10-and-under and 11 and 12’s with 70-feet bases begin their Nevada state all-star tournaments July 8. Spanish Springs Cal Ripken will host the 9-and-under tournament as well as the 12-70s.

Sun Valley Cal Ripken originally was set to host the 10-and-unders and and 11-70s, but those tournament have fallen to the responsibility of Spanish Springs now as well.

In two weeks, Fallon the Cal Ripken Association will host the 11 and 12-60s.

The Spanish Springs all-star teams have become northern Nevada powers over the past three years, winning numerous state tournaments and advancing into western states regional play. If the local teams do advance into regional play, those tournaments begin the final week of July.

“I think the fact that our kids at the majors level are playing with longer pitching, longer bases and leading off, it’s more of a good baseball than Little League is,” O’Connell said. “I think people are comfortable out here. It’s pretty family friendly.”