April 21 is Opening Day
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (March 23, 2018) – Ray Nommensen wants kids to play baseball. Even though registration for Lansing Little League is officially over, he’s willing to take latecomers and get them on a team. “I would take the kids up to Opening Day,” he said. “If they want to play baseball, I want to let them play.”
“But we do have to order jerseys and hats,” he added, so he appreciates it when families sign up as soon as possible.
Making room for more
There are 199 kids in the program this year, down from 225 last year. Nommensen is in the process of forming the teams and getting the managers lined up. He doesn’t like to put more than 12 kids on a team because he wants everyone to have plenty of playing time. Right now he has five teams in the Majors, with openings for a few more 12-year-olds. There are four full teams in the Minors, but with enough interest another team could be added, which would make room for a few more 9–11-year-olds.
The Pee Wee Division (7- and 8-year-olds) has four full teams, but they could expand to five teams of 10 players each, and that would open up a few more slots. “Late sign-ups make us juggle things around,” he laughed, but Nommensen is happy to do the juggling if it means more kids can play.
Lansing Little League also includes Tee Ball for 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds.
Where they play
Most Lansing Little League games are played at the Lansing Sports Complex on Chicago Avenue, though some are played at Lions Stadium (not Lions Park).
Call Ray to enroll: 708-212-6700
Though official registration is over, families who want to enroll their kids can call Ray Nommensen directly: 708-212-6700. The cost for Tee Ball is $150, and the Pee Wee, Minor, and Major Divisions are all $200. That fee includes the player’s jersey and hat, plus 20 raffle tickets that the player can sell for $5 each and keep the money, which amounts to a $100 rebate on the enrollment fee. The raffle tickets are for chances at five cash prizes, ranging from $50 to $300.
Enrollment is limited to Lansing residents and students at Lansing schools.
Opening Day is April 21, and Nommensen is unwilling to mention a cut-off date. “We’ll do what we can do to get them on a team,” he said. “It never hurts to call and see if there’s room.”
