The times they are a’changing.

Saturday opened my eyes to various aspects of Dixie Youth baseball.

Driving to McComb at 8 a.m. for the 9-year-old district championship game, a realization hit me. I’d never been up that early for my own youth baseball games. And here I was, rolling out of bed at the rooster’s cry to drive an hour to watch a Dixie Youth championship game.

Funny thing is, I loved every minute of it — the atmosphere, the beautiful day before the rain swept through the area, and the fact the umpire threatened to kick-out an unruly fan that was trying to play umpire from the stands.

Youth baseball is different than I remember it, and I’m only 23 years old. Maybe I just wasn’t very good and my parents didn’t have the heart to tell me, but kids today are way more advanced than I ever was — taking bat signals from the third base coach, using pitch signs from the dugout and stepping into swings at the plate.

Heck, there aren’t even any kids out in right field picking up flowers or sitting down.

Their fundamentals are uncanny. They’re all professionals at the age of 9 these days.

It’s only a matter of time before you see the likes of Ole Miss’ Mike Bianco, or Mississippi State’s John Cohen sitting beside you in the stands of a 9-year-olds game, getting a jump on recruiting for the class of 2015.

The idea of recruiting pre-high schoolers isn’t all that new of an idea, actually. Several college basketball coaches have offered kids in middle schools scholarships because of their “potential.” Former Florida quarterback Chirs Leak, who was 14 at the time, was offered a scholarship by Wake Forest before he had even played a down of high school football — now that’s projecting potential.

“That Johnny kid,” Bianco may say to newly anointed Arkansas State coach Mike Raffo, “He’s got star potential. He’s effectively wild”

A few weeks later, after winning his latest Dixie Youth title, Ross may sign his letter of intent in front of friends and family at the local Chuck E. Cheese’s — at the age of 10. Who knows? All I know is every kid has projected potential, and coaches throughout the country are chomping at the bit to be able to capitalize on it.

The Natchez 9-year-olds compare to a more offensively gifted version of the Oakland Athletics — if the A’s players were still just 9 years old.

They can walk, strike out, slug the ball to the wall and score runs. They have good-enough defense, and they’re able to find pitching beyond their ace.

(Note to Michael Lewis, author of “Money Ball” — I’ve found the topic of your next book. Call it “Dixie Ball”, about coach Gary Farmer’s ability to win, win, win with 9-year-olds.)

Kids today have way cooler uniforms than back in the day. Growing up we had generic uniforms and generic hats. Today, these all-star team’s uniforms could be mistaken for professional or collegiate uniforms. I even think Copiah’s All-Star team was sponsored by Under Armor the way their gear looked.

I was waiting for Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville to come storming out of their dugout prior to the game. Click-Clack!

One thing that hasn’t changed throughout the years is parents. They’re still as tough on coaches, officials and players as ever. They can be your toughest critic, or your biggest fan.

Who’s to say how far is too far to push a child playing a sport. I’m certainly not qualified to. But at the age when they’re still learning the game, emphasis should be on having fun — and has been by most of the coaches I’ve observed. You don’t want to run kids off from these sports before they even get a chance.

Although the game itself may not have changed, it seems the road to a Dixie Youth State Championship sure has — for the better or worse.

Patrick Ochs is the sports reporter for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or patrick.ochs@natchezdemocrat.com.