VIDALIA — The culmination of the Concordia Dixie Youth tee ball and machine pitch seasons took place with a trophy presentation for each player Friday evening.

As players eagerly dashed up to the table in the middle of the field that housed the trophies on top, Concordia Dixie Youth Director Mike Bowlin could only chuckle at their enthusiasm.

“For a lot of them, this is their first time to get a trophy,” Bowlin said. “They ran fast to get them. I think if they ran that fast on the bases, they’d be a lot better off.”

Among them, Linous Lance, who played for the Tensas State Bank tee ball team, said he was happy to be rewarded for his play.

“It’s awesome,” Lance said. “I’m going to put it on my dresser.”

Tensas State Bank head coach Melton Pierre said he was glad to help teach a young group of children the basics of playing baseball.

“They play hard and they practice hard,” Pierre said. “This is a chance for them to learn at a really young age. I didn’t play organized ball until I was 8 years old, and this teaches them the bases, how to compete and how to have fun.”

Lance said he learned a lot about baseball playing for Pierre, and there’s one part of the game he enjoys the most.

“They teach you to run the bases,” Lance said. “Hitting is my favorite thing, because I like to run the bases, and I hit the ball hard.”

Pierre also said he was impressed with the new facilities, as the teams played all their games at the new Concordia Parish Recreation District 3 complex.

“Personally, I didn’t have a problem with the old facility, but the fields are so much nicer,” Pierre said. “There ain’t a better field around.”

The complex will host the Louisiana Dixie Youth sub-district 5 tournament June 25-29.