​Jul. 31—MITCHELL — There’s really only one baseball-minded phrase that comes to mind to describe the inaugural year of the Little Tigers T-Ball program in Mitchell.It was a home run.A sea of youngsters in blue shirts took over at the Cadwell Sports Complex twice a week in July, as some of Mitchell’s youngest ball players got a taste of playing baseball and softball.The Dakota Wesleyan University baseball program partnered with the city of Mitchell to offer Little Tigers T-Ball to boys and girls ages 5-7. More than 100 kids signed up for the twice-a-week, hour-long practices during the month of July.DWU baseball coach Charlie Dubanoski was involved with the organization of the practices. He said the goal was to provide a basic introduction to baseball and softball fundamentals, while emphasizing the fun of the game.”We had stations every night, and we’d have the kids play catch and do infield plays and then hitting off the tee,” Dubanoski said. “It’s been a blast. The kids have really enjoyed it, and the parents have had the chance to have some quality time with their kids on the field, too.”Parents or guardians were required to accompany their child through the stations to help them learn the game or play catch with them. Some DWU baseball players who coach baseball in the summer also volunteered their time to help with the T-ball program, as well.”I think it’s impossible to not smile when you’re out there, seeing all that Tiger blue on the field and playing ball. Just to see all of the smiles on everyone’s faces, it’s a great feeling,” Dubanoski said.The final session of the season was on Wednesday, July 29, and the end of the summer practices was celebrated with freezer pops for the children and a station that replaced the typical tennis balls on the batting tees with water balloons that exploded when the young players completed their swing.The T-ball sessions are part of creating a new umbrella of youth baseball under the city of Mitchell’s recreation programs and with the Palace City Baseball Association, which sponsors the community’s baseball teams for ages 13 and older. In 2025, the city of Mitchell stopped sponsoring youth teams under age 12 because of low participation, instead offering youth camps through DWU baseball and Mitchell High School softball in the summer.Dubanoski said the long-term hope is that the city and PCBA can work together to give youth baseball players from age 8-12 more playing opportunities.”We want to create a path for all families that want to play baseball in that age group, and we’re working on that new concept for the future,” Dubanoski said.