UPDATE: 9-and-under baseball players sought for Maricopa team

Baseball players who are 9 years old or younger and outstanding among their peers are being sought for the Maricopa Dukes 9U team.

Head coach Marty McDonald said the team, which formed in late July, has a core set of players and needs to fill out the roster with around five more kids. He said the Dukes are a step above Little League level and went undefeated in the Maricopa Little League season.

Tryouts are Jan. 3 at Copper Sky Field 3. Check-in is from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m. Tryouts start at 9:30 a.m. and last about two hours.

There will now also be tryouts in all age divisons: 12U, 11U, 10U, 9U and machine pitch (7/8 year olds).

Coaches are looking for experienced players with a certain level of competence in all aspects of the game – hitting, fielding, running, throwing and attitude.

Practices will also be at Copper Sky, but most games will be in the Phoenix metro area.

“Later we may be playing tournaments in California, Nevada and New Mexico,” McDonald said.

While the players will be coached to excel, they are expected to come with a strong grounding in baseball fundamentals, he said. Families are also expected to have a high level of commitment and enthusiasm.

The Maricopa Dukes Baseball Club is a nonprofit organization.