The state’s softball programs turn once again to Kalispell, where 61 teams will travel for this weekend’s Montana girls ASA Junior Olympic fastpitch state tournament, beginning Friday at Kidsports and Conrad complexes. There are 12 teams from the Northwest represented in each of the four divisions: 10-and-under, 12-and-under, 14-and-under and 16-and-under. It is the first time in seven years that Kalispell has hosted the tournament.

However, as when the MHSA state tournament was hosted in town over Memorial Day weekend, the weather may have a say in this weekend’s festivities. A warm, breezy day on Thursday has helped dry out the fields from a cold and wet lead up to the weekend, but rain looms over the forecast on each of the three days the tournament is supposed to run, with a 90 percent chance of showers on Saturday and thunderstorms likely on Saturday night.

“We’re getting on phones and online, checking (the weather) four or five times a day,” tournament director Buckly Isakson said.

“We’ve left a message in the envelopes that we’re giving each coach for each team telling them what we’re going to do if we get into a rain delay and what we’re going to do to get back on track once we get done with the rain delay. We might have to run later, we might have to start earlier. We might have to revamp the whole schedule if we have to. We’ll do whatever we have to do to get it in.”

Isakson said there have been a slew of local businesses and volunteers to help with the tournament this year, with high school students helping to set up temporary fences at Conrad Complex and a few more on hand all weekend to clean up and prepare fields in between games.

“There’s a lot of people in the community that have stepped up,” Isakson said.

Play opens up at 9 a.m. Friday, with a few local teams kicking off the tournament. In the first swath of games in the 10-and-under division, the Polson Little Lakers open play against the (Great Falls) Big Sky Blitz and the Whitefish Snow Ghosts against the Bozeman Stealers, both at 9 a.m. at Kidsports Complex. At 11 a.m., the Kalispell Emeralds play the Missoula Lady Osprey and the Ronan Maidens own a first-round bye, off until 3 p.m. against the winners of a first round game between the Billings Bombers and Belgrade Wolfpack.

In the 12-and-under group, the Polson Purple Wave open at 9 a.m. against the Billings Bombers and at the same time the Kalispell Emeralds play the Belgrade Wolfpack and The (Columbia Falls) C-Town Rebels play the Bitterroot (Florence) Sparks. The (Kalispell) Regulators play the (Great Falls) Big Sky Blitz at 11 a.m. after a first-round bye.

The 14U Mission Valley Velocity open against the Missoula Lady Osprey and the 14U Polson Lakers against the (Great Falls) Electric City Heat, both at 10 a.m. with the 14U Kalispell Regulators playing the Billings Force at 2 p.m. The 16U Polson Purple Rain are the only local team in the oldest division, opening in the second round against the (Helena) Warriors at noon. Games are currently scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, with times varying with the weather.