The lull is over, let the action begin, and maybe this will help fans keep all the action straight.

As springtime dawns across western Montana, the spring sports seasons are beginning, and will be teeming with softball and baseball games, track and field meets, and tennis and golf matches likely happening somewhere near you this week.

In softball, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks, who opened season play at Sandpoint Saturday (see other story), will be the busiest, heading to Ennis for games with the Mustangs Friday and returning to Thompson Falls to host the Three Forks Wolves Saturday.

The Plains Trotters will open their softball campaign hosting Ennis in a doubleheader, complete with pomp and circumstance, an honor guard for the national anthem and the mayor of Plains throwing the first pitch prior to the games, Saturday.

In baseball, the Noxon Red Devils, now the only high school team in the area after Plains recently canceled its program, will open season play in Columbia Falls Friday. Coach Lucas MacArthur said Sunday he was putting his roster together and would have more detailed information on his new Noxon/Thompson Falls/Plains baseball team next week as the West End officially becomes the center of the local high school baseball universe.

In track and field, most area teams (Superior, St. Regis, Alberton, Hot Springs and Noxon) will compete in a meet at Frenchtown Thursday. Bucking that trend, Thompson Falls teams will be competing in a Ronan meet that day.

Plains track and field teams are planning on participating in the annual ARM Meet in Whitefish Friday.

In Superior, the Cats girls will host a tennis mixer in Superior Friday after opening the season with a pair of road matches last week (see other story).

In prep golf action, Plains will host Thompson Falls for a dual match Thursday and St. Regis and Superior are scheduled to compete in the Darby/Florence Invitational in Hamilton Friday.

There, hopefully that will help fans keep all the action straight for this week. Until then, let the games begin, we will all be watching.