By kelly Lyell

February 5th, 2008

The Coloradoan

 Major-league pitchers and catchers don't report to spring training for three more weeks. Position players report a week later.

Yet youth baseball and softball players in and around Fort Collins have been training for the past two months for their 2008 seasons.  We've been going at it twice a week since December," said Rich O'Donnell, coach of the 13-and-under Fort Collins Cardinals baseball team. "It's not required, but the kids love it. At every practice, we probably have three-quarters of the kids."

O'Donnell and several other competitive baseball and softball teams are practicing regularly at Edge Sports Center, 4450 Denrose Court. They're hitting in batting cages off machines and live pitching, they're throwing and catching and fielding fly balls and grounders.

The Cardinals, who play at the highest level of youth baseball in the state (Division I) for their age group, will play their first tournament the first weekend of March.

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