ESCANABA — From all across the Upper Peninsula and throughout the state and nation, the national Little League tournament season is now officially underway. The world’s biggest youth sports program is making a comeback after not playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan District 10, which is made up of most of the U.P. excepting the north (District 11) and east (District 13), District 10 is the third oldest Little League District in the state.

It began Wednesday with sub-area tournaments and will run through the week to decide the district champions.

The number of all-star teams is down this year due to uncertainty about how Little League was going to handle its resumption.

The regular season was a success in many ways as the number of players increased, ready to hit the fields playing with their friends and just enjoying being outside, according to long-time District Administration Don Howes, who is in his fiftieth year in the Little League program.

In the opening baseball game of the major boys tournament Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Karl Dickson field in Escanaba — the site of this years area and District 10 championship — Escanaba faces Gladstone, with the winner playing today at 6 p.m. against Tri-County, a league of players from Trenary, Chatham and Eben.

The top two teams from the area tournament and the top two teams from the Norway, Iron Mountain and Kingsford area will advance to the district championship this weekend in Escanaba with the winner advancing to the state tournament at Grosse Point.

The 9-10 boys area tournament also begins this week with games in Escanaba with the district championship in Norway. The district winner will go to the state tournament in Norway where all 16 district champions will meet for the Michigan State Championship.

The 9-10 district softball championship is also underway with only two leagues Norway and Escanaba playing for the title and a trip downstate. The District championship is being played at the Lemerand field complex in Escanaba.

In major softball, there are no local teams. Norway, the only major softball team in the district, has been declared the 2021 district champion.