NOTES AND QUOTES for a Monday in the Napa Valley:

April 4 is one of the biggest days of the year for youth sports in Napa.

It’s Opening Day for the Napa Junior Girls Softball League, Napa Little League and Napa Babe Ruth.

Each organization will start the 2009 spring and summer season with festivities that include the introductions of teams, followed by the first regular-season games in the different divisions.

It all begins at 8 a.m. with junior girls softball, a league that expanded its age groups to include 7-year-olds this year. Ceremonies start at 8 a.m. at the NJGSL’s four-field complex, which is located next door to the Napa Premium Outlets off of Freeway Drive. Two players from the Vintage High School softball team will take part in the first pitch. A group from Napa High will be on hand to sing the national anthem.

The NJGSL has 21 teams with players in “A,” “B” and “C” divisions. Ages of the players range from 7 to 13.

“We’re really excited about this year because we have expanded the league to the 7-year-olds,” said Lisa Cole, the league’s president, who played softball for coach Norma Hill at Vintage and coach Robert Maglione at Napa Valley College.

“We’re going to be using a pitching machine with our younger girls in the “C” Division, which is new for us. We’re hoping by expanding that, that it reaches out to these younger girls.

“I’m really thrilled to be working with such a great group of volunteers, parents and coaches.”

The NJGSL’s annual spring fling, a midseason tournament, is April 23-26.

Napa Little League will celebrate its 25th year of baseball at Garfield Park and its 26th year in Napa. The program starts at 9 a.m.

NLL will recognize both board members and the first All-Star team from the 1984 season. The league will also honor Tristan Ruiz, the first girl to play Little League baseball in Napa.

“Twenty-five years later, some of the same people are still here” and involved with the league, said Terri Duban-Orona, a former NLL president, who is coordinating Opening Day as the league’s vice president. “It’s a testament to all of the people through all the years. I have worked with phenomenal people who are very giving of their time.

“A lot of people really put their heart and soul into this.”

High school players from Napa and Vintage, who played in the NLL program, will be part of the program, speaking to the players, coaches, managers, league officials and spectators.

Colby Kelnhofer, who will be playing in the challenger division for the third year, will throw out the first pitch.

NLL has 50 teams and 550 players. There are major, minor “A,” minor “B,” rookie and challenger teams, who play at the complex on Garfield Lane.

The District 53 playoffs follow the regular season.

Napa Babe Ruth opens the season with an Opening Day program that begins at 10 a.m. at Harvest Middle School. Jackie Sullivan, the California District chair for Babe Ruth Baseball, will make a special appearance.

“We’ve got a lot of great coaches and managers — a lot of experience,” said Jean Sicard, the league’s president.

Babe Ruth Baseball uses Harvest Middle School, the Napa and Vintage High varsity fields, the JFK Ballpark at Kennedy Park, and Vichy Elementary School.

The league has a Cal Ripken Division, for players ages 6-8 (rookies), 9-10 (minor) and 11-12 (major). There are also divisions for players ages 13-15 and 16-19.

“We’ve given out a lot of scholarships this year due to hardships,” said Sicard.

Mid-season All-Star games for the 13-15 division and Ripken Divisions are May 2-3. There is also a double-elimination tournament in June.

Napa Babe Ruth will host a 14s age-group District 3 All-Star Tournament during the summer.

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Napa Community Public Access TV-Cable Channel 28 will carry Optimist Youth Basketball games throughout the month of April.

The 12th-grade boys All-Star game (Sundays, 5:30 p.m.), seventh and eighth grade boys championship game (Thursdays at 4 p.m.), high school girls championship game (Fridays at 4 p.m.), middle school girls championship game (Saturdays at noon), and 11th-grade boys All-Star game (Saturdays at 5 p.m.) will be shown.

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In signing Napa High soccer star Max Alvarez to a national letter-of-intent, Cal State Sacramento head coach Michael Linenberger said: “Max is a striker who has proven to be, at both the high school and club levels, a consistent goal scorer. He competed for one of the better club teams in the state and scored big goals in big games for them. We are hoping that he can do it for us right away as a freshman.”

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The latest CIF Sac-Joaquin Section realignment proposal has Rodriguez-Cordelia continuing to play in the Division III Solano County Athletic Conference in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The Mustangs will join the Monticello Empire League for 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The new high school in American Canyon, scheduled to open in 2010, will be in the SCAC.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.