In most states, slow-pitch softball is mainly played by adults who have passed their athletic prime.

But in Mississippi, the game is still sanctioned by the state’s high school activities association as a fall sport for girls.

Even as the 2007 season gets underway with tonight’s River City Classic jamboree at Warren Central, how long it will remain a state championship sport is unkown.

Earlier this summer, Ennis Proctor, the executive director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, said slow-pitch may not be sanctioned for much longer if the trend continues of schools dropping the sport.

&#8220I would hate to see us lose the slow-pitch game,” said Lucy Young, who has been Warren Central’s coach since the program’s inception more than 30 years ago.

Despite the number of programs dwindling statewide, three of the four high schools in Warren County still offer slow-pitch.

At Warren Central, Young said, she has not seen a dropoff in interest among students for slow-pitch. She said 40 to 45 girls tried out for 24 roster spots on this fall’s team.

While slow-pitch no longer is a competitive sport at most high schools across the country, participation in fast-pitch has reached record levels.

St. Aloysius coach Gene Rogillio, who coaches the Lady Flashes’ slow-pitch team in the fall and the fast-pitch team in the spring, said interest dipped in the slow-pitch game when fast-pitch was introduced. St. Al even dropped slow-pitch for a season before reinstating it three years ago.

&#8220It may be a few years from now, but down the line it’s going to have to be a sport that needs to be looked at to see if there’s enough people playing (at the high school level),” Rogillio said of slow-pitch.

Still, Young and Rogillio both see benefits from slow-pitch. Because more balls are hit into the field, for example, they say players have more chances to improve defensive fundamentals.

&#8220You don’t spend a lot of time working on hitting because there’s not really a whole lot to prepare for,” said Rogillio, who estimates 85 percent of practice time for his slow-pitch team is spent working on defense. &#8220The ball’s coming in there with a loop on it and you just wait until the ball gets there and you tee off on it.”

Today, Warren Central and Vicksburg High will play their first slow-pitch games of 2007 when it hosts the preseason River City Classic.

The Lady Vikes host Port Gibson at 5 p.m. before facing crosstown rival Vicksburg at 6. Port Gibson and Vicksburg play each other in the 7 p.m. nightcap.

Even with the rapid growth of fast-pitch in the state, slow-pitch has found a niche at enough Mississippi high schools to keep the sport alive. And Young hopes it stays that way.

&#8220I hate to see us lose any sport,” Young said. &#8220It doesn’t matter whether it’s a girls sport or a boys sport. I just think, if at all possible, we should figure out the right time to have it and offer it to those that want to play.”

RIVER CITY CLASSIC

Today at Warren Central

5 p.m. – WC vs. Port Gibson

6 p.m. – WC vs. Vicksburg

7 p.m. – Vicksburg vs. Port Gibson

Admission: $4