DINUBA – Youth baseball will look a little different for Dinubans this year as the city recreational program and the Dinuba Youth Baseball Association join forces to bring the sport to as many people as possible.
Registration for the city’s 2026 baseball season is open now until Feb. 13, and families won’t have to choose between DYBA and the city’s rec league. Instead, DYBA will be incorporating itself into the city league, giving players additional opportunities for development and competition. Brent Morrelli, Dinuba High School baseball coach and DYBA founder, said he hopes this collaboration will give the community a spark and love for the game.
“With pooling all of our resources into one program, I think it’s going to be really good for our community and really good for our sport,” Morrelli said.
DYBA, which for the last few years has operated a Cal Ripken youth program, formed following the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to get kids back into playing, DYBA Board President Michael Jimenez said. Jimenez, who coaches baseball at Washington Intermediate School, said that at the time, those who got it started wanted to make sure they were giving kids an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game.
“We’re just trying to give these kids every opportunity that we as adults saw when we were kids,” Jimenez said.
The association has mostly played at KC Vista Park in Dinuba and occasionally partnered with leagues from neighboring cities. Now, Jimenez explained that instead of operating a league separate from the city, the association will be adding its teams to the city program, increasing the number of players who can compete against each other.
This change will allow the city to adjust its divisions, with age ranges of just two years instead of three. Further, DYBA will host additional, optional practices during the week and a skills development clinic during the normal season for players who want to hone their game.
Morrelli said DYBA had been reaching out to the city for a few years to talk about combining efforts, as having two different leagues led to a watered-down program for both of them. This year, DYBA went to the city with a proposal, and “they were all for it,” Morrelli said.
When Dinuba Parks and Community Services Director Stephanie Hurtado presented the collaboration to the Dinuba City Council on Jan. 13, council members had nothing but positive things to say about the idea.
“I think it’s a great thing, and I’m happy that we’re able to get together and come together on something that works for both; it’s great,” Vice Mayor Benjamin Prado said.
Hurtado said the city estimates that they could have close to 200 kids playing the league, including a few dozen in a tiny tot division composed of 3 and 4 year olds.
When the city’s regular season ends, DYBA also plans to operate an All-Star program as well and see if any players are interested in continuing baseball through a travel team.
Baseball can be a very expensive sport, both Jimenez and Morrelli said, and by combining forces with the city, DYBA hopes to bring down the cost for those who want to participate but maybe don’t have all the resources to do so.
“It’s about giving them the opportunity to fall in love with the sport,” Morrelli said. “Baseball isn’t cheap anymore, and it’s kind of hard for people to spend a lot of money on something that they don’t even know if their kid’s gonna like or not, so if you limit those costs, more people are able to take a chance and give their kid an opportunity to maybe fall in love with something or enjoy something.”
In-person registration for baseball, softball and T-ball is open from Jan. 20 through Feb. 13. Parents can register their children online beginning on Jan. 19. The program costs $50 per child, with $7 off for a family’s second child and $10 off for a third child. Late registration is open from Feb. 16-20 and includes a $5 late fee.
For more information on registration requirements, visit the city of Dinuba’s website or call 559-591-5940.
