League starts in June, with a Tournament in August
Jaycee Softball Association
The Jaycee Softball Association (JSA) hosts a series of Adult Softball leagues, including Men's, Women's, and Co-ed leagues, with the season running from the middle of June (when little league is completed with their regular season) through the beginning of August. All games are played at Ray Lynch Park at either 6 or 7:30pm, on several nights of the week (depending on numbers). Entry forms are available April 1st each year, and the deadline to sign up is June 1st (subject to change based on the little league schedule). Entry fees are $250 per team, and this entry fee covers entry to the league, 2 Labor Day Rodeo tickets for team sponsors, 4 game balls, and a 50% discount to the Bats & Brews Tournament in August.
*Please click on the JSA poster below for more information about the league. If you would like additional information about the league, please contact Jason Ferris at (406) 596-2633 or jtferris33@gmail.com for more information.
Bats & Brews Softball Tournament and Brewfest
CLICK ON THE "SIGN UP" BUTTON ABOVE TO ACCESS THE ENTRY FORM
At the beginning of August, the Dillon Jaycees host a Co-ed softball tournament alongside the Dillon JCA’s Brewfest. This tournament is not affiliated with the JSA regular season, and is open to anyone interested. The tournament runs Saturday-Sunday (local teams may be asked to play on Friday night), with a minimum of three games guaranteed. Teams can enjoy a variety of local brews from all across Southwest Montana between games. We welcome everyone to come enjoy the Brewfest, and take in some slow pitch softball at beautiful Ray Lynch Park.
*Please click on the Bats & Brews poster below for more information about the tournament. If you would like additional information about the tournament, please contact Jason Ferris at (406) 596-2633 or jtferris33@gmail.com for more information.
History
In the late 1960's, a softball league was started in Dillon, by the Dillon Jaycees. In addition to this softball league, the Jaycees also went to Deer Lodge a few times to play the prisoners at the State Prison. After a couple of seasons, the league was passed over to the City of Dillon Parks and Recreation, where director John Wilkerson ran the league for many years.
In the 1980's, Ray Lynch Park was built, and the Dillon Softball Association (DSA) was formed. JP Plutt ran the league for many years, and the league quickly started to grow, with as many as 16 Men’s teams and 8 Women’s at its largest point. In 1995, the Dillon Jaycees even got to play a fundraising softball game against Tim McGraw and his band.
In 2015, JP wanted to step down from running the league, so Susan (Reese) Valach stepped in to take over. In 2017, the DSA moved to a Co-ed league format instead of separate Men’s and Women’s leagues. However in 2020, the league had to be shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the renovation of Ray Lynch Park started, with games being played at Dillon Middle School in the meantime. In 2022, the softball league went dormant, while Ray Lynch Park was still under construction. However in 2023, the Dillon Jaycees revived the league, now known as the Jaycee Softball Association (JSA). In its first season back, the league consisted of 4 Men’s teams and 4 Co-ed teams.
The Dillon Jaycees hope to continue building the league back up, and help the Beaverhead Little League make Ray Lynch Park into a great location for people of all ages to enjoy baseball and softball.