SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — Little League said this morning it plans to add a new baseball age division this year in hopes of keeping more children and teens involved in the game.

The pilot program for 12- and 13-year-old players is designed to ease the transition into playing on professional regulation-size fields with pitching distances of 60 feet, 6 inches, and base paths of 90 feet.

Currently, the Little League division mainly for 11- and 12-year-olds is played on a field with a 46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot base paths.

The next level up mainly for 13- and 14-year-olds uses regulation fields.

The new baseball division announced today will use a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths.

Little League will gauge interest in the new division this season.