In just over two weeks, Minnesota’s top small-school American Legion baseball teams will be in Ely.
And they’ll be bringing family, friends and fans.
The community is sure to be abuzz with baseball fever for the Division II State Tournament, set for July 31Aug. 2 at Ely’s historic and recently revamped Veterans Memorial Field.
It’s also a historic event of sorts, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first State Legion Tournament to be held here, in 1975.
The countdown is on to the ballpark’s first state tournament in three years and the festivities begin in earnest Wednesday, July 30, when all eight teams gather for checkin and photos at the ballpark during the afternoon and a banquet in town that night.
About 150 players and coaches are expected to be joined by hundreds of others, including parents and officials, relatives and community members following their respective teams to state and filling the town.
“It’s a major, major event and we’re fortunate to be hosting it again in Ely,” said Tom Coombe, Ely’s American Legion coach and part of a local tournament organizing committee. “The atmosphere at the ballpark should be fantastic, and you’ll be seeing baseball people all over town for four days.”
Local officials say the tournament will provide a sizeable jolt to the local economy, with some business owners comparing a state tournament weekend to Ely’s Blueberry/Art Festival, in terms of traffic.
The event marks the return of big-time baseball to Veterans Memorial Field, a venue for countless tournaments over the last several decades.
Ely last hosted the Division II Legion Tournament in 2019, but the Junior Legion State Tournament was held here three years ago. Division II Legion baseball is for communities with high school enrollments under 400.
Overall, this will be the 11th state Legion tournament to be held in Ely and preparations have been underway for months.
A ballpark facelift
Those have included a major renovation project at the ballpark, coordinated by the Ely Baseball Association and the Ely School District, which owns the facility.
The project was jumpstarted by a $250,000 allocation of state funds, secured in 2024 by State Sen. Grant Hauschild (D) and State Rep. Roger Skraba (R).
Still in the early stages, the project will eventually bring major improvements to the playing surface, as well as a paved pavilion area and viewing deck along the first base side.
Other components include new batting cages, and an array of cosmetic and infrastructure improvements already made, including upgrades to the bathrooms, dugouts and ticket booth.
This project comes on top of earlier work including new outfield windscreen, the creation of a new paved pavilion area complete with tables and high-top chairs on the third base side, new exterior fencing and the construction of a viewing deck at the top of the first base bleachers.
“We’ve had a lot of compliments already, and the improvements have really dressed things up,” said Coombe. “Once the season is over and we move forward, you’re going to see a lot of other improvements that will make this an even more attractive venue for tournaments, and a wonderful place for Ely kids to play ball.”
Field maintenance supervisor Frank Ivancich is coordinating other touch-ups to the field, which have included several improvements to the Tyde Brecke singling twice, scoring twice and knocking in three runs all in the same inning.
Arturo Cameron had two hits and scored twice in the inning and Grant Chittum singled, doubled and had two RBI in the uprising.
Both Drew Johnson and Evan Leeson finished with two hits in the game, while Halbakken tossed a one-hitter with a pair of strikeouts on the way to another pitching victory.
In the second game, Marolt was even more dominant on the hill, throwing his second no-hitter of the summer and fanning 11 batters.
Marolt had plenty of offensive support, with John Warren driving in three runs and Leeson chipping in a two-run single.
Stig Majerus ripped three hits while Drew Johnson and Sean Merriman finished with two. One of Merriman’s hit was a three-bagger. Chittum also contributed a two-run single.
Ely tangles with Blackduck in a Tuesday twinbill in what figures to be the last Junior Legion action until the postseason.
