Teams arrive Wednesday, action begins Thursday in state Legion tourney
Months of preparation and a half-century of history converge this week at Ely’s historic ballpark - Veterans Memorial Field.
Baseball fever is set to take hold in town with the start of the American Legion Division II State Tournament, and this marks the 50th anniversary of the first state Legion tournament to be held in the baseball-rich community.
Teams from all corners of the state will arrive Wednesday for check-in and photos at Veterans Memorial Field, and the action begins Thursday morning on the sprucedup diamond.
About 150 players and coaches, as well as hundreds of parents, relatives and fans will be in town for the threeday event.
A state champion will be crowned by Saturday, Aug. 2, completing another chapter in Ely’s lengthy and rich history of holding major American Legion baseball tournaments.
This marks the 11th time in five decades that a state Legion tournament has been held in Ely, and the first time since 2022.
Organizers are also marking 50 years of history at the ballpark, with a salute to members of the 1975 Ely Legion team that took part in a state tournament that put the ballpark on Minnesota’s baseball map.
“That first state tournament set the stage for some big things to come, from the Legion World Series held here five years later to the many, many tournaments that have been held ever since,” said Tom Coombe, who is on the state board of directors for Legion baseball and is one of the local tournament organizers. “Ely is now looked upon as a baseball destination, and we’re going to celebrate that this week.”
Like previous tournaments held in Ely, this one figures to be an event that fills not only the ballpark but the town.
“It’s a huge, huge event for our community,” said Coombe. “The atmosphere at the ballpark, starting even on Wednesday when the teams arrive, will be special and there will be an air of excitement all weekend. You’ve got players, coaches and fans coming from all over the state. The ballpark will be rocking and the town will be filled up for several days.”
A ballpark that once held the American Legion World Series - and is home to several tournaments and more than 100 games each year - has been primed for the occasion.
A grounds crew headed by Ely High School coach Frank Ivancich is getting the field in excellent condition, and the first of an estimated $250,000 in improvements secured by funding from the Minnesota Legislature - have been made.
Bathrooms have been painted and renovated, dugouts have been improved and fresh paint has been applied to some of the surroundings.
That will lead up to more extensive work that will come after this season and in 2026, including the removal of the first base bleachers, paving and new deck structure on that side of the ballpark, new batting cages and a rehabilitation of the playing surface.
Festivities begin in earnest on Wednesday with teams checking in at the ballpark from 1 to 3 p.m. Tournament committee members and local dignitaries will welcome the teams, who will get on to the grass for team photos.
That evening, they’ll gather at the Miners Dry for the tournament banquet. It starts at 6 p.m. and will include a keynote address from John Anderson, retired head baseball coach at the University of Minnesota and an Iron Range native. Tickets are $30 and will be sold at the door.
Thursday’s 10 a.m. tilt is the first of four quarterfinal games, and all eight teams will gather on the field at 6 p.m. for the tournament opening ceremonies.
That’s part of Veterans Night at the field, with all veterans admitted free and invited to join the teams on the field for the ceremony.
The host Ely team has an automatic bid in the eightteam tournament, which features the top teams from communities with high school enrollments under 400, and will meet the champion from east central Minnesota at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Led by Coombe, who has coached the team since 1994, Ely compiled a 16-5 record thus far and includes numerous players who contributed to an Ely high school team that finished second in Section 7A.
Play continues Friday with two consolation semifinals, a seventh-place game and two championship semifinal matchups.
That leads up to State Championship Saturday presented by Twin Metals Minnesota, with the consolation and third-place games at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., followed by the state title game at 3 p.m. All kids age 12-and-under will be admitted free that day, courtesy of Twin Metals.
The local committee must cover a roughly $50,000 budget that includes lodging for all seven visiting teams and tournament officials.
They’ve lined up several major sponsors, including Twin Metals Minnesota, Zup’s Food Market, G Men, Mesabi Bituminous/Nemanich Trucking and the North American Bear Center.
They’re also offering a pre-tournament special, with tournament passes available for $10 until July 26.
Passes are good for all tournament games and include a chance at numerous prizes including $1,000 cash.
