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Five-team Legion Classic starts Friday in Ely

Started more than a decade ago to give Ely’s American Legion baseball team some exposure to competition from outside the area, the Ely Legion Classic has since evolved into one of the top tournaments in northern Minnesota.The 18th annual event, now sponsored by the Ely Chamber of Commerce, kicks off this weekend (June 24-26) and brings top-flight talent from both northern Minnesota and beyond.But while previous Legion Classics have included as many as nine teams, this year’s event is much smaller in size.Longtime tournament mainstay Sartell pulled out of the 2005 tournament to play in a similar event in Omaha, Neb., while Proctor also opted out.Host Ely will be joined by St. Charles, which makes it second consecutive Classic apperance, along with Litchfield, Esko and North Shore.The action begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, with host Ely starting its four-game slate at 8 p.m. against St. Charles. The tournament continues through Sunday (see schedule).In between, players, coaches and fans alike should be treated to some quality baseball in a tournament that has attracted attention from throughout the state. This year’s event features three Division II teams (high school enrollment under 400) in Ely, Esko and St. Charles, and two Division I (enrollment over 400) squads - Litchfield and a North Shore team that features players from Two Harbors and Silver Bay.Ely is shooting for its second straight Classic crown and the hosts have won the tournament three times in the last four years.But Post 248 will have some stiff competition as it goes for another Classic trophy.St. Charles qualified for the State Class AA high school baseball tournament and the southeastern Minnesota town boasts one of the better Division II Legion programs in the state.First-time entrant Esko has many players from a high school team that won 20 games and placed third in Section 7AA.Esko also has a local connection in coaches Tom Zbacnik and Tony DeLeon. Zbacnik is an Ely native while DeLeon was a star football quarterback at Vermilion in the early-1990s.The North Shore team could put together a formidable lineup by combining the talents from Two Harbors and Silver Bay, and Litchfield is a traditional baseball powerhouse in central Minnesota.Ely will be shorthanded for part of the tournament, as standout pitcher Tim Scott will be absent. He’s slated to be at Chaska participating in the Minnesota High School Lions All-Star Series. Scott was one of 80 high school seniors to be selected for the two-day tournament.• Tickets for weekend games are $4 per day, with a weekend pass available for $10.

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