Junior League districts, Legion tourney make for busy weekend
The large sign attached to the grandstand at Veterans Memorial Field, the one dubbing Ely as “Baseball Tourney Town USA,” certainly seems appropriate this summer.The Ely baseball complex hosted American Legion and VFW tournaments the last two weekends, and the facility will be a hub of activity again this weekend, as two separate tournaments take place.Friday and Saturday, Ely will host 13-and-14-year-olds from around the region as the Minnesota Fourth District Junior League Playoffs begin.And once the junior teams clear the field, American Legion teams will step right in.Ely’s Midsummer Legion Classic also is set for this weekend, with the tournament moving over to Ely on Sunday after three games Saturday at Soudan.This weekend’s contests are part of one of the busiest summers yet at Veterans Memorial Field.From June 29 through Aug. 1, 60 games were scheduled for the ballpark in a 34-day span. Ely will host the second round of the Junior League districts July 17-18, the Border Area VFW Tournament July 23-25, and the Eighth District Legion Division II Tournament July 30-Aug. 1.It’s the Junior League teams that take center stage this week.The Ely squad, coached by Clarence Jordan, has compiled an impressive 7-4 record thus far, including four wins in a tournament at Grand Rapids last month.The host team is set to meet Deer River in the opening round. Game time is 5:30 p.m.That’s the fourth of five games scheduled in Ely Friday.Five more games take place Saturday and the four remaining teams return to wrap up the tournament July 17-18.The tournament champion advances to state play and will take on the winner of the Duluth district in a best two-of-three series.Meanwhile, Ely’s American Legion team will have three games this weekend as part of the Midsummer Classic.Ely takes on Cloquet at 3:30 Saturday in Soudan, in the second of three games slated for Legion Field.Cloquet takes on Chisholm in the 1 p.m. opener at Soudan, and Virginia squares off with Chisholm at 6 p.m.Sunday’s schedule in Ely starts with Virginia against Cloquet (11 a.m.), with Ely taking the field for the final two games against Virginia (1:30 p.m.) and Chisholm (4 p.m.).
