Stage set for Legion tourney
Major tournament baseball returns to Ely this week for the second time in three years, as the community gets set to host the American Legion Division II Central Plains Regional.Nearly a year of preparation, thousands of dollars in renovations at Veterans Memorial Field, and countless volunteer hours culminate with this Thursday’s opening pitch - scheduled for 11 a.m. - when the Kansas champion meets the Minnesota runner-up in the opening round of the eight-team double-elimination tournament.Champions from five states - Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin - along with the Minnesota and Wisconsin runners-up and host Ely form the tournament field. Ely meets the North Dakota champion at 8 p.m. Thursday.After hosting the Minnesota Division II State Tournament in 2003, the local baseball committee decided to try an even bigger event this time around. Ely was awarded its regional bid based on the success of several recent tournaments here - the state event two years ago and another in 1999 as well as the 2000 regional.“We’re excited about bringing another great week of baseball to Ely,” said Paul Ivancich, co-chair of the nine-member committee coordinating the event. “The teams are pumped to come up here. The field is in great shape and we’re ready to roll.”Tournament festivities kick off Wednesday as teams check-in at Veterans Memorial Field throughout the afternoon. A tournament banquet follows at 7 p.m. at the Jugoslav National Home (see related story), and the action kicks off on the field Thursday.Four first round games take place the first day, and the tournament runs through the weekend, culminating in Sunday’s 1 p.m. title game.A small, but dedicated, local committee has spent the last several months raising funds, overseeing ballpark improvements, lining up volunteers and doing the rest of the work needed to make this weekend a success.“There are a lot of things that have to go on behind the scenes to make this event a success, everything from reserving rooms for the teams to lining up hosts and workers as well as raising money,” said Ivancich.After state Legion officials accepted Ely’s bid last year, work began almost immediately on securing the $30,000 needed to cover tournament expenses - including all lodging and meal costs for each of the seven visiting teams, tournament umpires and state Legion officials.A raffle fundraiser that included a grand prize of $1,000 is still underway, while a tournament booklet, a second raffle, souvenirs and concessions, and gate admissions this weekend are being counted upon to cover costs and perhaps bring additional funds to be used for the local baseball program.For more tournament information, including game schedules and features, check out the Echo sports section.
