State Tournament Returns!
This coming August, Delano and Maple Lake will be hosting the 96th Annual State Amateur Town Team Baseball Tournament! Experienced tourney host Dassel will be the third site. Sixteen Class B and forty-eight Class C teams will be vying for the title of State Champion over ten days during three weekends starting on Friday, August 16th. After almost 70 games, the tourney culminates with championship games on Labor Day. Delano and Maple Lake last hosted in 2013. and partly because of that tourney’s success were awarded this prestigious event just six years later.
In 2018, paid tourney attendance was over 17,349. the highest attendance since 1960! When you add league officials, board members, players, media, and volunteers, the actual attendance was estimated to be in the 25,000 range. In recent years, Delano Municipal Baseball Park has hosted the 2016 State American Legion Baseball Tourney, the 2013 State Amateur Town Team Tournament, and a St. Paul Saints game in 2012. The ballpark annually hosts over 100 baseball games for ages 14 to 40+ , along with other events like the 4th of July Ambassador Coronation, Movies in the Park, the Relay for Life opening ceremonies, and even local church services. Delano Municipal Baseball Park has received distinguished honors such as the 2013 State High School Field of the Year, the 2014 Midwest Region Field of the Year, and was a finalist for the 2014 National Field of the Year!
The Delano Athletic Club is a nonprofit community organization that has spearheaded the effort to host the state tourney. The Athletic Club has partnered with the City of Delano and Delano Municipal Utilities to facilitate many ballpark improvements over the last ten years. All revenue from the State Tourney goes right back into Delano parks…this year the money earned is designated to help pay for the new grandstand roof extension and new LED lights.