ELY – The American Legion Sir G’s Midsummer Classic baseball tournament kicks off Friday at Veterans Memorial Field. This is the 20th year for one of the premier small-town baseball events in the state.
Ten teams will compete over three days with games played all day here and at Soudan. The field is the third largest in the history of the tournament, according to Ely Head Coach Tom Coombe. The first Sir G’s Classic held in 2002 included six teams.
“Ely is the only Class A high school team in the field. The remaining teams are Class AA or above,” he said.
The tourney field is led by Wadena, which won the 2020 Sir G’s Classic and qualified for the last two Division II state tournaments. Roseau, coached by Ely grad Josh Weckman, St. Paul Highland Park, Hermantown, Cloquet, Virginia, Taconite, Proctor, and International Falls join the Ely Post 248 team in the tourney.
Games start at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, and the schedule includes 11 contests over the first two days at the Ely field. Four more games are scheduled at Veterans Field for Sunday. Soudan will host four games on Saturday, and another on Sunday.
“We are off to a 7-4 start so far this summer,” Coombe said, “including Thursday night’s 10-0 win over Eveleth.”
Zach Cheney, a North Woods grad who is bound for Vermilion Community College, went four-for-four with five RBIs in the win over Eveleth last week. “Zach is hitting a team-high .442 with 12 RBIs,” Coombe said.
Other top hitters so far this season include Joey Bianco (.423), Mason Davis (.378), Eddie Prijatel (.375) and Will Davies (.368).
Bryce Longwell, Dalton Schreffler and Andrew Zika all have two wins each on the mound and Harry Simons has the other.
“With Longwell and Schreffler, both college freshmen, age-eligible to return this summer, our pitching staff has been a strength,” Coombe said. “We’ve also benefited from adding key guys from North Woods including Cheney, Zika, Chris Chaulklin and Ben Kruse.”
Daily admission to the Sir G’s Classic is $6, with a tournament pass available for $12.
“This tournament provides a major boost to the Ely economy, bringing in teams and fans who spend two or three nights in area lodging establishments,” Coombe said.
In addition to the Sir G’s Classic, Ely will host the first two rounds of the Eighth District playoffs over the July 17-18 weekend, with teams moving on from there to the Sub-state Tournament at Marble on July 21, 23-25.
Tournament details
Friday-Sunday, July 9-11
Games in Ely and Soudan
Teams: Ely,
Wadena,
St. Paul Highland Park, Virginia, Hermantown, International Falls, Roseau, Cloquet, Proctor, and Taconite.
Schedule
Friday at Ely
10:30 a.m.-Virginia vs. Hermantown
12:45 p.m.-Cloquet vs. Taconite
3 p.m.-Taconite vs. Roseau
5:15 p.m.-Proctor vs. Wadena
7:30 p.m.-Ely vs. St. Paul Highland Park

Saturday at Ely
8:30 a.m.-Proctor vs. Roseau
10:45 a.m.-International Falls at St. Paul Highland Park
1 p.m.-Wadena vs. Virginia
3:15 p.m.-Ely vs. Roseau
5:30 p.m.-Hermantown vs. Wadena
7:45 p.m.-Ely vs. Cloquet
Saturday at Soudan
10 a.m.-Hermantown vs. Taconite
12:15 p.m.-Taconite vs. Proctor
2:30 p.m.-Cloquet vs. International Falls
4:45 p.m.-Virginia vs. St. Paul Highland Park

Sunday at Ely
9:30 a.m.-St. Paul Highland Park vs. Hermantown
11:45 a.m.-Roseau vs. Wadena
2 p.m.-Virginia vs. Cloquet
4:15 p.m.- Ely vs. International Falls

Sunday at Soudan
Noon-Proctor vs. International Falls

Tournament notes
• Ely will be the home team and occupy the third-base dugout for all its games. Coin flip to determine home team in all other games.
• Sunday’s schedule may be altered, if feasible and with consent of participating teams, to allow for a “true” championship game (two 3-0 teams, or a 3-0 vs. a 2-1).
• In an effort to keep games on schedule, officials will adopt the following special tournament rules:
eight-run rule after five innings; a tie game will be called after nine innings; in extra innings, each team will start with a runner on 2nd base (player who made last out previous inning).
• On Saturday, no pregame infield will be allowed in Ely, except before the first
and last games; officials reserve the right to cancel pregame infield at other times in case the schedule gets backed up.