St. Cloud Chosen For 2024 State High School Baseball Tournaments

(KNSI) – St. Cloud has successfully staved off a challenge from New Ulm for the Class A and AA state baseball tournaments.

The games will once again be played at the Municipal Athletic Complex, with consolation contests in Sartell and Sauk Rapids. Cathedral Activities Director Emmett Keenan says the Minnesota State High School League takes bids from various sites, and the proposals are weighed by the organization’s coaches’ advisory groups.

He says central Minnesota’s location makes the site a natural spot for the smaller schools in the state. “You’ll have teams from the northwest corner, the northeast corner, the southwest, and the southeast corner. When you have someone that might be up north of Duluth, or somebody that might be up north of the East Grand Forks and Grand Forks area, adding 100 miles to go past St. Cloud to go to New Ulm is a big number.”

New Ulm said it could put on the tournaments at a top-notch facility for less cost, using youth baseball teams as volunteers for things like concessions and grounds keeping.

Keenan says this area is more than just location. Hotel space, restaurants, and other amenities, plus great athletic facilities, were also highlighted by staff at the MAC when bidding for the 2024 tournaments.

“One of the other things that we believe we have to offer is that we not only have the great fields at the Municipal Athletic Complex, but St. Cloud Orthopedic Field is going to be recognized in about a week here as the “Field of the Year” by the Minnesota State Baseball Coaches Association.”

Bob Cross Park in Sauk Rapids will host the consolation round in Class A, with St. Cloud Orthopedics Field in Sartell doing the same for AA.

The championship games for all four classes will happen at Target Field, home of the Twins. The quarterfinal through final rounds are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, June 13th, Friday, the 14th, and Monday, the 17th.

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