The Faribault Lakers and Dundas Dukes will co-host the State Amateur Baseball Tournament  in 2022 and Chaska and Waconia were awarded the bid for 2021 by the MBA Board of Directors at their meeting on Saturday in St. Cloud.  Faribault has not hosted since 1978 and Dundas last saw state action on their field in 2003.  Waconia has never hosted and Chaska last co-hosted with Shakopee in 2008.

Laker Manager Charlie Lechtenberg was thrilled for the news and knows a lot more work is going to go into the ballpark over the next couple years.  The city approved $233,000 worth of work to make the grandstand handicapped accessible and other upgrades have occurred.  Coach Lechtenberg told KDHL, this fall new outfield fencing will be erected.  Faribault was turned down by the MBA two years ago when they bid.

Hosting a State Tournament takes a lot of volunteers. From food sales workers and ticket takers to a grounds crew to prepare the field each game.  Lechtenberg is confident community members will step forward to make it a big success and hopefully Faribault won't have to wait another nearly 45 years to host.

IN 2015 the Dundas Dukes held a $100,000 capital campaign and made renovations to Memorial Park that included an overhaul of the grandstand.  The upgrade included new stadium seating and concrete replaced the old timber grandstand.

This year's State Tournament will be held in New Prague, Shakopee and Jordan

The 2019 tournament goes to Delano and Maple Lake and New Ulm will host in 2020.

My somewhat educated guess is Bell Field will look a lot different in a few years than it does now.  It's a beautiful ballpark and I tell young men playing there all the time to appreciate it because not everyone gets to play in such a nice facility.  The upgrades are needed and like Coach Lechtenberg I'm confident the communities of Faribault and Dundas will be great co-hosts in 2022.

I hope to be there.

Bell Field View From Behind Mound- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Bell Field View From Behind Mound- photo by Gordy Kosfeld
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