Posted on June 16, 2013 by CJ Siewert
The MBA Board voted at its June 15 meeting on the future host sites of the annual State Tournament. It was unanimously decided on the following sites and years:
2016 – Hutchinson, Dassel, Litchfield
2017 – Norwood, Green Isle, Hamburg
2018 – Shakopee, New Prague
Of the new tournament venues, three will be hosting their first State Tournament (Litchfield, Green Isle and New Prague). Dassel and Norwood have each hosted once (2005 and 2007, respectfully). Hutchinson has hosted twice, in 1994 and 2005. Hamburg has hosted four times, in 1983, 1988, 1998 and 2007, while Shakopee has the most experience at five times – 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948 and 2008. The 1948 tourney in Shakopee had an attendance of 34,280, which is second most since the State tourney began in 1938.
Chanhassen and Chaska also put in a bid, but received no votes. Chanhassen's field (Storm Red Bird Stadium) was constructed four years ago, while Chaska's Athletic Park has hosted four State tourneys (1955, 1988, 1998 and 2008).
If you haven't already seen it, check out our ballpark road tour from June 15 by clicking this link. Nine town team parks were visited on a back roads tour from Maple Lake to St. Peter. The towns and their fields visited in between were Howard Lake, Winsted, Young America, Norwood, Hamburg, Green Isle and Henderson.