Mitchell awarded 2020 state amateur baseball tourney

Twelve straight days of amateur baseball is coming back to Mitchell’s Cadwell Park in 2020.
The venue was awarded the 2020 state amateur baseball tournament at the recent South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association meeting on Feb. 10.
The 88th annual tournament is Aug. 5-16. The 2019 state tournament, which had been previously announced, will also return to Mitchell after being held in Sioux Falls in 2018. This year’s tournament is Aug. 7-18 at Cadwell Park.
“It was difficult not having it,” state tournament tourney director Jim “Jocko” Johnston, of Mitchell, said. “We missed it, but in the same time it was kind of good for a break. We are glad we got it back for two years instead of the one year.”
Traditionally, Mitchell hosted the tournament two out of every three years, until the previous arrangement to host the tournament at Sioux Falls Stadium was discontinued. Mitchell then hosted the tournament for four straight years, but the SDABA continued to show interest in other sites, leading to Augustana University hosting for the first time in 2018.
“Augustana did a great job for their first time,” SDABA President Dale Weber said. “We had some good crowds over there and everyone seemed well satisfied.”
While the 2019 tournament had previously been committed to Mitchell, the city beat out bids from Vermillion and Huron for the 2020 tournament.
“We just felt it was right to award Mitchell two years in a row, like we historically have done,” Weber said.
When the tournament is hosted in the two cities, the financial structure has historically differed. For example, when Augustana University hosted the tournament in 2018, it pays the SDABA a guaranteed payment from the gate revenue, regardless of how well the tournament draws. In Mitchell, the SDABA pockets the gate receipts and it pays all the expenses of the tournament. The Mitchell Baseball Association receives part of the concession stands and the money generated from the programs. The Exchange Club of Mitchell also runs the state amateur baseball concussion stands and it uses the event as a fundraiser.
“Those are our opportunities to make money and when the area teams win and you draw better, it’s good for the state association because they get a bigger gate,” Johnston said. “It’s good for the Exchange Club and Mitchell Baseball because we get a better concession sale.”
The 2019 tournament will come off the heels of the Class A state Legion tournament, which is July 26-30 at Cadwell Park.
“This year is going to be an interesting year because we have the state legion tournament at the end of July and then we have 10 days off and then we start the 12-day state amateur tournament,” Johnston said. “But we will be ready for it.”
In other amateur baseball news, Kennebec’s Herb Sundall was re-elected secretary/treasurer on a three-year term. Re-appointed commissioners were Parkston’s Bill Ernster (District 5), Pickstown’s Bob Altenburg (at-large) and Chamberlain’s Brock Sundall (District 3).
There will also be a few new teams this season. Hartford/Humboldt will field a second team, which will be separate from the Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks.
Colome/Winner will be a member of the Pony Hills League. It will be separate from the Winner/Colome Pheasants of the Sunshine League. Elk Point will also field a new team this season.