Sir G's Tournament includes record 11 teams

The Sir G's Midsummer Classic, one of northern Minnesota's largest American Legion baseball tournaments, starts Friday at Ely's Veterans Memorial Field with additional games at nearby Soudan.

A tournament-record 11 teams will take part in this year's event, and for the first time in the event's 15-year history it will include a "true"  championship game.

The Sir G's entrants will be divided into two divisions, one featuring five teams and the other with six.  The two division champions will square off for the tournament title on Sunday, July 12 at 3:45 p.m.

Host Ely, winners of three straight, will be joined by Duluth Lakeview, Hermantown and first-time tournament entrants Chatfield and Watertown in the Red Division.  The six-team Blue Division includes defending Eighth District Division II champion International Falls, first-time entrant Stephen-Argyle, as well as Cloquet, Proctor, Taconite and Virginia.

The action begins at 9 a.m. Friday with Virginia meeting Taconite, with Ely battling Chatfield at 8:15 p.m. in the final game of the day.  Friday is also Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital Night at the ballpark, with all hospital employees admitted free and receiving a free ballpark dinner, courtesy of Ely-Bloomenson.

Saturday includes six games in Ely and three more at Soudan, with Sunday's schedule consisting of four games in Ely and two in Soudan.

The full schedule is below

2015 Sir G's Pizza/Ely Legion Midsummer Classic

Friday July 10, Saturday July 11, Sunday July 12

at Ely and Soudan

Red Division Blue Division

Ely        Proctor

Chatfield        Stephen-Argyle

Watertown International Falls

Hermantown Taconite

Duluth Lakeview Cloquet

        Virginia

Friday at Ely at Soudan  

 9:00  a.m. Virginia vs. Taconite

11:15 a.m. Duluth Lakeview vs. Hermantown        

 1:30  p.m. Watertown vs. Hermantown         2:00 p.m. - Int. Falls. vs. Taconite

  3:45 p.m. Proctor vs. Stephen-Argyle       5:15 p.m..  Lakeview vs. Watertown   

  6:00 p.m. Cloquet vs. Int. Falls

  8:15 p.m. Ely vs. Chatfield

Saturday at Ely at Soudan         

  8:30 a.m. Stephen-Argyle vs. Cloquet        

10:45 a.m. Virginia vs. Proctor    

1:00 p.m. Ely vs. Hermantown     11:45 - Cloquet vs. Taconite

 3:15 p.m. Chatfield vs. Watertown       2:00 - Virginia vs. Stephen-Argyle

5:30 p.m. Dul. Lakeview vs. Chatfield       4:15  - Taconite vs. Proctor

7:45 p.m. Ely vs. Watertown

Sunday at Ely at Soudan

 9:00 a.m. Int. Falls vs. Stephen-Argyle   9:30    Chatfield vs. Hermantown

 11:15 a.m.         Proctor vs. Int. Falls        11:45    Cloquet vs. VIrginia

 1:30 p.m. Ely vs. Duluth Lakeview

 3:45 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

*** Ely will be the home team and occupy the third base dugout for all of its games.

Coin flip to determine home team in all other games.

*** Division champion and order of finish to be determined by record. In case of multiple

teams tying, the following criteria will be used:

 1. Least runs allowed; 2. Most runs scored; 3. Draw numbers

*** Championship game will match the two division champions, with one exception. 

If Red Division team has at least one loss and Blue Division has two teams at 4-0, the

two Blue Divison teams will meet for the tournament championship..

In an effort to keep games on schedule, we will adopt the following special tournament

rules: 1. 8-run rule after five innings; 2. Tie game will be called after nine innings;

3. On Friday-Saturday, no pregame infield will be allowed in Ely, except before the first

and last games.