Twin Cities Stand Tall as New Site for the 2024 Northern Champs

May 1, 2024

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

A new tournament site, a Hall of Fame induction, and nearly a dozen championship games highlighted the 2024 SSUSA Northern Championship played in late April and early May.

Thirty-one teams entered the April 30 through May 5 event, which moved this year to the Sand Creek Athletic Complex in the Minneapolis suburb of Coon Rapids, Minn. Teams from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and even one from Arizona arrived to battle a slew of talented Minnesota teams.

“Twin Cities Gateway did an incredible job in hosting their first Northern Championship, with excellent work done from the field crews in preparation for the games each day of play,” Director Mike Hula said.

One highlight was the Tuesday induction of longtime senior player Lon Stole, 74, into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame. Don Bowman, who led the induction ceremony at the fields, said that Stole has played on at least 14 senior softball world championship teams and earned all-tournament or all-world awards in most if not all those events. Stole often bats lead-off while also excelling defensively.

Lon Stole (right) accepting his National Senior Softball Hall of Fame Plaque with Tournament Director, Mike Hula (left).

“Lon is a quiet, unassuming guy that leads by example,” Bowman said. “He has an unbelievable on-base percentage and batting average.”

An Iowa native, Stole currently plays outfield for the 70+ Major Minnesota River Bats. Fittingly, his team won the Northern Championship title after his induction.

Overall, 11 teams earned berths to the 2025 Tournament of Champions in Polk County, Florida, by winning their divisions. Rain prevented some of the older divisions from completing their brackets, so tournament officials awarded titles based on standings at the point games were canceled.

Results:

Men’s 50+ Major: Top-seeded Ductech/Stagecoach of Minnesota (photo below) averaged 20 runs per game and capped a 4-2 tournament with a 26-21 title game victory over the third-seeded Chi-Town Ballers of Illinois. The Iowa Demons finished third.

Men’s 50+ AAA: Playing a best-of-three format, Minnesota 50 Core (photo below) defeated Mayslack’s 50s of Minnesota 14-5, 22-23 and 17-5 for the title.

Men’s 55+ AAA: Also playing a best-of-three format, Priority Construction Service/Lumberjacks 55s of Minnesota (photo below) swept the Gray Ghost of Illinois 18-12 and 22-15.

Men’s 60+ Major: The top-seeded Minnesota Merchants took the long route to the title after losing their first bracket game to the Iowa Demons 16-2. After knocking off Minnesota Premier 23-7 in the third-place game, the Merchants defeated the Demons 20-9 in the first championship game. That set up a scintillating “if-needed” title game in which the teams were tied after the first, second and seventh innings. In the bottom of the eighth, the Merchants scored two runs for an 18-17 walk-off win.

Men’s 60+ AAA: This five-team division also featured a close title bout. After fifth-seeded Minnesota Thunder plated five runners in the top of the seventh, the third-seeded Paape Legends of Minnesota (photo below) answered with four runs for a walk-off 22-21 title game victory and an overall 4-1 record. The top-seeded Road Warriors of Arizona finished third.

Men’s 65+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, the undefeated Minnesota Merchants swept the Milwaukee Merchants/Shirts and Logos of Wisconsin 20-4 and 20-5.

Men’s 65+ AAA: The third-seeded Wisconsin Northerners recovered from a 1-2 pool play record to win both of their bracket games, 17-10 and 12-6, which gave them the title when rain washed out the final games. The top-seeded Playmakers of Wisconsin took second, and the Minnesota Road Warriors finished third in the four-team division.

Men’s 70+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, the Minnesota River Bats swept Doctors Care MD of Wisconsin 24-15 and 24-20 for the title and a 3-1 overall record.

Men’s 65/70/75+ Gold: The top-seeded Blizzard, a 70+ AAA team from Minnesota, won its only bracket game 19-13 over Team Minnesota, a 75+ Major team, to claim the title of the rain-shortened bracket and finish 4-0 overall. Team Minnesota took second. The Oshkosh Ambassadors 65 of Wisconsin finished third.

Men’s 70/75+ Silver: Playing a best-of-three format, the Minnesota Masters 75s defeated the Minnesota Lumberjacks 70s 18-12 in their only game. With the remaining games rained out, the Masters were named champions.

Men’s 75-80+ Silver: The Minnesota Lumberjacks 75+ AA team defeated the Minnesota Masters 80s 14-5 and earned the title when rain washed out the remaining games in a best-of-three tournament format.