Ahh yes, early-June. It’s that time of the year when weekends are spent attending graduation parties, hitting the golf course or making long drives north to the lake. Sometimes all three. Rarely none.

Oh, and there is baseball, too. Lots and lots of baseball.

As I write this on June 9, ballplayers of literally every age and ability level have laced up their spikes commenced the new season with some youth clubs having already competed in multiple weekend competitions throughout the Twin Cites metro area and beyond.

For the three teams at top of the local baseball ladder, the hub of the action this year — and every year — is at Chuck Fuller Field. Tucked away behind a tree-lined maize of small through-streets and wedged into the center of town within Dartts Park, the stadium is home to the Owatonna High School baseball program during the spring and is shared by a trio of teams during the summer, forming a hive of hardball activity throughout a jam-packed stretch beginning in late-May and stretching all the way to early-August.

Basically, if you’re in the mood for some baseball over the next couple months, your first stop should be 429 Mineral Springs Road. Chances are either the Aces, Legion or VFW clubs will be in action.

And each squad has something unique to offer.

So, as we ease into the sizzling — and fleeting — summer season, make sure to carve out some time to catch a ballgame or two. If you’re in the mood for a hotdog and a Coke, bring your wallet. If not, leave it at home. Entrance into these games come at little-to-no cost and there are plenty of cool angles to soak in the action throughout the stadium and surrounding park.

With that said, here is your 2024 Owatonna Summer Baseball Guide.

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OWATONNA ACES

TYPE: Adult amateur

AFFILIATION: Minnesota Baseball Association

REGION-CLASS: 5-C (tier 3 of 3)

LEAGUE: Twin Rivers

MANAGER: Cody Johnson

AGE GROUP: The average age of this year’s team is 24.1 years old

WHAT TO KNOW: The Aces typically play on Wednesday and Sunday evenings…Games are nine innings and players use wooden bats…This year’s team consists of multiple current and former college-level ballplayers and features guys from from each of the three levels of the NCAA (Division I, II and III), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)…Though the vast majority of the players on the current squad graduated from Owatonna High School, the Minnesota Baseball Association does allow clubs to build their rosters from a pool of players within a 35-mile radius from their home field, giving the Aces the opportunity to supplement their depth with ballplayers from Waseca, Hartland, Medford, Blooming Prairie and Ellendale.

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OWATONNA LEGION POST 77

TYPE: American Legion

CLASS-DIVISION: Senior-D1

MANAGER: Tate Cummins

AGE GROUP: 18 and under

WHAT TO KNOW: Of the three highest levels of summer baseball in Owatonna, American Legion can often get lost in the mix since many of the recently-graduated varsity ballplayers who won’t play at the next level often elect to take the summer off, while many of the guys who have signed to play in college are picked up by one of the many adult amateur teams in the area…Despite its inherent challenges, the level of play at this level remains entertaining and consistent…This summer, Owatonna is slated to boast one of its deepest rosters in a number of years as the core of last year’s VFW team that finished second at state will elevate to the Legion program

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OWATONNA VFW POST 3723

TYPE: Veterans of Foreign Wars Baseball

AFFILIATION: District 1

MANAGER: Matt Seykora

AGE GROUP: 15-16 years old

WHAT TO KNOW: Owatonna has emerged as one of the true hotbeds of VFW baseball in southern Minnesota over the last decade or so, qualifying for the state tournament three times in the last seven years and finishing as high as second last summer…The program is one of the few in the entire state that fields two squads, one consisting of incoming freshman and one consisting of incoming sophomores…The two clubs compete in separate regular season schedules with the top 20 players combining to make one unit for the postseason…Owatonna competes in the massive 17-team District 1 field that features a mix of teams hailing from communities within the traditional Big Nine Conference footprint and beyond…Due to the sheer volume of its members, District 1 sends two teams to the annual VFW state tournament with the district champion receiving a opening round favorable draw over the second-place finisher