Baseball and softball are a strong tradition in Hutchinson, which included sharing the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Association Tournament with Dassel in August and September 2005. It was the second state baseball tournament for Hutchinson, with 1994 being the first.

That tradition is generation-wide from tee ball to amateur league baseball and everything in between.

Hutchinson Junior League Baseball, which started in 1993, has seen rapid expansion in recent years, organizing in-house and travel teams for almost 300 kids ages 8 to 15.

The HJLB works closely with the Hutchinson Parks, Recreation and Community Education, which sponsors programs for children in grades 2-9.

The Hutchinson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 906 and the Hutchinson American Legion Post 96 field baseball teams, which run from June to August. The teams play their home games at Veterans Memorial Field and at the field between Hutchinson High School and Middle School. VFW and Legion teams are open to players 15 to 18 years old.

In addition, the HJLB offers traveling teams in Pee Wee Reese for 11- and 12-year-olds, and Sandy Koufax 13- to 14-year-olds team.

The PRCE operates a softball, tee ball and baseball program for kids, K-2, played weekdays from mid-June to the end of July. The girls softball association, in conjunction with the PRCE, offers programs for girls ages 12-18.

There are also traveling softball teams for all ages during the summer, including an 18-or-younger team that made the state tournament last summer.

Huskies baseball
Summer in Hutchinson is not complete without Hutchinson Huskies baseball. The amateur baseball team now plays in the East Division of the North Star League, which includes Delano, Maple Plain, Mound, Loretto and Rockford.

The team returned to the state tournament a season ago, placing second to Dassel-Cokato in Region 8B. The Huskies fell to Mankato in extra innings, but still managed to win 25 games in the season. The team returns a core nucleus of players that should be in the mix for the East Division title and a shot at the state tournament.

Adult softball
Ball games aren’t just for kids. The Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a variety of women’s, men’s and co-recreational softball leagues on fields at Roberts, Tartan and Riverside Parks. Call John McRaith at the Recreation Center at (320) 587-2975, and ask about joining a recreational league.