Salem Community Baseball Set to Host Summer Tournaments – Mitchell Republic

SALEM, SD — With baseball season in full swing, the city of Salem is ready to welcome a litany of the best teams from across the state.

Salem is scheduled to host the South Dakota VFW Class B Under-12 Tournament with neighboring Montrose from July 12-14 as well as the Under-10 Tournament the following weekend. Salem will also host the American Legion Class B Baseball Tournament starting Aug. 2.

While hosting three tournaments in four weeks may seem daunting at first, the group that submitted the bid to bring tournament baseball to the city knew that recent improvements to the playing surface and equipment would make Salem an attractive place to host it.

“Because of the improvements that have been made to the facility and the quality of our facility, when we applied, we were recognized as, ‘Yes, this is a good place to host, this is a good place to play,'” said Craig Cheeseman, who has been involved with Salem baseball since 1992.

“We were excited to put our bid forward for a number of reasons,” added Legion baseball coach Jeremy Grady. “We knew what the facilities were going to be and we knew what we were going to do to improve them (this year).”

Both Grady and Cheeseman submitted their bids to host the tournament with the confidence of having a competitive team. As the host, Salem/Montrose/Canova Post 140 is an automatic qualifier for the tournament and the team is 10-4, winning eight of its last nine games.

The last time Salem hosted the state Legion Tournament was in 2015, where improvements were made to enhance the overall fan experience. Projects leading up to the 2015 tournament included the construction of new stands behind home plate, a new concession stand behind the third-base line and new concrete-lined dugouts.

In preparation for this year’s tournaments, a roof was built over the main stand, the fencing around the playing surface was replaced and grass pens were added in the corners of the outfield.

The estimated cost of the recent round of renovations to the field is $130,000. The city of Salem helped fund the projects, but most of the money was raised through the city’s baseball programs and individual donations, creating an atmosphere in which everyone is proud to play a part.

“People realize we have something special here,” Grady said. “It’s a source of pride for everyone (involved) and they want to be a part of it. … The bigger we think, the more people step up to help us.”

Many members of Salem’s baseball teams have contributed in some way to enriching the experience for all participants. People of all ages, including children in the programs and parents who have volunteered to help out on the younger teams, have seen what baseball can bring to the community, giving those currently involved the confidence that the future is in good hands.

“The fathers who are in these programs already have an idea of ​​what’s coming next,” Cheeseman said. “They’re thinking about what the next big thing is going to be.”

Upcoming improvements include upgrading the field’s lighting to improve the nighttime experience, as well as a new parking lot in conjunction with the community center being built beyond the first base dugout. For now, the focus is on maintaining standard field maintenance, such as replacing a patch of turf on the pitcher’s mound.

Ultimately, it represents a tradition for the Salem community, where everyone involved sees their work come full circle every time the amateur Cubs or Post 140 take the field.

“Baseball is a lifelong game,” Cheeseman said. “To be able to be a part of it and be in a community that cares about the game is great. … It’s a lot of work and a lot of time, and we’re going to continue to grow.”

Blake Durham has been a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic since October 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Durham covers a variety of prep and college sports in the area.