Staff photo by Fritz Busch Adam Sellner, left, and Haylee Loncorich of Sleepy Eye exchange marriage vows at Stark Ballpark Saturday afternoon. Pastor Scott Richards of Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Gaylord and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Gaylord, performs the marriage.

STARK BALLPARK — Perhaps one of the most unique weddings ever to be performed in the area took place Saturday afternoon when Sleepy Eye natives Adam Sellner and Haylee Loncorich exchanged wedding vows at the Stark ballpark.

It’s a place very familiar to Sellner. His parent’s farm is just down the road and he’s been playing baseball at the field since he could walk.

“It just came to me that of all the Stark ballplayers, I thought I was the one to get married here,” Sellner said. “She (Haylee) said ok, so we ran with it.”

“I love it,” said Haylee’s mother Jeanine.

“It’s kind of fun,” said her father Matt.

“It shows how much Adam loves baseball,” said his father Loren.

“It’s original,” said his mother Heidi.

It was only right that Sellner stood on top of the pitcher’s mound with Haylee and Pastor Scott Richards of Gaylord, who performed the marriage.

After all, Sellner is a pitcher himself, recently drafted by the Minnesota State Amateur Class C Baseball Tournament entrant the Hanska Lakers.

Stark nearly made it to the state tournament this year as a team. Team members wore game jerseys. Wedding guests sat on folding chairs in the infield and in the stands.

Richards compared marriage to baseball in a number of ways.

“Welcome relatives and friends to the opening game of the opening season of the rest of this couple’s lives,” Richards said. “Disciple Paul writes love is patient, love is kind, love never ends. There is no ‘I’ in team. You can’t play baseball alone.”

Richards said love means being patient with others.

“You’ll get lots of opportunities for putting these words to work,” Richards said.

“You’ve got to know your position. You each bring strengths and weaknesses to the team. Be who you are and depend on each other. Lean on each other and play to each other’s strengths.”

Richards told the couple to be patient and kind, show respect and affection.

“Don’t assume how the other is feeling,” he said. “Using these virtues is the key to making the relationship grow. Be attentive, say ‘I love you,’ and keep your head and heart in the game. Don’t lose focus on what you love about each other. There will be errors and distractions. Things will happen that you never anticipated.”

“Forgive, forgive, forgive. It’s the only way we humans can keep relationships strong,” Richards said. “Nobody is perfect. That’s why we need the love of God. He has brought you here to merge. Only He can bring you a deeper love.”

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.