NEW ULM — At their monthly meeting Wednesday night, the New Um Baseball Association Board of Directors voted to bid on the 2023 Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.

The 2023 tournament is the 100th state tournament.

New Ulm would use both Johnson and Mueller Parks and also a third site. That third site has been contacted and the NUBA is waiting for confirmation which should come this weekend and also get the approval of the NUBA Board of Directors.

New Ulm had been the host site for the 2020 state tournament before the New Ulm City Council expressed concerns about COVID-19 and did not allow Johnson and Mueller Parks to be used because of health concerns to the community.

The formal bid date is Friday, April 16 in St. Cloud with the decision coming on Saturday, April 17.

“Some of the materials that we used to get the 2020 state tournament will be used again,” NUBA President Bob Skillings said. “We will update that but the video that we showed last time we will show again — that is an awesome video. I will also try and gather letters of support for the tournament from the community leaders.

“The tournament would be the 100th anniversary of the state tournament so it would be a special year,” Skillings said.

Also, Schell’s Beer is now the official sponsor of the Party Deck located down the first base line at Johnson Park.

“There will also be some new furniture on the party deck and also the patios that we have behind each dugout will also see furniture so they are inviting for fans to enjoy watching games,” Skillings said.

Sunday, June 20 will be the official Grand Opening of Johnson Park when the New Ulm Brewers host Stark at 5 p.m. in a Tomahawk East League game.

A day-long celebration is in the process of being put together.

“We will have a ribbon cutting ceremony and thanks to the New Ulm Area Foundation, we will have a new plaque of Fred Johnson that will be unveiled then,” Skillings said. “We want it to be a festive day for New Ulm baseball.”

The NUBA is also planning a day to honor the late NUBA board member Jess Roiger, who ran the scoreboard for more than 40 years.

And the NUBA Hall of Fame Induction ceremony postponed last year because of COVID-19 is scheduled to take place this summer at a date yet to be decided.

Finally, the New Ulm Brewers released a preliminary non-league schedule of home games that include games against the Minneapolis Cobras. Other non-league home games include Milroy Irish on May 14, Gaylord on May 21, Bird Island on May 26, Waseca on June 1, St. Clair on June 4, Arlington on June 16, St. Peter on June 17, Fairmont on June 18, MacStrength Grizzlies on June 24, Belle Plaine on July 15 and Blue Earth on July 17.

FIELD SET FOR BOTH CLASSICS: The field has been set for both the Junior and Upper Midwest Classics this sumner.

Both tournaments will have 16 teams.

Here are the teams for this year’s tournament.

JUNIOR CLASSIC: Omaha Gross (new), Excelsior (new), Sleepy Eye, Maple Grove, Osseo, Harrisburg, Willmar, Luverne, Hastings, Chaska, Hutchinson, Prior Lake, Mankato No. 1, Mankato No. 2, New Ulm Junior Legion and New Ulm No. 2.

UPPER MIDWEST CLASSIC: Sioux Falls West (new), Plover, Wisconsin (new), Springfield (new), Omaha Gross (new), Harrisburg, LeSueur, Mankato Americans, Mankato Nationals, Waconia, Chaska, Rosetown, Marshall, New Ulm Legion, Sleepy Eye, Forest Lake and Eastview.