MITCHELL — Mike and June Wenande have had a front row seat to the Class B state amateur baseball tournament for years. 

The Mitchell couple have volunteered as beer servers for more than 25 years and are stationed at a stand along the third-base side at Cadwell Park. They serve at every game, have become tourney regulars and always greet beer drinkers with their friendly smiles. 

“Everybody thanks you for doing it and appreciates you for being here,” June said. “So that’s what it’s all about, giving back to the kids. The (Mitchell Exchange Club) did a lot for our kids when they were growing up. They got scholarships from them. We are just paying it back.”

They’re among the first workers to arrive, the last to leave each night and will pitch in wherever needed. 

But their dedication to the sport and tournament doesn’t go unnoticed. 

“It’s amazing when this place opens up the reaction is ‘You guys are still here? Do you sleep here? How long have you been doing this?’ ” Mike said. “You just never thought about how long it’s been because I got asked that about 10 times yesterday.”

Mike and June can’t pinpoint the exact year they started working the Class B state amateur baseball tournament. June started serving beer years ago with Les Hildebrandt.  

They sold beer out of a 4X4 foot cooler underneath an orange umbrella, and before Hildebrandt died he had one request for the couple. 

“Right before he passed away he said ‘Make sure you keep this thing going. I want to see it get it bigger and bigger,’ ” June said. “So since then we’ve done that.”

The retired couple simply doesn’t miss the annual 12-day tournament in Mitchell, joking it’s like their vacation working the beer stand. 

“We don’t schedule anything in August,” Mike said. “This is it.”

They even squeezed in a quick trip for grandparent duties before this year’s tournament. Their son, Josh, and his wife, Tiffany, gave birth to twins on Sunday, Aug. 4 (Mike’s birthday). They set up their beer stand on Monday, drove to Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday morning to see their new grand kids and were at Cadwell Park for the tourney opener at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“We don’t miss anything,” June said. “In fact, some people have wanted our jobs and we said you are going to have to wait for us to die.”

They’ve fostered many relationships through their years working the tournament. Their kids Josh, Nick and Jenna grew up with several of the current players and also developed friendships with many more during their college years.

“We got to know the parents of those kids because our kids went to Mount Marty,” Mike said. “So the parents of those kids were from everywhere. Lesterville and all around. It’s kind of a reunion for us to see those people.” 

And then there’s Cadwell Park, which the couple speaks highly of and know how perfect it is for the Class B state amateur baseball tournament. In addition to its ideal location for many of the teams and fans, Mike called it a hallowed ball park.

“If you walk in here when there’s nobody around, it’s kind of like walking into church,” Mike said. “It’s kind of a sacred place.”

June echoed her husband’s sentiments and called the park “a very special place.” 

“It’s what baseball is all about,” June said. “The field is great. We have good fans and everybody loves to come to Cadwell. They love to play on Cadwell. It’s the best.”