By Rodney Haas 

605 Sports 

MILBANK —  This summer American Legion baseball will be celebrating its centennial and the town of Milbank where legion baseball was born will be the center of attention.  

“They are going to have five tournaments over the course of the summer,” CP Van Delist, department adjutant with the South Dakota American Legion said. “It’s going to be a busy time for them. They are putting in a lot of time and effort into it. I think it’s going to be great.”

In addition to hosting the state Class B Legion tournament in August, the city is also set to host the Commanders Centennial Classic beginning July 11, in which teams from South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa are expected to compete. 

“We are going to have the national americanaism coming out, the national athletic commission chair coming out, the national american legion chair coming out and our national baseball representatives coming out and they are going to host this tournament to showcase 100 years of American Legion Baseball right where it started,” Van Delist said. 

Van Delist added that as part of the celebration, teams will have the choice to either wear the standard American Legion patch or a special centennial patch. He added that teams will also be hosting a game or a tournament to celebrate the centennial . 

“All over the country there are celebrations and commemorations to celebrate,” Van Delist said. “We’re just lucky enough to host a regional tournament outside the normal scope of play.”