Petoskey baseball set to host Memorial Day Tournament once again
PETOSKEY — A lot of meaning behind holidays can become washed out over time by the days away from work and plans that accompany the long weekend.
The Petoskey baseball team has always had the goal of not letting that happen with Memorial Day.
The Northmen will once again host its annual Memorial Day Baseball Tournament at Turcott Field in Petoskey this weekend, welcoming a local veteran to the park to toss the first pitch, while honoring and remembering what the day and weekend are all about.
“The opportunity as an organization to host an event like this is special and every year is unique,” Petoskey coach Shawn Racignol said. “It’s great timing to pause and show honor and respect to those that have enlisted and, in some cases, given their lives so that we can enjoy the blessings that we have in this country and community.”
It’s actually more than just a weekend or day event for the Northmen each season. Behind the leadership of Racignol, PHS baseball players also take the time to place flags on veteran gravesites at Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey – which they did earlier this week – along with other acts of service.
“From our service project at Greenwood Cemetery, the chance to give back by helping the city out with the memorials downtown, we are thankful; and we simply want to show that by hosting competitive, first class teams that think in a like manner about service,” Racignol added.
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This year’s tournament will feature both Saginaw Heritage and Frankenmuth, along with the host Northmen.
Petoskey will meet Frankenmuth at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 25, a noon game between Heritage and Frankenmuth will then take place, followed then by a Petoskey and Heritage game at 2 p.m. to wrap up the day.
Along with the action on the field, Petoskey will welcome in local veteran Bob Clements to toss out the first pitch in the opening ceremony Saturday morning.
Clements, an Alanson native who had both his sons graduate from Petoskey High School, volunteered his draft card for the Vietnam War in 1970 just after graduating high school, where he spent a year as a combat infantry soldier overseas.
He continues to give back through the area American Legion and continues to be an avid Petoskey and Alanson sports fan.
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Now, Racignol and others are proud to be fans of Clements and so many other veterans.
“These are soldiers that feel a duty to do what others can’t or will not do, and the least we can do is take a moment to recognize them and the time they spent training and defending us,” he said. “It’s not enough, but we are proud to be associated with this opportunity.”
The Northmen this season have compiled a 17-13 record, while Heritage will head in at 11-18 and Frankenmuth, 19-8.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey baseball hosting Memorial Day Tournament once again
