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Marquette, Houghton area baseball teams look for title as Upper Peninsula’s best

The Marquette County Mavericks’ Preston Hutchens bats against Congress Pizza on July 24 in Gwinn. (Journal photos by Corey Kelly)

MARQUETTE — An inaugural game will be held Saturday afternoon in Houghton County to try to decide the best adult baseball team in the Upper Peninsula.

The Superior National Bank Stanton Wildcats of the Copper Country-based Twilight League will host the Marquette County Mavericks of the Superiorland Baseball League in a nine-inning game at 2:30 p.m. at the Stanton field located near Liminga and about 15 miles west of Houghton.

The Mavericks finished runner-up in the regular season and won the playoff championship of the Superiorland league that was in its inaugural season. The league consisted of five Marquette County teams and Channing, located near the county line in Dickinson County.

Stanton was the top team in the well-entrenched Twilight League that has generally included teams ranging from near Ontonagon to just north of Calumet.

“It’s fitting to play against them,” said Mavericks’ player Preston Hutchens, who has played for a number of other baseball teams, including the Marquette Blues in American Legion ball, Finlandia University, Pat’s Foods of the Twilight League and the Tri-City Northstars of the Wishigan League.

“Just playing up there and knowing the history of the team, that field and the league makes playing there extra special.”

The Stanton field, carved out of the woods in a quiet, rural area, was upgraded before the 2016 season with a new fence, foul poles and batting cage along with a complete field surface upgrade.

The Mavericks include former players from the Marquette Blues, Negaunee Diamonds and Ishpeming Blue Storm in Legion ball; the Negaunee High School Miners; and the Tri-City Northstars ranging in age from 19 to 41.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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