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31st annual Minnesota Lions High School All-Star Baseball Tournament was played June 24-25 at Chaska Athletic Park; an old field that reeks of baseball history.

Chisago Lakes High School was represented by Kyle Collins, a senior catcher. Collins played for the North squad, one of 20 players selected for the team. The baseball tournament featured 80 of the best high school seniors in the state. The four teams were the North, South, Metro East and Metro West.

The North team opened the tournament with a win (9-7) over the Metro West team. Saturday, the North lost a close battle (6-5) over the Metro East team that would claim the tourney title. In their final game of the round robin tourney, the North team beat the South 1-0 to claim second place.

Collins played catcher for two of the games and served as designated hitter for the other game. Playing in an All-Star game can be a humbling experience with all the talent surrounding you.

“It was fun to see so many good ballplayers,” Kyle Collins said. “I was a little nervous at first but then relaxed and realized I was there to just have fun. This tournament made me realize how much I love baseball. I met a lot of new friends who quickly became teammates. We all got along great and had a ton of fun; especially beating the Metro West team. The games were fun, the pitchers throw harder. I have a nice bruise on my leg to prove that. Even the outs were hit hard,” he remarked.

“Kyle did a good job down there. He played well and enjoyed every minute of the weekend. It will be an experience he will never forget. The tournament staff treated the kids well. They were well fed and stayed in a nice hotel. They had a great speaker at the banquet who reminded them to thank all the people who helped them get there. I was impressed with how quickly all these kids became friends and how they rooted for each other. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me as they all share a common interest in the game of baseball,” remarked Pat Collins.

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