Lakeville's Got Its First-Ever Town Ball Team
TLDR
Lakeville now has its first-ever Minnesota Baseball Association town ball team — the Lakeville Loonatics
They play in Class A, Section 1 — same league as the Hastings Hawks, Miesville Mudhens, and Dundas Dukes
Home games are at the brand-new Belzer Stadium at Grand Prairie Park (7700 185th St W)
Home opener: Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 PM vs the Northfield Knights
Tickets are $5 cash at the gate, kids under 12 free
This fills a gap left by the Lakeville Lobos, the city's 35+ Federal League team that wrapped up after decades of play
Lakeville has been a baseball town forever. It just never had its own MBA town ball team — until now.
Meet the Lakeville Loonatics, the city's first-ever entry into Minnesota's town ball scene. They're playing their inaugural season this summer at the brand-new Belzer Stadium, and the home opener is Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 PM against the Northfield Knights.
So… what level is this exactly?
Fair question. When you hear "stadium" and "Lakeville pro team," your brain probably goes to minor league ball or something. This isn't that.
The Loonatics play in the Minnesota Baseball Association — the same statewide amateur league that's been around since 1924. It's commonly called town ball. Each team represents a town, and the rosters are stacked with former college players, ex-pros, and local guys who can still rake.
They're in Class A (the top tier of small-town teams) and Section 1, which puts them up against teams you've definitely heard of: the Hastings Hawks, Miesville Mudhens, Dundas Dukes, Cannon Falls Bears, and Rochester Royals. The Loonatics are also in the Classic Cannon Valley American league for regular season play.
Town ball in Minnesota is no joke. The state tournament is a full month-long event every August, and small towns pack their stadiums with a few thousand fans. Fox 9 even does a summer series visiting town ball parks across the state.
This is the kind of baseball where you bring lawn chairs, grab a brat, and yell at the umpire from 30 feet away.
Why Lakeville never had a town ball team — until now
Lakeville's been a hub for youth baseball for decades. Lakeville North and Lakeville South both run strong high school programs. The Lakeville Baseball Association (LBA) sponsors American Legion teams. We had the Lakeville Lobos for years — a 35+ adult team in the Federal League that played out of Steve Michaud Park.
But the Lobos retired from the Federal League last year after a long run, and Lakeville has never had a true MBA town ball team. The reason was simple: no field big enough.
Town ball requires 90-foot bases — full-size, regulation diamonds. Same dimensions you see in high school, college, and the pros. Until recently, Lakeville didn't have a city-owned 90-foot field nice enough to host a town ball team. Local kids who wanted to play town ball had to drive to Webster, Elko New Market, or St. Patrick to suit up.
That all changed when the city built Belzer Stadium.
About the new field
Belzer Stadium sits inside Grand Prairie Park at 7700 185th Street West, between Cedar Avenue and the new Avonlea neighborhoods. It's named after Jeff Belzer's Auto Group, which bought the naming rights through a partnership with the LBA.
The field cost around $4 million, with about $3 million coming from the city's 2021 Park Bond Referendum and another $1 million added on so the LBA could upgrade from a basic field to an actual stadium with a proper grandstand. Without that extra million, Lakeville would've had a field — but not the kind you'd build a town ball program around.
Now the city has four city-owned 90-foot fields total. Enough to host adult leagues, tournaments, high school playoffs, and yes, the brand-new Loonatics. We covered the broader Grand Prairie Park project back when construction was ramping up — the rest of the park (splash pad, pickleball courts, multi-use fields) is opening in phases through 2026.
The 2026 schedule — what to know
The Loonatics open at home on Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 PM against the Northfield Knights. Then they've got a stacked May with two exhibition games against the Prior Lake Jays (May 28) and Red Wing Aces (May 29).
Some games to circle on your calendar:
June 14 — Hastings Hawks come to town for an exhibition (this one's gonna be a rivalry)
June 17 — Cannon Falls Bears at Belzer Stadium
June 26 — Loonatics travel to face the Dundas Dukes
July 12 — Dundas Dukes come to Belzer Stadium
You can see the full Loonatics schedule on the MBA website.
Tickets are $5 at the gate, kids under 12 free.
The Bottom Line
This is a big deal for Lakeville. A town this size — pushing 80,000 people — having no MBA town ball team for this long was kind of weird. Now we've got one, in a brand-new stadium, ready to break in the field for its inaugural season.
If you've never been to a town ball game, the home opener is a perfect way to christen the new ballpark. Bring the kids (under 12 get in free), bring a lawn chair, watch some guys who can actually play baseball compete in front of their hometown crowd. Five bucks to get in.
I'll see ya out there.
FAQ
What level of baseball is this?
Amateur town ball — the top tier of Minnesota's amateur scene. Rosters typically include former college players and ex-pros. It's fast, competitive, and the league has been around for over 100 years.
Where do the Loonatics play?
Belzer Stadium at Grand Prairie Park, 7700 185th Street West, Lakeville.
When's the home opener?
Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 PM vs the Northfield Knights.
How much are tickets?
$5 at the gate, cash only, paid on site. Kids under 12 get in free.
What happened to the Lakeville Lobos?
The Lobos were Lakeville's 35+ Federal League team that played at Steve Michaud Park for decades. They retired from the Federal League last year. The Loonatics aren't a direct replacement — different league, different age range — but they fill the gap of having a Lakeville-based adult team to root for.
