By Matt Brown
Correspondent
The Maple Lake Lakers were off over the Fourth of July long weekend but get back to the action this Wednesday at home against Waverly starting at 7 p.m. then travel to Dassel on Friday, July 12, for a 7 p.m. game against the Saints. League statistics came out for games through July 4 and Hunter Malachek and Ben Clapp made the batting leaders with averages over .300 with a minimum 25 at bats while Malachek was named the team pitching leader with an eye-popping 62 strikeouts in 39 NSL innings pitched (he led the NSL in both categories).
Around the North Star League all teams have between eight and eleven of their sixteen league games played with a line developing between the top seven teams that are within three games of first and the bottom five teams that are at least four and a half games back. The Lakers are currently in the top seven but have games against Dassel and Litchfield, the two teams they are tied with at 6-5. The schedule also includes games against bottom-five Waverly and Howard Lake (away), games critical to get the best seed possible and to keep the Orphans from closing the gap. Teams want to be in the top seven to guarantee a spot in the NSL playoffs and improve their chances of making it to state.
The Lakers host their annual Portside Open at Whispering Pines on Saturday, July 13, with registration starting at 7:15 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8 a.m. For more information contact your favorite Laker or call Riley Decker at (320) 224-0981.