June 27, 2025 – West Bend, WI — The premier midseason amateur baseball tournament in Wisconsin is set to kick off its 11th edition this weekend as the Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic returns to West Bend for four days of top-tier competition.
Eleven teams will compete from June 26-29 in Hartford, Kewaskum, Lannon, Menomonee Falls, and West Bend, with the defending champion Hartford Hawks looking to repeat as tournament champions.
The tournament, which began as a vision shared by West Bend Baseball Association Secretary/Land O’ Lakes Baseball League Executive Director Craig Larsen and Kewaskum A’s manager/Rock River Baseball President Jim Ziegler, has grown from a single weekend event into one of the Midwest’s most respected amateur baseball competitions.
“When Jim and I first started talking about this tournament over a decade ago, we wanted to create something special that would bring together Wisconsin’s best amateur teams,” said Larsen. “To see it grow into what it is today, with teams from across the region wanting to participate, is beyond what we ever imagined.”
Tournament History and Evolution
The Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic has weathered its share of growing pains over the past decade. The tournament experienced a unique period where two separate events ran simultaneously, creating opportunities in the amateur baseball community to play two different style tournaments before eventually merging back into the single premier event it is today.
The organizers also attempted to expand beyond baseball with an ambitious “Baseball Fest” concept that included live music and extended festivities. That experiment included some memorable moments, including the late Mike Staral’s famous declaration that “this fest is a dud but at least the beer is cold”—a story that still brings laughter to the West Bend side of the tournament.
This year marks a special milestone as the Classic returns to West Bend’s Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field as the tournament’s centerpiece after extensive field renovations were completed, giving the championship venue a fresh look for this year’s competition and beyond. The upgrades have been years in the making and represent a significant investment in amateur baseball infrastructure by the West Bend Baseball Association and the City of West Bend.
The tournament owes much of its early success to strong municipal support, particularly from former West Bend mayor Kraig Sadownikow, who was an instrumental early supporter when the event was still finding its footing.
“Kraig really believed in what we were trying to build here and gave me in particular a kick in the rear to do it,” Larsen recalled. “Having the city’s backing from the beginning made all the difference in establishing this tournament as something special.”
2025 Competition Preview
The 2025 field features a mix of returning powerhouses and hungry challengers. The Hartford Hawks enter as defending champions after defeating the Appleton Legends 5-0 in last year’s championship game, with Johnny Kelliher taking home MVP honors.
The Kewaskum A’s, managed by tournament co-founder Ziegler, will be looking to reclaim their championship form. The A’s have appeared in three of the last five championship games, winning it all in 2021.
“Every year this tournament gets more competitive,” said Ziegler. “The level of baseball we see here rivals anything in amateur ball. These guys play with passion and pride for their communities, and that makes for incredible baseball.”
Action begins Thursday evening with a doubleheader featuring the Milwaukee Tropics taking on Ziegler’s Kewaskum A’s at West Bend’s Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field, while the Milwaukee Titans face the Hartford Hawks at Hartford’s West Side Park.
The West Bend Spirits will be playing Friday night against the Milwaukee Beavers in a game that will count both for the tournament and for the Land O’ Lakes Baseball League/Suburban Division standings. The Spirits will return Saturday morning to play the Hartford Hawks at 10 a.m. and then the Appleton Legends Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The tournament format has the top four teams advancing to Sunday’s semifinals, with the championship game scheduled for 2 p.m. at Carl M. Kuss Field in West Bend.
Other teams in the field include the Milwaukee Beavers, Sussex Cardinals, West Bend Spirits, Menomonee Falls Lakers, Hustisford Astros, Appleton Legends, and Greenville Stars.
“This tournament represents some of the best amateur baseball in Wisconsin,” Larsen noted. “These players play for love of the game, they represent their communities with pride, and it seemingly brings out their best. That’s what makes this tournament special.”
The Hartford Hawks and Appleton Legends have combined to win four of the last seven championships, while the Sheboygan A’s claimed back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 before choosing not to enter this year’s field.
With perfect weather forecast for the weekend, organizers expect strong crowds at all five venues as Wisconsin’s amateur baseball elite compete for the 2025 championship. Adding to the weekend festivities, West Bend’s Global Fest will be taking place downtown, creating a perfect opportunity for baseball fans to enjoy international cuisine and cultural celebrations between games.