By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Just ask Ray Kinsella and he can attest—if you build it they will come. 

Of course Kinsella was a fictional character in the 1980s classic “The Field of Dreams,” but there is no fantasizing the resurgence of baseball in the Henning community since the expansive remodeling project at Tony Kawlewski Field in Henning a few years ago. After hosting Midwest Plains Regional Babe Ruth Tournament last year, a statewide summer baseball tournament the year before and hosting a majority of the Otter Tail Central high school baseball games, the Henning baseball field has become a mecca of activity throughout the spring and summer months.

Now the community can add the title of hosting an amateur baseball team once again as the Henning North Stars will call Tony Kawlewski Field home this summer. It has been several years since the Henning Giants folded due to low numbers, but Stephen Lindberg is hoping a new team made up of local players can bring town team baseball back to the community.

“I decided I wanted to start my own team,” said Lindberg, who lives in Ottertail but had played baseball for the Vergas Loons over the past few seasons. “I always kind of wanted to have my own team and it just sort of worked out.”

After looking to start a team near his home in Ottertail, Lindberg began exploring the possibility of starting a town team in Henning, which would allow the team to play under the lights on a field that is special to his family.

“Another reason I chose Henning is because I thought it’d be cool to play on the field that was named after my great uncle (Tony Kawlewski) and keep baseball the family tradition,” he said. 

The Henning North Stars will play in the Hi-10 Conference with the likes of New York Mills, Deer Creek, Bluffton, Perham, Clarissa and Vergas. 

Lindberg has a roster of 15 people who are primarily from the Henning, Battle Lake and Ottertail area. The team will play its opening three games of the season the road, before hosting Clarissa on Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m. in Henning. 

As far as the new team name, Lindberg said he was unsure what to call the new team until the recently opened North Star Gas and Grocery convenience store opened in town late last year. He said the convenience store gave a large donation to the team to allow them to purchase jerseys, and with the name also paying tribute to Minnesota’s nickname of the North Star state, he opted to name the team the Henning North Stars. 

Season schedule

May 5 at Vergas 3 p.m.

May 11 at Staples 1:30 p.m. 

May 17 at Deer Creek 7:30 p.m.

May 19 vs. Clarissa 3 p.m.

May 25 at Fergus Falls 2 p.m.

May 26 at Alexandria 2 p.m.

May 31 vs. Bluffton 7 p.m.

June 1 vs. Vergas 7:30 p.m.

June 8 at Clarissa 7:30 p.m.

June 9 vs. Perham 2 p.m.

June 14 at Dent 7:30 p.m.

June 15 at Urbank 8 p.m.

June 22 vs. Sebeka 7:30 p.m.

June 23 at Bluffton 2 p.m.

June 28 at New York Mills 7:30 p.m.

June 29 vs. Midway 7:30 p.m.

July 3 vs. Dent 7:30 p.m.

July 12 at Perham 7:30 p.m.

July 13 vs. Deer Creek 7:30 p.m.

July 17 vs. Hawley 7 p.m.

July 20 at Nimrod 7:30 p.m.