North Dakota team set to represent 38th state in MCYSA’s Summer International Champions history

McHenry County Youth Sports Association’s Summer International Championships first caught Brandon Lemer’s attention a couple years ago over social media.

Lemer, the manager of the Bismarck, North Dakota-based Missouri River Naturals 13U team, wanted to provide his team with a few unique tournament experiences each year. After watching from afar how many successful international and national teams competed in the tournament, Lemer knew he needed to get his team into this year’s tournament.

“I just think the whole experience of getting to see other kids, see what’s out there,” Lemer said. “It’s a unique opportunity that I’m glad our kids get the option to have that happen for them.”

[ MCYSA’s Summer International Championships set to return for 31st year ]

The Naturals will represent the 38th state to take part in the tournament since it started in 1993 in Crystal Lake. The second session of the tournament begins Thursday with games played at various parks and fields across McHenry County.

Lemer has made sure the Naturals travel to different tournaments throughout the year since North Dakota baseball teams are more community-based compared to other parts of the country. The Naturals usually compete in one or two larger tournaments during a year and travel out of state seven or eight times. They recently competed in Omaha, Nebraska and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

While Lemer said the Naturals were excited to compete in a new tournament and visit a new part of the country, the international teams piqued his interest the most. The MCYSA will have teams from Brazil and Japan represented, as well as Puerto Rico.

Lemer was excited for his players to see different styles of play from the international teams on and off the field.

“Baseball is more than just the wins and losses,” Lemer said. “It’s the experience and the life lessons you learn in meeting people.”

While MCYSA president John Streit doesn’t actively try to recruit teams from states that haven’t competed in the tournament yet, he was proud to add yet another state to the tournament’s history. Streit has tried to make the tournament attractive to not only teams in the state but around the world as more and more tournaments pop up across the country.

“I just think the whole experience of getting to see other kids, see what’s out there. It’s a unique opportunity that I’m glad our kids get the option to have that happen for them.”

—  Brandon Lemer, Missouri River Naturals 13U manager

Streit believes they’ve found the perfect formula to continuously put on one of the top tournaments.

“I just think we do a really good job of treating the people that come here in a way where they feel special,” Streit said. “We look at all these teams that come as guests and we want them to come back, we want them to have a good opportunity.”

Lemer said the Natural’s families are excited for their trip to McHenry County. While the general plan was for the team to arrive July 16 and stay a week, some families planned to arrive earlier or stay later.

Many families plan to take trips to check out Chicago, while others are excited for the chance to check out local spots in McHenry County.

The MCYSA will be the final tournament for the Naturals, who’ve been playing since March. Lemer thought the MCYSA was a great way for the team to end another strong season.

“I just think it’s a great celebration,” Lemer said. “That we get to bring our boys together to be able to give them unique experiences and a great tournament like this.”

Additional information and schedules for the tournament can be found at mcysasports.org.