Baker Field at Bill Taunton Stadium is a
baseball stadium in
Willmar, Minnesota that is home to the
Willmar Stingers
The Willmar Stingers are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league. The Stingers played their inaugural season in 2010. The team plays its home games at Bill Taunton Stadium ...
of the
Northwoods League, a
collegiate summer baseball league.
Bill Taunton Stadium is also home to Willmar High School baseball,
Ridgewater College
Ridgewater College is a public community college in Willmar and Hutchinson, Minnesota
Hutchinson is the largest city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States. It lies along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 14,599 at the ...
baseball, two local
VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as United States Armed Forces, military service members fought in wars, Military campaign, campaigns, ...
teams, and an
American Legion team.
The stadium annually hosts a kickball game between the Willmar Stingers and teachers at nearby Roosevelt Elementary on the last day of school.
In 2010, the stadium hosted the Minnesota State Amateur Baseball Tournament.
The current grandstand was put up in 2005 as part of $1 million in renovations after a tornado wiped out the old grandstand.
Enhancements were made to the ballpark for the 2017 season: a home plate club area featuring tables with swivel seats; a ballpark beach experience with festive games such as bean bags and jenga; a newly created dugout suite for smaller groups; and permanent sun shades and new aluminum barstools with seatbacks in all hospitality suites.
Baker Field at Bill Taunton Stadium is named for two prominent local figures. Bill Taunton was a grocerer, Air Force veteran, community leader, and Big Ten Umpire instrumental in bringing the
American Legion State Tournament to Willmar three times, including 1979, the first full season for this ball field.
Orville Baker was Willmar Parks Superintendent from 1956 until his death in 1977. When the previous ballpark, Hodapp Field, was torn down for a new football stadium, the park board dedicated the new baseball field to his memory.
References
External links
Willmar Stingers- official site
Northwoods League- official site
{{Minnesota-baseball-venue-stub
Baseball venues in Minnesota
Willmar, Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
1979 establishments in Minnesota