Organized Baseball Returns To Saginaw

SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) — Organized baseball is coming to an east-central Michigan city for the first time since 1951.

Corky Thompson has bought the franchise rights to the Lorain County Ironmen of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. The baseball coach will bring the team to Saginaw and rename it the Saginaw Sugar Beets in 2018.

The league is sanctioned and supported by Major League Baseball with prospects who are primarily NCAA Division I players. The Sugar Beets will play in the Northern Division.

Thompson says the league is similar to other summer wood-bat leagues except with younger players.

Thompson will announce the home field for the Sugar Beets next week. The team's opening day is June 5.

The last organized baseball team to play in Saginaw was the Saginaw Jacks in the Central League 66 years ago.

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