Twins set up four high school baseball games for Target Field

The high school baseball season, for the first time since 2009, won't play down to four state championship games in Target Field. Championship Day will be held this year at CHS Field instead.

But eight high school teams will play at Target Field this season, the Twins announced, and the first of those four games is coming Wednesday, when Minneapolis schools Edison and Roosevelt will play after the Twins finish their 12:10 p.m. game against the Chicago White Sox. Because of lingering wintry weather, it will be the first game of the season for each.

Three other Target Field games are scheduled: Alexandria vs. Willmar on April 22; Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Mounds View on April 29; and Minnetonka vs. Wayzata on May 11. That's one matchup of urban schools, one of outstate schools and one each of teams from the Twin Cities' west and east sides.

Each game will be played after the Twins finish an afternoon game.

The games also serve as fundraisers for each school's baseball program. Tickets, also good for admission to that day's Twins game, will be sold through the high schools, and a portion of proceeds will go to the schools.

The flavor of a major league baseball game will be offered, including ceremonial first pitches and use of the public address system and Target Field's new videoboards.

"The Minnesota Twins have long supported the growth of our game at all levels, and we are thrilled to further expand use of our home ballpark and provide these eight schools a chance to compete on a major league diamond this spring," Twins President Dave St. Peter said. "We thank the Minnesota State High School League for their continued partnership, and we cannot wait to welcome the student-athletes, coaches and fans from Edison, Roosevelt, Alexandria, Willmar, Cretin-Derham Hall, Mounds View, Minnetonka and Wayzata high schools to Target Field."

Target Field has been the site of the state championship games since the stadium opened in 2010, except for 2020, when no high school baseball season was played because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The championship games this season will be played June 16 at St. Paul's CHS Field, which opened in 2015 as home of the Class AAA Saints. The Twins will be in the midst of a four-game Target Field series against the Detroit Tigers that day.