North Stars host rival Royals Saturday night

The busy schedule of the Havre North Stars American Legion baseball team has kept the team active all summer long, and things won’t be slowing down anytime soon, as the team will play four more district games this weekend.

Saturday, the North Stars will host a Northern A doubleheader with Fort McLeod at Legion Field in Havre. And Sunday, the North Stars will take to the road for a doubleheader with Vauxhall. Saturday’s home games are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The North Stars are coming off of a 1-3 weekend last week at the Havre Jamboree, as well as a one-game loss to the Great Falls Hawks Tuesday. But with four district games on the line, the North Stars know they will have to play very well, especially against the caliber of talent they will be facing at home, and on the road over the next two days.

Fort McLeod was at the Havre Jamboree, so the North Stars know exactly who they are up against. And while the North Stars have yet to see Vauxhall this year, the game plan will be the same for the entire weekend.

Both Fort McLeod and Vauxhall have talented, and deep rosters. Fort McLeod did lose a couple of top shelf pitchers, but will still be competitive. Vauxhall is a team that made an appearance at the state tournament last season and is expected to perform well there again this year. While pitching hasn’t been a strength for the North Stars this season, it will need to be a strength moving forward, facing two teams that hit the ball very well.

Chris Vukasin is expected to get a start at home Saturday, and helped record the last win for the North Stars. His performance on the mound will be key in any success the North Stars find this weekend. Tyrell Pierce is also expected to get a start against Fort McLeod, and head coach Danny Wirtzberger has stressed just how important it will be to throw strikes.

“We have to throw strikes,” Wirtzberger stated. “And that will hopefully keep us in games, and we also have to make plays behind the pitcher. And when we are up to bat, we are hoping we get a walk, or hoping we get hit, but we need to shift that mentality and want to get a hit.

“We have a pretty good idea of what Fort McLeod is like after seeing them play four games here,” Wirtzberger added, “But we are looking to scout Vauxhall a lot more this weekend. We need to be more familiar with who they are, and what they are looking to do.”

Thurman Holdsclaw has led the team in hitting so far this season, as has Vukasin. But the North Stars need more help across the lineup. Gavin Gunderson, Travis Roth, David Denny, Spencer Ross and Pierce have shown signs of heating up, and this would be a perfect weekend to do so.

Overall, Havre has to put together several complete games if they hope to earn a win this weekend.

Saturday the North Stars will host Fort McLeod at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Legion Field. And Sunday the North Stars will travel to Vauxhall for a doubleheader.