Busy weekend ahead for Northstars

The Havre Northstars finally got to play some baseball on Tuesday night. Yes, the Northstars American Legion doubleheader with Lewistown Tuesday night was not only the season-opening games for Havre, but, they were also the first varsity-level sports to be played in Havre since the District 9C basketball tournament back in February. So, in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, and baseball, Tuesday night's games were a step in the right direction. Now, Havre is ready for more, too. Yes, this weekend at Legion Field will be a busy one. Havre will play Glendive and Gallatin Valley on Saturday night at Legion Field in non-conference games, before battling Glendive and Miles City on Sunday. "Glendive is a team that we haven't played in a few years," Havre head coach Patch Wirtzberger said. "I don't know much about them, but I know their head coach. They're going to be a well-coached bunch and are going to have some experienced ball-players out there, so I know they're going to be a nice team." The Outlaws certainly have a nice team, too. They are perennially one of the top Class A teams in the state, so Saturday's nightcap will be tough. "We played Gallatin Valley last year," Wirtzberger said. "I know they graduated a lot of kids from last year, but they're still going to have some experience coming back, along with a great head coach that's going to keep them on a roll. They're always in the race for the state championship, so I'm excited to see how we stack up against their team." Then on Sunday, Havre will be back on the field in the morning for a rematch against the Blue Devils. After that, Miles City will jump into action and look to give the Northstars another first-time battle in 2020. The Mavericks are a familiar team for the Northstars, as well, as they took each other on in 2019. This time around, Havre and Miles City both have aims to give it their all, with both teams finding similarities in their budding youth on the squads. The Mavericks are another team that the Northstars competed against last year and Wirtzberger is glad another tough club will be up to the plate this early in the season. "We played Miles City last year," Wirtzberger said. "They have a good mix of youth experience and a deep roster, so I think that'll be another great game for us. It's good to see all these experienced teams to give some good experience to our guys to start off the year." This weekend's, which also include the Havre Comets playing tonight, and Sunday morning, will be good, especially since this weekend was to be the official Havre Jamboree. But, it will be good too, for Wirtzberger to see some progress after the Northstars played well, but fell to Lewistown in Tuesday night's double-dip. "We will be working on just fine-tuning some things," Wirtzberger said. "I think we're on the cusp of doing some good things, but there's a lot of youth on this team and they just need more game reps. We'll get there sooner or later, but the more these guys play on the field, the better they'll get." The Northstars take on Glendive Saturday at 5:30 p.m., followed by the game against the Outlaws. On Sunday, the action starts at 9 a.m. with games against Glendive and Miles City. The Northstars are also home to host the Great Falls in a district doubleheader next Wednesday.