The Wolves are Goldenvale’s 12U travel baseball team, run by Goldenvale Youth Baseball and coached by Dale Merritt, eleven years in the program. Charcoal and gold, white pants, and a wolf on the cap. Twelve boys, ages twelve and under, all of them Goldenvale Middle School kids.
The Roster
Individual portraits from picture day. Miles missed the team photo this year. He has not heard the end of it.
Three pitchers, because 12U pitch-count rules are serious and so is Coach Merritt about them.
Schedule & Results
Final: 17–8 · Pine River Classic champions · league runners-up.
| Date | Opponent | Where | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, May 2 | vs. Pine River | High School diamond | W 3–0 · L 4–6 |
| Saturday, May 9 | at Baxter | Baxter | W 7–1 · W 7–2 |
| Saturday, May 16 | vs. Nisswa | High School diamond | W 6–3 · W 3–1 |
| Saturday, May 23 | Brainerd Lakes Classic — pool play | Brainerd | W 4–3 · L 2–4 |
| Sunday, May 24 | Brainerd Lakes Classic — bracket day | Brainerd | W 6–2 · L 4–5 |
| Saturday, May 30 | at Pequot Lakes | Pequot Lakes | W 7–3 · L 3–6 |
| Saturday, June 6 | vs. Walker | High School diamond | L 4–5 · W 3–0 |
| Saturday, June 13 | at Staples | Staples | W 6–5 · L 2–4 |
| Saturday, June 20 | Pine River Classic — pool play | Pine River | W 6–5 · W 6–5 |
| Sunday, June 21 | Pine River Classic — bracket day | Pine River | W 6–0 · W 2–1 |
| Saturday, June 27 | at Little Falls | Little Falls | W 9–3 · L 1–5 |
| Saturday, July 4 | vs. Crosslake | High School diamond | W 6–4 · W 4–2 |
| Saturday, July 11 | League championship — at Brainerd | Brainerd | L 2–4 |
The Walker game is not discussed.
Home doubleheaders at the High School diamond, first pitch 10:00 a.m. Practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30, on the Middle School field — Fridays when Coach calls it. Rosters, schedule changes, and rainouts go out on the team app, and the big ones run in the Dispatch too.
Paper copies of the schedule are at the Rec Center front desk and taped inside the door at the Griddle & Grind, which is still where you will hear the score first.
Fall Ball
For the boys who cannot put the glove away: fall ball runs from the third Saturday of August until the weather calls it, usually late September. No standings, no trophies, no travel to speak of — the pitching rules relax enough that everyone gets an inning on the mound.
| Date | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 15 | at Nisswa | Nisswa |
| Saturday, August 22 | vs. Pequot Lakes | Middle School field |
| Saturday, August 29 | at Crosslake | Crosslake |
| Saturday, September 5 | vs. Pine River | Middle School field |
| Saturday, September 12 | at Crosslake | Crosslake |
| Saturday, September 19 | vs. Walker | Middle School field |
| Saturday, September 26 | vs. Nisswa | Middle School field |
Games at 10:00 in the morning. A Saturday game slides to Sunday when the midweek RSVPs on the app show a team short of nine and it gets called by Wednesday or Thursday so the parents can plan. When a side cannot make nine even on Sunday, the other town lends a couple of boys, because the point is the game. Practices Tuesday and Thursday on the Middle School field: 5:30 until school starts, 4:00 after the last bell once it does. Play goes ahead in falling snow as long as the field is not covered; Last-minute changes go out on the app. Sign-up sheet at the Rec Center front desk. Nobody keeps score, officially. Unofficially, ask any of them on the drive home.
Wolves Team Store
Caps and shirts, charcoal and gold. Every sale supports Goldenvale Youth Baseball — equipment, field time, and the end-of-season pizza the boys have absolutely earned.
The store is between print runs at the moment. Check back soon, or ask at the Rec Center desk.
Wolves scores, delivered
The Goldenvale Dispatch carries results, schedule changes, and rainouts. The online sign-up form is being repaired — the sheet at the Town Office works fine in the meantime.