LYNN — Memorial Day weekend will mark the return of tournament baseball and softball in Lynn for the first time in a few years, as the John Holland Memorial Softball Tournament makes its return for the 24th year and the Doug Mullins Memorial Baseball Tournament will play in its inaugural year.
The action gets started Friday at Fraser Field, with the Mullins Tournament featuring four tournament-bound teams in Lynn Classical (14-4), Lynn English (12-6), St. Mary’s (10-8) and Swampscott (12-6). The tournament — named for the late English baseball coach who died of Osteosarcoma in October 2020 at the age of 34 — will begin with the Classical-St. Mary’s matchup at 4 p.m. before English and Swampscott meet in the nightcap at 7 p.m. The action continues Saturday, with the consolation game at 1 p.m. and the championship game at 4 p.m.
There will be a $5 admission fee per day for the tournament, with all proceeds going toward a scholarship for a graduating senior from each participating school.
As far as the Holland Tournament — named for the founder of Lynn Babe Ruth softball who died from cancer in 1996 at the age of 49 — the action there will feature the same four teams, but the games will begin on Saturday at Breed Middle School. Classical and St. Mary’s will meet in a battle of tournament-bound squads at 4 p.m., while English and Swampscott — both of which need big showings to earn a playoff bid — will meet at 6 p.m. The tournament will wrap up Sunday back at Breed, with the consolation game at 11 a.m. and the championship game at 1 p.m.
This will be the first Holland Tournament since 2019 after it was canceled the previous two years due to COVID.
