The Bandits exchanged leagues with the Isanti Redbirds for the 2012 season, moving to the Eastern Minny League, joining Hinckley, Princeton, Quamba, Mora, Chisago Lakes and Nowthen.
The Rum River Bandits were welcomed into the Metro Minny League for the 2007 season after an attempt to join the Eastern Minny League failed due to opposition led by the Isanti Redbirds, with the support of Cambridge-Isanti High School coach (yup). The Bandits were formed due to the number of ballplayers in the North Branch, Cambridge-Isanti, St. Francis, Anoka, Andover, Braham and Rush City area that wanted to play town ball. A local high school baseball coach and a local town team manager helped to convince others ("You're going to kill the legion and VFW program" (huh?) "There's not enough money in the area to support the team (huh?)";" the extra wear and tear on the field will be too much! (huh?)" - You couldn't make this stuff up, could you! . Coach Koplitz indicated "All we want to do is to provide another opportunity for those kids who have given so much to the school program and just want to play ball and have fun! More young men playing baseball can only help the entire program, not hinder it!" Bandits home games are now played at Sandquist Park, a mile north of Cub and Target in Cambridge. A couple games will be played at Larson Field, the high school ballfield in town.
The Bandits also work to improve local baseball. Scoring the baseball tryouts for the CICB and conducting clinics has been a great partnership. Improvements at the new city field at Sandquist Park include tarps, signage, a portable scoreboard, fence topping around the entire field and field work. The Bandits have donated a variety of field equipment to the school and city programs, including pitchers mound and batters box tarps, batters box template, field chalker, field line painter, brooms, rakes, and hours of field work.
Contact Tom Koplitz (t_koplitz@hotmail.com) for more information, play for the Bandits or become a booster! Donations welcome!
