Mike Hanson stepped onto the diamond at Jack Brown Stadium in early June 2026, not as a player but as the umpire in charge of the North Dakota High School Activities Association’s Class B Baseball State Championship Game.
A Full Circle on the Diamond
Thirty years earlier, Hanson had swung a bat for St. Thomas/Valley in the same tournament, finishing as the starting third baseman in the 1996 championship matchup.
Since then, Hanson has built a reputation as a seasoned official, logging fifteen years of service and presiding over seven NDHSAA Class B Baseball State Tournaments.
The 2026 edition featured a familiar crew: Hanson worked alongside Eric Olson, Pat Adair, Kayl Hamre, Brent Engebretson, and Dean Winczewski, each bringing decades of combined experience to the field.
The tournament, part of a rotating schedule that touches communities from Jamestown to Minot, underscores the association’s reach across the state’s baseball landscape.
For Hanson, the assignment was more than a professional duty; it was a personal milestone that linked his playing legacy with his officiating present, a narrative that resonates with longtime fans of North Dakota baseball.