Town’s performance draws rave reviews from fans, teams

Milford Legion Baseball president Cindy Stulac said the 2026 state tournament at Fino Field was everything she could have hoped for, other than the final score of the last game. On the field, Milford won three games and was one of the last two teams standing before falling to Franklin. In the bleachers, the concession stand, the parking lots, and everywhere else, Milford was second to none as a host.

“I got feedback from parents, coaches, everyone, about how impressed they were with what Milford Legion does when it hosts the tournament,” Stulac said. “It was just overwhelming, honestly.”

All summer, Stulac has stressed community involvement. Sponsors do much more than cut a check. They are featured during the first pitch ceremonies and during the games on the radio broadcast. With Milford playing host to six zone champions — Milford won its own zone to play its way into the tournament, so Zone 4 runner up Leominster nabbed a spot in the field as well — the pressure was on to put on a good show; and Stulac said the town did not disappoint. Sponsors brought food and water for players and volunteers and the level of volunteer participation left Stulac “speechless.”

“We had people show up that hadn’t even signed up,” she said. “Three or four people a day came down and said, ‘What can I do to help?’ It was just phenomenal.”

Stulac had high praise for the work of the Post 59 board, and the Parks Department, which showed great attention to detail such as finding blue flowers to match the legion team colors and writing “finals” under “American Legion State Tournament” in the grass behind home plate on the tournament’s last day.

“They made commitments as to what they were going to do to have us ready for states, and they delivered, above and beyond,” Stulac said.

The days were long for Stulac and many of the other key cogs in the wheel. They worked 12-hour days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the tournament’s opening weekend. Stulac admitted to being exhausted, but she received a high compliment from her longtime processor, Chris Morcone. “He said, ‘this feels like the old days,’” Stulac said, “It just warmed my heart.” 

In a town that prides itself on baseball tradition, many attendees said it reminded them of years past in Milford, when the stands in Fino were always full and a palpable excitement gripped the town when the team went on a winning streak. But it was a comment from an away team parent that stood out to Stulac.

“They said, ‘Milford should host every other year, you guys know how to do it right,’” she recounted. 

Fino Field before the state championship game between Milford and Franklin. Photo credit: Cindy Stulac