The Great Lakes Loons will host the 2017 Midwest League All-Star Game, getting the midsummer classic a few years earlier than scheduled.

Next year’s All-Star Game was originally scheduled to be held at Community Field, but the Burlington Bees passed on the opportunity. The league allowed other teams to bid on the event, and the Loons won.

It will be the second time the Midwest League All-Star Game is held at Dow Diamond. The Loons hosted the 2008 game, which was won by the West All-Stars, 5-4 in 10 innings. Many future major-leaguers played in the game, including Kenley Jansen (who was a catcher then), Ben Revere, Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland and Mitch Moreland.

This year’s Midwest League All-Star Game was held at Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The East All-Stars rallied from a 8-1 deficit and eventually beat the West All-Stars 11-10. You can read about that game (and see some of my photos from it) here.