The Mora Blue Devils and Sartell Stone Poneys faced the tragedy of losing a loved one to suicide and have sought to raise mental health awareness and promote suicide prevention.
Blue Devils manager Jayson Pautzke and his wife, Michelle, lost their daughter, Jayden, in 2023 while the Stone Poneys lost pitcher Reece Johnson later that year. The teams came together in 2024 to host their first Mental Health Awareness Day and continued the game in 2025. Now, both teams have called upon the rest of the state to take part in Mental Health Awareness Day for the 2026 season.
The teams have invited teams across the Minnesota Baseball Association to schedule a game on Saturday, May 9 dedicated to raising mental health awareness.
The Pautzkes and Sartell manager Jeff Amann have worked to put together a playbook for teams to use to host a day dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Teams who participate in the day can hold pre-game events, host organizations dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention, honor those who have died from suicide and recognize those who have struggled with mental health, and help fundraise for mental health organizations.
Organizations like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, NAMI Minnesota, Sophie’s Squad, 2B Continued and I’m Glad You Stayed Project can be shared and invited to the day to provide information and resources. Other ways teams can help support include holding 50/50 raffles, silent auctions and accept donations for mental health groups. Last year, Sartell and Mora raised $1,000 and donated the proceeds to Sophie’s Squad and H.O.P.E. Community Mora.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults in Minnesota. The Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Townball Day is designed to break the silence on mental health, reduce the stigma and build a culture of compassion on and off the field.
Anyone interested in scheduling a Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Townball Day game can contact Jeff Amann at amannj14@gmail.com or Jayson and Michelle Pautzke at jpautzke@moraschools.org.
