ADELANTO — Facing a possible eviction from Stater Bros. Stadium, High Desert Mavericks ownership has upped the ante in its legal battle with the city. The team says the stakes extend to fans, players, charitable organizations, the Adelanto economy and the California League.

After filing a lawsuit Jan. 29 to force arbitration with the city, Main Street California LLC followed up by suing Adelanto for breach of contract last week, court records show. That was the same day that Mavericks General Manager Ben Hemmen appeared at the grand opening of Fat Boyz Grill, Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright's new restaurant in Adelanto, and state Sen. Sharon Runner's aide Rebecca Tennison urged the sides to "get along."

In the Feb. 16 civil filing, attorneys for Main Street California say the ownership is seeking to protect its rights pending arbitration, and is growing increasingly leery as the season's April 7 opening day quickly approaches.

"The Team will be irreparably harmed if the City is permitted to continue sabotaging the upcoming baseball season," the suit read, "while waiting for the Petition to Compel Arbitration to be adjudicated and the arbitration to proceed to conclusion."

Tensions arose when the City Council voted unanimously Jan. 13 to terminate the agreement signed in 2012 with the Mavericks allowing use of the city-owned stadium for $1 per year, claiming that the 3 1/2-year deal violated the state constitution, served no public purpose and was akin to a gift of public funds.

In a report released later that month, the city outlined how it had subsidized $1.8 million for the Mavericks since 2012. Adelanto officials want to rework a new deal they believe will be more balanced and the two sides have recently met in mediation in hopes of finding common ground.

The city didn't offer a comment on the situation Monday.

But while mediation hinted at repairing the rift, the lawsuit filed last week speaks to a contrasting narrative where Mavericks officials suggest that "rather than wait for a judicial ruling on the validity of the Contract, the City is actively taking steps to disrupt the Team's upcoming season in a blatant attempt to force the Team out of the Ballpark."

Attorneys representing the Mavericks say the city physically locked the team out of portions of the ballpark and has made disparaging public statements about the team that have put its upcoming season in doubt, stressing relationships with ticketholders, vendors, sponsors, advertisers and the California League.

The suit also blames the three-day Adelanto Grand Prix in mid-January for significantly damaging the playing field and then alleges the city made no effort to repair it "despite a contractual obligation to do so."

Meanwhile, the team and the city have disputed key points about which side had lapsed in upholding contractual agreements since the contract was signed and which side owes the other money.

Mavericks attorneys argued in last week's legal filing that the potential lockout would hurt what they describe as an average of 100,000 fans per year, as well as the charities to which the team donates and the city's economy that sees an injection of spending by fans and visiting players.

It also could put the 10-team California League in a precarious position and force Mavericks players —"some of them, no doubt, future major leaguers" — to sit out a season, the suit claims, before ultimately coming to the conclusion that the city is allegedly eyeing boosting the selling price of the stadium by parading its other uses and slamming the door on the team.

But while the team has touted "significant sums" it has spent on improving the ballpark's playing field, the city's estimations tell a story of a bleeding asset, including $1.8 million in lost revenue over four years for rent, city staffing charges, cleaning fees, insurance, parking fees, utilities and miscellaneous costs including catering. Additionally, the team's $1 annual lease more significantly came with a provision shifting certain expensive maintenance responsibilities to the team.

Main Street California sought a preliminary injunction against the city Friday, but court records show that a judge held off on making a ruling. The court instead appears willing to wait for the outcome of a status hearing next Monday on the Mavericks' attempt to force arbitration. An unlawful detainer — a legal document necessary to evict a tenant — has also been filed in the Barstow courthouse, according to records.

Shea Johnson may be reached at 760-955-5368 or SJohnson@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DP_Shea.