Rock Ridge will make its first state softball tournament appearance in program history after beating Hermantown 4-0 for the Section 7 3A title on Thursday, May 28.
Four other Northland teams — Sebeka, Red Lake Falls, Esko and Barnum — punched their tickets to state on Thursday. Brainerd sealed the deal Friday morning with a 9-4 win over Bemidji at home after forcing a second match in the Section 8 4A double-elimination bracket Thursday.
While Rock Ridge is still a young program, with the new district opening in 2023, it's been decades since the area advanced a team to the tournament. Virginia made its only appearance in 2001, and Eveleth-Gilbert went to state once, in 1988.
The Wolverines earned the No. 4 seed and will play St. Francis in the first round on Tuesday, June 2.
It hasn't been quite that long since Barnum (7A) played in the state softball tournament, but the Bombers will make their first appearance since their 2010 runner-up season. They'll start off by playing West Lutheran.
Brainerd and Esko (7 2A) are both advancing for the second year in a row. Both teams were eliminated early last season, losing their first two games.
Both will again face an uphill battle this year as the lowest-seed teams. Esko will play Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, and Brainerd will face Forest Lake.
Red Lake Falls (8A) will play in its first tournament since 2024, when the Eagles were consolation champions, and Sebeka (5A) will make its first showing since 2021.
The Trojans drew a tough first-round matchup as the No. 8 seed. They'll play the defending state champions United South Central.
Red Lake Falls and Barnum are the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively. The Eagles will play New York Mills, whom they beat 2-0 in the regular season.
The quarterfinals, semifinals, consolation and third-place games will be played at Caswell Park in Mankato Tuesday through Thursday. The championship games will be Friday at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis.
All games can be streamed with a subscription to NSPN.
