MN SOFTBALL: Red Lake Falls and New York Mills Secure State Tournament Berth
THE CLASS A MSHSL SOFTBALL SECTION TOURNAMENTS WRAPPED UP FRIDAY, MAY 29, AND THE BRACKET IS SET FOR STATE NEXT WEEK.
FARGO (KVRR) — The Class A Minnesota high school softball section tournaments wrapped up Friday, officially setting the field for the 2026 State Tournament.
And in Class A, two familiar programs are preparing for a postseason showdown with a trip to the semifinals on the line.
Red Lake Falls Returns to State
In Section 8A, Red Lake Falls punched its ticket back to the State Tournament for the sixth time in program history (2012, 2013, 2017, 2022, 2024, 2026).
After falling in the elimination bracket final a season ago, the Eagles stormed through the section tournament this spring and capped it off with a 3-2 championship win over Badger/Greenbush-Middle River on Thursday in Red Lake Falls.
Now sitting at 23-4 overall, Red Lake Falls heads to Mankato with momentum — and experience.
For head coach Ben Hanson, the message before the State Tournament is simple: stay in the moment.
“You know, you go down there, it’s going to be exciting,” Hanson said. “But it’s just every play — be right in the moment of that play — and don’t be thinking about the big crowd or the State Tournament aspect of it. Just think about every pitch and what you’ve got to do to be successful on that pitch.”
Senior pitcher Kylie Klipping now gets another opportunity on Minnesota’s biggest stage after missing the tournament a year ago. She also has the chance to help deliver the program’s first-ever State Championship.
“There’s definitely a lot more adrenaline,” Klipping said. “We want to go out with a big bang. We made it this far, and it’s exciting to keep going and continue our journey.”
Klipping knows a championship run will require a complete team effort.
“Our bats have got to get going. We need every person on the field believing and making sure we’re each doing our own job,” she said. “It takes team bonding to do that.”
The Eagles earned the No. 2 seed in the Class A State Tournament.
Their first-round opponent?
New York Mills Makes Long-Awaited Return
New York Mills is heading back to State for the first time since 2019 and the eighth time overall in program history.
While the Eagles did not win a title during their last State appearance, they captured back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
New York Mills claimed the Section 6A title Friday with a 3-1 win over West Central Area in Game 2 of the championship round. The road to State was anything but easy — the Eagles battled through six straight elimination-game victories to keep their season alive.
For the senior class, the moment carries extra meaning after spending years attending State Tournaments as fans.
The experience is especially emotional for head coach Bryan Dunrud and his daughter, senior shortstop Annika Dunrud.
Bryan has coached this core group for more than a decade.
“Just really fun,” Bryan said. “For this group as a whole, I’ve been around them since elementary softball — even kindergarten. Having the opportunity to keep all these kids together makes it really special.”
Annika remembers riding the bus to previous State Tournaments as a young fan alongside her father.
“I remember riding the bus and going to every single State Tournament with them,” Annika said. “I’d sit in the front with my dad. But I’ve never actually been to State myself.”
Now, that changes.
“[This group of seniors] gets a chance to actually experience it now,” Bryan added. “They’ve been down there and seen the State Tournament. Now we get to go down there and actually step on the field and play. I’m thankful they get to have that experience.”
With a 21-9 overall record, New York Mills earned the No. 7 seed in the Class A State Tournament.
And fittingly, their State Tournament journey begins against another group of Eagles.
Class A State Tournament Quarterfinal
#7 New York Mills vs. #2 Red Lake Falls
Tuesday, June 2 — 5:30 p.m.
Caswell Park (Field 3) — Mankato, Minnesota
The winner advances to the Class A semifinals.
