Details to be finalized at November board meeting
By Nick Gerhardt
nickgerhardt@mnbaseball.org
The Minnesota Baseball Association Board of Directors revealed the likely 2025 classification of teams Saturday at its annual meeting at East Side VFW in St. Cloud.
The MBA will return to a three-class system next season with a Class A, Class B and a Class C. The 2025 Class A consists of last year’s Class B teams, plus the addition of Waconia, St. Boni, Hibbing and the Sartell Muskies. Elk River is likely to join Class A as it will combine with Ramsey next season.
Class A will have eight sections and 24 teams will advance to a single elimination state tournament in 2025. Eight teams will receive first-round byes. Class A is the only class that will allow teams to use college players who use their college address for their residency. Class A teams will not draft players for the postseason or the state tournament. Teams within each section do not have to play each other during the regular season. Games against section and league opponents will count toward four-game requirements for postseason eligibility.
Class B is organized into eight districts and has 70 teams that will contend for one of 24 state tournament spots. The 2025 Class B state tournament will have eight teams that will receive first-round byes in a single elimination tournament. Class B does not allow teams to use college players who choose to use their college address for their residency. Class B will include a draft for the postseason. Each team can select two players from eliminated teams within their district for the playoffs and state tournament. Teams do not have to play other teams within their district. Games against district opponents and league opponents will count toward the four-game minimum for postseason eligibility.
The 2025 Class B saw the most disruption among the three classes and the traditional regions. District 1 consists of teams from the Eastern Minny League and the Sauk Valley League. District 2 features teams from the Twin Rivers League and the Classic Cannon Valley League. Northfield is included in the district after playing in the former Class B. District 3 features Dakota-Rice-Scott League teams, plus River Valley League teams Jordan, St. Clair and Eagle Lake.
District 4 includes Victory League teams as the 19-team league is now divided between Class B and Class C for 2025. Sobieski, Nisswa, Fort Ripley, Avon, Buckman, St. Stephen and Foley will play for three state tournament spots in the district.
District 5 includes a mixture of teams from across leagues. The Red River Amateur Baseball League will send Dilworth, Fergus Falls, Sabin and Ada to the district playoffs. Carlos and Alexandria from the Resorters League will join them. Bluffton from the HI-10 League and the Bemidji Blue Ox from the Northwest Border will also participate in the district.
District 6 features many of the teams from the North Star League. Loretto, Buffalo, Hutchinson, Maple Lake, Maple Plain and the newest North Star League member, Hamel, will play in the district. Central Valley League teams Kimball, Cold Spring Rockies and Watkins also join the district. St. Martin from the Stearns County League will also play in the district, which will receive four state tournament bids.
Teams from Crow River Valley League will make up District 7. Young America, Watertown, Carver, Green Isle, Mayer, Westonka, Plato and the newest addition, Delano, will play in the district.
District 8 has the six teams of Willmar, Bird Island, Raymond, New Ulm, Luverne and Fairmont that will compete for three state tournament slots.
Class C in 2025 will have 139 teams looking for one of 32 spots in the single elimination state tournament. There will be 11 regions and teams will be able to draft three players from eliminated teams from their region for the postseason.
Region 1 includes Eastern Minny and Sauk Valley teams. Region 2 features Tomahawk East League members and teams from the Corn Belt League. Region 3 includes teams from the Land O’ Ducks League. Region 4 includes teams from The Red River Amateur Baseball League and the Lake and Pine League.
Region 5 will have teams from the Twin Rivers, Classic Cannon Valley and the 13/60 League. Region 6 teams will come from the North Star League and the Central Valley League. Region 7 includes Crow River and River Valley League teams. Region 8 will have Stearns County League teams and County Line League teams.
Region 9 has the remainder of the Victory League and will get four state tournament spots. Region 10 includes teams from the First Nite and Gopher League. Region 11 will have teams from the HI-10 and the Resorters League.
Members of the MBA Board of Directors indicated the assignments likely will not change much moving forward. The MBA plans to finalize placements at its November 23 meeting. The MBA also reiterated that it reserves the right to update placements and state tournament bids based on team movement. Reclassification will take place on an annual basis in the future. Teams that move up a class no longer need to remain in that class for a two-year minimum. Any future placement will depend on a team’s criteria number following the season.
As for team movement, the MBA reported Saturday that Long Prairie, Hill City and Moose Lake have expressed interest in forming teams. Long Prairie previously fielded a team before folding in 2023. Lakeville has also expressed interest in creating a team, though it won’t field a team in 2025. Lakeville is aiming for a 2026 start.
The MBA also saw white ballot re-election of Tom Lemke, Ken Vogt and Dennis Brennan.
Spring Hill’s Randy Schoenberg received the 2024 Mike Downes Award for his lifetime service to amateur baseball.
The board also voted to allow the Prior Lake Mudcats to move to Class B next season and grandfathered its roster, provided it uses players only from the city of Prior Lake in the future and Prior Lake continues to field a Class A team like it does now with the Prior Lake Jays.
Treasurer Mike Nagel revealed the financial report from last season, which saw total revenue of $180,249 from the state tournament. Class B game shares stood at $100.86 and Class C game shares sat at $529.98 following taxes and expenses.
