348 Teams Set for Final Weekend of Gopher State Baseball Championships

GSTC & GSPC

22nd Annual GSTC concludes alongside inaugural Gopher State Postseason Classic, July 24–26

SPRING LAKE PARK, Minn. — Minnesota Youth Athletic Services (MYAS) will conclude an extraordinary month of championship baseball July 24–26, as 348 teams take the field during the final weekend of the 22nd Annual Gopher State Tournament of Champions and the inaugural Gopher State Postseason Classic.

Recognized as one of the premier community-based youth baseball events in the Midwest, the GSTC will feature 264 teams competing in Richfield, Buffalo, Farmington, Mankato, Sartell, Anoka, Brooklyn Park and Rochester. An additional 84 teams will compete in the inaugural Gopher State Postseason Classic in Brainerd and Marshall.

By the conclusion of the weekend, 712 teams will have participated in MYAS flagship postseason baseball events during July, representing communities throughout Minnesota, eastern North Dakota and western Wisconsin.

“The Gopher State Tournament of Champions is more than a tournament—it is a celebration of community-based youth baseball,” said MYAS CEO/Executive Director Dawson Blanck, who helped create the GSTC in 2005. “For more than two decades, young athletes have had the opportunity to represent their communities, compete for the coveted championship ring and create moments that will last a lifetime.”

MYAS proudly recognizes the outstanding host organizations and community partners representing Roseville, Richfield, Buffalo, Farmington, Mankato, Sartell, Cambridge-Isanti, Anoka, Brooklyn Park, Austin, Shakopee, Rochester, Cottage Grove, Marshall and Brainerd. Their leadership, volunteers, facilities and community pride make championship experiences of this magnitude possible.

In addition to creating memorable experiences for young athletes and families, these events provide meaningful fundraising opportunities that directly support the local youth baseball organizations serving as hosts.

The 2026 events carry additional significance as MYAS celebrates 35 years of service to youth sports and its continued commitment to providing safe, positive and productive experiences for young athletes.

For the teams taking the field this weekend, one final goal remains:

Represent your community. Embrace the moment. Continue the quest for the ring.

About Minnesota Youth Athletic Services & Gopher State Baseball

Minnesota Youth Athletic Services, Inc. (MYAS; www.myas.org) originated in 1991 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and enhancing youth sports programs and services (leagues, tournaments, events, training/development, and educational offerings and resources) for Minnesota’s youth athletes, coaches, parents, officials/umpires, and parent-volunteer athletic associations. Today, MYAS is Minnesota’s largest multi-sport organization and acts as a central clearinghouse for youth sports with more than 150,000 kids participating in programs and services each year. The MYAS is committed to providing a safe, positive, and productive experience for today’s youth athletes.

In the year 2000, the MYAS launched the Gopher State Baseball brand, featuring league play as well as tournament offerings. The Gopher State Baseball League (GSBL), Gopher State Rec League and Gopher State Fall Baseball League (GSFBL) continued to gain momentum during the next decade, seeing a dramatic increase in participation and geographic growth of communities/associations represented. Fast forward 27 seasons, over 70 community-based youth baseball associations enroll 550+ teams into MYAS summer leagues on an annual basis, and our GSFBL, held on Sundays during the fall, averages over 4,000 participants from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

In 2005, MYAS elevated the Gopher State brand by introducing the Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) to the Minnesota community-based youth baseball community. This tournament has become the premier end-of-season tournament for AAA, AA and A travel teams as they make their quest for the elusive GSTC ring. In 2026, 628 teams earned a berth to the GSTC.

Today, Gopher State Baseball is the most recognizable youth baseball brand in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and the upper Midwest. The MYAS baseball team continues to elevate the opportunities for today’s youth baseball participants with our current comprehensive programs (leagues, tournaments, events) and services (camps and clinics through Gopher State Development, and best practices and resources to all youth baseball associations) offered, while continuously looking for ways to improve and enhance the baseball experience.