Female athletes speak out as trans pitcher returns to Minnesota softball
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Minnesota’s high school softball season will be in the national spotlight for the second year in a row and will be hotter than 2025.
Champlin Park High School is poised to become a political target as the U.S. Department of Justice files Title IX lawsuits against the state’s educational institutions for allowing biological male transgender athletes to play in girls’ sports.
The high school is adding a transgender pitcher to its softball team who emerged as a dominant force on its way to a state championship last year.
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Now, that pitcher is playing at Champlin Park again this year as President Donald Trump’s administration tries to crack down.
The Anoka-Hennepin School District, which oversees Champlin Park, is standing by its athlete amid renewed national scrutiny.
“The Champlin Park Softball team will compete next season in accordance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable Minnesota laws. All participating student-athletes will meet eligibility criteria intended to raise standards of sportsmanship and promote the development of responsible citizenship for all participating. As the school district is involved in active litigation regarding this past season, the District is limited in what additional information can be shared in this regard,” the District said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said.
The girls’ softball player, who is part of a lawsuit with the Alliance Defending Freedom challenging state laws regarding transgender athletes, shared her thoughts on this season’s distracting political dynamic with Fox News Digital.
“I just want a fair and competitive season. My hope for this season is to keep the focus on the game, but also to ensure that girls sports remains a place where female athletes have equal opportunities to compete and succeed,” she said.
Meanwhile, another anonymous plaintiff in this case shared his gratitude for the Justice Department’s intervention.
“Thank you, President Trump! I am so grateful for the support for girls in sports in Minnesota,” she said.
The case was initially dismissed by a federal judge, but the ADF appealed to the appeals court and is awaiting a decision there.
CHAMPLIN PARK WINS MINNESOTA SOFTBALL STATE TITLE AFTER TRANS PITCHER’S COMPLETE GAME SHUTDOWN
Former Minnesota high school softball player and current NCAA player Kendall Kotzmacher lost a 3-2 heartbreak to Champlin Park in her final high school game last season.
But Kozmacher’s younger sister, who lost with her in that game, is also set to play this season and could be on a collision course with the transgender pitcher again.
“My little sister, she played with me last year. She’s still playing, so it’s really tough,” Kotzmacher said. “I’m lucky enough that this isn’t allowed NCAA level. “But there are so many girls, I don’t want them to go through what I went through, and I don’t want my sister to have to deal with the things I had to do and the things she had to deal with last year.”
Minnesota has faced its own infighting over the issue dating back to early 2025, when Democratic lawmakers in the state legislature passed a bill that would bar biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
State Republicans renewed those efforts in recent weeks amid Justice Department pressure, but they failed once again due to Democratic control when they failed to advance a bill in the House on Tuesday.
“Protecting girls is not hate,” said state representative Krista Knudsen. “When biological boys enter girls’ sports, girls lose. They lose their medals, they lose their roster spots, they lose their college scholarships, and they lose their security.”
Democratic state Rep. Kelly Moller dismissed concerns about the issue.
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“My colleagues across the aisle say you brought this in to protect women and girls, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. The real threat to women and girls is sexual assault and gender-based violence,” Moller said.
Meanwhile, 326 school board members from 125 school districts in the state signed on a letter I implore state leaders to follow Trump’s mandate to protect girls’ sports.
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