Heading into section play, we took our shot at predicting favorites, contenders, and dark horses.

Now that the brackets have started to sort themselves out, it’s time to see what we got right, what we got wrong, and where things stand heading into championship week.

You can read the full preview at Strib Varsity. For now, here’s the state of the state:

Section 1AAAA >> Bracket
Favorite: Farmington ✅
Next Best: Lakeville North 🚫
Dark Horse: New Prague ✅

Farmington entered section play as our No. 1 team with just one loss all season. Then came an early collision with Rochester Mayo.

Mayo’s Kyle Leopold (2026, RHP/SS, Uncommitted) delivered one of the better performances of the postseason, tossing a complete game while holding Farmington’s loaded lineup to one run on three hits and punching out seven.

Then New Prague entered the picture.

Our dark horse selection knocked Mayo into the elimination bracket behind a complete-game three hitter from Herbie Roufs (2027, LHP, Uncommitted), who struck out nine while allowing just two runs.

Farmington eventually battled back through the backside, ending Mayo’s season with an 11-7 win.

Now it sets up for what everyone expected and maybe what nobody wanted: Farmington versus New Prague with a trip to state hanging in the balance.

Section 2AAAA
Favorite: Chaska ✅
Next Best: Shakopee 🚫
Dark Horse: Chanhassen 🚫

Every year this section becomes a puzzle. Every year it delivers chaos.

Shakopee grabbed the No. 1 seed. Chaska landed at No. 2. Neither took the clean route.

Shakopee stumbled immediately against Prior Lake while Chaska dropped into the elimination bracket after falling to Bloomington Jefferson.

Meanwhile, Prior Lake caught fire.

The Lakers knocked off Waconia and Jefferson and punched their ticket into the championship round while the rest of the bracket continues sorting itself out.

Section 3AAAA
Favorite: Rosemount ✅
Next Best: Two Rivers 🚫
Dark Horse: Eagan ✅

Rosemount has handled business and advanced to face an Apple Valley club that suddenly looks dangerous.

The Eagles rode back-to-back standout performances from Ryan Christiansen and Paxton Ames to crash the semifinals and turn this bracket into something far more interesting.

Meanwhile, Eagan and Hastings remain alive with elimination baseball officially underway. 

Section 4AAAA
Favorite: Stillwater ✅
Next Best: CDH ✅
Dark Horse: Woodbury ✅

Cretin-Derham Hall opened the season as our No. 1 team. Injuries and inconsistent stretches slowed them down, but talent eventually wins out.

The Raiders rolled through Tartan, Woodbury, and Stillwater to grab a spot in the championship round.

Woodbury and White Bear Lake now battle for the opportunity to earn the opportunity to try and beat the reigning champion twice.

(Good luck.)

Section 5AAAA
Favorite: Mounds View ✅
Next Best: Champlin Park ✅
Dark Horse: Maple Grove ✅

Mounds View allowed exactly one run through three section games.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that one run happened to matter.

Champlin Park took them down extras and now waits comfortably while the elimination bracket sorts itself out.

Maple Grove still has life. So does Spring Lake Park. Both are trying to earn another crack at Mounds View. 

Section 6AAAA
Favorite: Edina ✅
Next Best: Wayzata ✅
Dark Horse: St. Louis Park 🚫

Edina has quietly done exactly what good teams do in May.

Win games. Save arms. Stay out of trouble.

The Hornets handled Armstrong, Kennedy, and Buffalo and now sit waiting while Wayzata and Buffalo fight for survival. 

Section 7AAAA
Favorite: Andover ✅
Next Best: Centennial ✅
Dark Horse: Anoka ✅

Andover may own the wildest run of the postseason so far.

The Huskies trailed Blaine 8-3 entering the seventh.

Then the offense exploded.

Five runs tied it. Three more in extras finished it.

Now Andover sits one step away from state after surviving one of the better comeback wins you'll see all spring.

Section 8AAAA

Favorite: St. Michael-Albertville ✅
Next Best: Monticello ✅
Dark Horse: Bemidji ✅

This bracket remains absolute chaos.

Monticello advanced to face Moorhead after knocking off St. Cloud and Elk River.

Meanwhile, STMA, Bemidji, Alexandria, and Elk River are all still hanging around in what feels like a bracket with about six teams that still believe they can win it.

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Section 1AAA
Favorite: Northfield ✅
Next Best: Kasson-Mantorville ✅
Dark Horse: Byron 🚫

This one largely played to script.

Northfield rolled through their side.

Kasson-Mantorville battled back through the elimination bracket.

Now they meet again with a state tournament berth waiting.

Section 2AAA
Favorite: Mankato West ✅
Next Best: Marshall ✅
Dark Horse: Mankato East ✅

Marshall and West will see each other in New Ulm on Tuesday for the semifinals. 

The loser will have to play the winner of the New Ulm/Mankato East game to see who returns to the section championship on Thursday.

Section 3AAA
Favorite: Holy Angels ✅
Next Best: St. Thomas Academy ✅
Dark Horse: Simley 🚫

Holy Angels has allowed exactly one run in section play.

Just like Mounds View, that one run happened to come in a loss.

St. Thomas Academy reached the championship behind Patrick Sorensen’s (2027, RHP, Uncommitted) eight shutout innings, where the right-hander allowed five hits, walked none, struck out 11, and watched his offense scratch across exactly one run.

Sometimes one is enough.

Section 4AAA 
Favorite: Mahtomedi ✅
Next Best: Hill-Murray ✅
Dark Horse: St. Anthony Village ✅

Mahtomedi earned the bye as the No. 1 seed and discarded Minneapolis South and Hill-Murray to earn a bid in the championship game. 

St. Anthony Village will see Minneapolis South on Tuesday at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul. The winner will face Hill-Murray that evening for the rights to take on the Zyphers in the championship game. The bad news is that whoever comes back through the elimination will have to face Mahtomedi’s Connor Finn, our No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2026. 

Section 5AAA
Favorite: Totino-Grace ✅
Next Best: Big Lake ✅
Dark Horse: Becker ✅

Totino-Grace took down Zimmerman, St. Francis and Becker to grab one of the two section championship slots.

Big Lake will face Annandale on Tuesday afternoon in Princeton with the winner playing Becker that evening. 

Section championship play will begin on Wednesday at Solheim Veteran’s Field in Princeton.

Section 6AAA
Favorite: Orono ✅
Next Best: Delano ✅
Dark Horse: Benilde-St. Margaret’s ✅

Delano may have delivered the biggest statement here.

The Tigers grabbed a lead against Orono and never gave it back as Carter Van Beusekom (2026, OF, St John's) threw five shutout innings and pushed Delano into the championship round.

Delano now waits to see who survives the elimination side.

Section 7AAA
Favorite: Cloquet ✅
Next Best: Hermantown ✅
Dark Horse: Grand Rapids ✅

“Dark Horse” Grand Rapids had the No. 1 seed and beat North Branch, Chisago Lakes and Cloquet to lock in one spot in the championship round. 

Still alive in the elimination bracket are Hermantown and Chisago Lakes who will play on Tuesday afternoon at Wade Stadium in Duluth. The winner will face Cloquet right after that. Whoever survives gets a crack at Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

Section 8AAA
Favorite: Sartell 🚫
Next Best: Willmar ✅
Dark Horse: Little Falls ✅

No. 1 seed Sartell dropped a 6-3 contest to Rocori, who advanced to the semifinals, and then were shutout by Little Falls, 1-0, in the elimination bracket. On the other side of the bracket, No. 7 seed Fergus Falls topped Little Falls, 3-2, and then beat Willmar, 6-1, on their way to the semifinal matchup with Rocori.

Rocori will face Fergus Falls on Tuesday at Faber Field in St. Cloud on Tuesday. The winner moves on to the championship game.

Willmar and Little Falls are still alive in the elimination bracket and the winner will face the loser of the Rocori/Fergus Falls game. 

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Section 1AA
Favorite: Red Wing 🚫
Next Best: Cotter ✅
Dark Horse: Lake City 🚫

Cotter and Rochester Lourdes will face off for the championship on Tuesday at Mayo Field in Rochester.

Section 2AA
Favorite: Cannon Falls ✅
Next Best: Le Seuer Henderson ✅
Dark Horse: Randolph ✅

Le Seuer Henderson waits in the championship to see who comes up from the elimination bracket. TriCity United faces Randolph on Tuesday with the winner facing Cannon Falls.

Championship play begins Thursday in Waterville.

Section 3AA
Favorite: Montevideo ✅
Next Best: Fairmont ✅
Dark Horse: Luverne ✅

Fairmont will face Windom for the semifinals. Montevideo, Paynesville, Luverne and New London-Spicer are still alive. 

Championship play begins Thursday in Marshall.

Section 4AA
Favorite: New Life Academy ✅
Next Best: St. Croix Lutheran 🚫
Dark Horse: St. Croix Prep ✅

No. 2 seed Minnehaha Academy made a run through their side of the bracket and topped No. 1 seed New Life in the semis to gain the advantage in championship play. New Life will face St. Croix Prep on Tuesday to see who faces Minnehaha at Bethel on Thursday. 

Section 5AA
Favorite: Glencoe-Silver Lake ✅
Next Best: Southwest Christian ✅
Dark Horse: Litchfield 🚫

Glencoe-Silver Lake will face Dassel-Cokato on Monday at Optimist Park in Litchfield for the semis. Southwest Christian and Providence Academy will play to see who faces the loser of the semifinals. 

Section 6AA
Favorite: Staples-Motley 🚫
Next Best: St. Cloud Cathedral ✅
Dark Horse: Spectrum 🚫

No. 1 seed St. Cloud Cathedral worked their way through their side of the bracket and No. 6 seed Foley made a surprise run, taking down No. 3 Staples-Motley and No. 2 Holdingford. The Cathedral/Foley matchup happens tomorrow at Putz Field in St. Cloud while the elimination bracket still has Holdingford/Wadena-Deer Creek and Eden Valley-Watkins/Pierz to sort out. 

Section 7AA
Favorite: Marshall School ✅
Next Best: Aitkin ✅
Dark Horse: Chisholm 🚫

No. 1 seed Marshall School and No. 2 Aitkin will meet at Fichtner Field in Hermantown on Tuesday for the semifinals. Teams with a pulse in the elimination bracket include Pequot Lakes and Proctor.

Section 8AA
Favorite: Perham ✅
Next Best: East Grand Forks ✅
Dark Horse: DGF ✅

East Grand Forks and Perham will meet on Monday for the semifinals. Still alive are Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Warroad, Ottertail Central, and Thief River Falls.

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Section 1A
Favorite: Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton ✅
Next Best: Blooming Prairie 🚫
Dark Horse: Southland 🚫

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton will face No. 1 seed New Richland-H-E-G at Riverland Field on Tuesday for the section championship. If New Richland-H-E-G wins the first game, there will be a second one played immediately after.

Section 2A
Favorite: Madelia ✅
Next Best: Springfield 🚫
Dark Horse: Sleepy Eye ✅

Madelia has made it into the championship game. Still alive are Sleepy Eye, New Ulm Cathedral, and Mankato Loyola.

Section 3A
Favorite: Murray County Central ✅
Next Best: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 🚫
Dark Horse: Dawson-Boyd ✅

Murray County Central is awaiting the winner of Tuesday’s contest between Dawson-Boyd and Adrian/Ellworth. The championship game will be played on Thursday at the Irish Yard in Milroy.

Section 4A
Favorite: West Lutheran ✅
Next Best: Heritage Christian ✅
Dark Horse: Ogilvie ✅

Ogilvie will play the winner of Tuesday’s West Lutheran/Heritage Christian game. 

Section 5A
Favorite: Sebeka ✅
Next Best: Walker-Hackensack-Akeley ✅
Dark Horse: New York Mills ✅

New York Mills and Mille Lacs will play in the semifinals on Monday in Pierz. Still alive in the elimination bracket are Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, Sebeka, East Central and Frazee.

Section 6A
Favorite: Parkers Prairie ✅
Next Best: Long Prairie-Grey Eagle ✅
Dark Horse: Breckenridge ✅

Parkers Prairie will face Brandon-Evansville on Monday in Minnewaska for the semifinals. Teams still alive in the elimination bracket are Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Benson, and Breckenridge.

Section 7A
Favorite: South Ridge ✅
Next Best: Ely ✅
Dark Horse: Cherry ✅

South Ridge and Ely square off on Tuesday in Hibbing for the semifinals. Silver Bay and Cherry are still alive in the elimination bracket. 

Section 8A
Favorite: Red Lake County ✅
Next Best: Sacred Heart ✅
Dark Horse: Ada-Borup-West ✅

Defending champion Red Lake County awaits their competitor in the championship game. Still alive are Win-E-Mac, West Marshall Fusion, and Bagley.