There’s no shortage of talent across the state when it comes to Class 2A baseball in Minnesota. Perham has been a staple of the Minnesota State High School League’s 2A class for decades, while Rockford is riding the momentum of capturing their first-ever state championship last season.

“We told them from the beginning that this would be something special, and they bought into it right away,” said Rockford head coach Cody Hallahan about their 2024 season. “We had a little hiccup in the section tournament with our backs against the wall, but once we settled in and realized it was do-or-die time, the boys responded. They turned it on and never looked back.”

Perham head coach James Mulcahy reflected on their performance at state last season after a tough opening game loss.

“We came down to state and ran into Le Sueur-Henderson and their lefty, who kept us off balance that day,” Mulcahy said. “But we really played well in the consolation bracket. We came together and finished in fifth place, which gave the kids a ton of motivation going into the offseason.”

As both coaches looked ahead to 2025, Hallahan hoped to add Perham to Rockford’s regular-season schedule for the first time ever. When that matchup couldn’t fit into either team's spring schedule, the opportunity to face off during Baseball Day Minnesota became the perfect solution.

“We reached out to Perham, and they already had someone penciled in, but they found a way to lock us in,” said Hallahan. “It’s going to be a two-year deal, and it’s a high-quality opponent we’re excited to play.”

This season, both teams are in different places emotionally. Rockford is focused on staying grounded after a historic run, while Perham is laser-focused on the present, eager to carve a new path in 2025.

“I brought up a simple quote early in practice—‘So what?’” said Mulcahy. “Some of the guys trained hard this offseason. So what? What are you going to do with it now? We’ve been to state two years in a row—so what? That’s the past. What matters is what this team does today.”

Rockford senior pitcher and utility player Max Edwards is taking on a leadership role, trying to keep the team positive and focused.

“The biggest thing for me is helping guys stay optimistic about the season,” Edwards said. “In practice, I remind everyone it’s okay to make mistakes here. That’s how you make sure they don’t happen in games.”

To keep players fresh and developing, Perham emphasized weight training during the offseason, especially for athletes not involved in winter sports. Mulcahy is a strong advocate for multi-sport athletes and believes it builds more complete competitors.

“Being coached by different people, moving in different ways in fall and winter sports—it makes you a better overall athlete,” he said. “Our guys have fully bought into weightlifting. They’re lifting year-round, and it benefits them across every sport they play.”

Rockford returns much of their championship core, but younger players will be counted on to step up. Senior pitcher Will Haas, who played a key role last season and will receive MLB draft considerations this summer, said the team is locked in.

“We’re pushing everyone to do the right things and take everything seriously—even if we’re indoors,” said Haas. “We’re just trying to stack good days and get the most out of every practice.”

Perham and Rockford will meet in Game 2 of the four-game slate at Baseball Day Minnesota, marking a much-anticipated matchup between two strong 2A programs on different but exciting paths.

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Theo Tollefson is an independent journalist who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. He currently covers the Twins and St. Paul Saints for ZoneCoverage MN, and has also worked for news outlets such as Racket, KAAL in Rochester, the Rochester Post Bulletin, and the Hastings Journal. 

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