Minnesota high school softball season faces strain of trans athlete conflict as Trump admin cracks down

NCAA softball player and former Minnesota high school softball player Kendall Kotzmacher spoke out against her state after the DOJ filed a lawsuit against the state's education agencies for not keeping biological males out of girls' sports.

Minnesota's high school softball season will be under a national spotlight for the second year in a row, and a hotter one than in 2025.

As the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a Title IX lawsuit against the state's education agencies for letting biological male trans athletes play in girls' sports, Champlin Park High School is set to be a political target.

The high school rosters a trans pitcher on its softball team, who emerged as a dominant force en route to a state championship last year.

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Transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger. (Amber Harding)

Now, that pitcher is playing for Champlin Park again this year while President Donald Trump's administration tries to crack down.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District, which oversees Champlin Park, is standing by the athlete amid the renewed national scrutiny.

"The Champlin Park Softball team will compete in compliance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable Minnesota law this upcoming season. All participating student-athletes will meet the criteria for eligibility which aim to elevate standards of sportsmanship and encourage the growth of responsible citizenship for all involved. Because the school district is named in an active lawsuit involving last season, the District is limited in what additional information can be shared on this matter," the district said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

A girls' softball player, who is anonymously part of a lawsuit