Eight States Represented at the 2026 Steve Simmons/Northern Champs in Minnesota

June 1, 2026

By Donna McGuire
Softball News Report

Forty-three teams from eight states battled three days just outside the Twin Cities to determine who would earn bragging rights for their performance in the 2026 Steve Simmons Memorial/Northern Championships.

"I want to thank the teams that came and played as many games were close with only the open inning determining the outcome," Tournament Director Mike Hula said.

Bad weather only impacted the tournament Saturday morning, when games had to be delayed one hour, he said. That allowed all 11 divisions to finish on time.

After the dust settled at Sand Creek Athletic Complex in Coon Rapids, Minn., 14 teams had captured berths to the 2027 Tournament of Champions to be played in Polk County, Fla.

Eleven of those teams also claimed division championships, including two that survived one-run title bouts. One highlight involved Isle Edge Trucking, a 60+ AAA team, winning six consecutive elimination games to claim the 60+ AAA crown.

Men's 60+ AAA Championship game, with champions Isle Edge Trucking 60s (WI) defeating finalists, Alliance/Scrap Iron 60s (CO). Photo by Clover Schultz.

Results:

Men's 50+ Major: Unbeaten DucTech/All American of Minnesota (photo below) swept Elite Realty/KR Signs of Minnesota 24-11 and 21-11 in a best-of-three bracket match up.

Men's 50+ AAA: Top-seeded MN 50 Core got outplayed in the first title game, 14-7, against second-seeded Heroes 50s of Nebraska but rebounded to take the finale 23-17 and finish 5-1 overall. Oshkosh Ambassadors 50 of Wisconsin nabbed third in the five-team division.

Men's 50/55+ Silver: Top-seeded and unbeaten Isle Edge Trucking, a 55+ AAA team from Wisconsin, edged the second-seeded Oshkosh Ambassadors 55 of Wisconsin 19-18 for the title. Fourth-seeded Heroes NE 50s placed third and earned the 50+ AA berth to the TOC.

Men's 55/60+ Platinum: Top-seeded Escape Fire/Ancell, a 55+ Major team from Minnesota (photo below, by Clover Schultz), followed a 2-0 record in seeding games with a 3-0 mark in bracket play, including a 17-15 championship victory over third-seeded KC Elite 55s of Missouri.
Fourth-seeded Priority Construction Services/Lumberjacks 55s of Minnesota took third in the five-team division.

Men's 60+ AAA: In a division ripe with blow-out victories, a pair of close contests determined the champion. Second-seeded Isle Edge Trucking 60s of Wisconsin lost its first bracket game then won six in a row, capped by 19-18 and 21-18 championship victories over fourth-seeded Alliance/Scrap Iron 60 of Colorado. Third-seeded Paape Legends of Minnesota took third in the six-team division.

Men's 60/65+ Platinum: Top-seeded and unbeaten Iowa Demons, a 60+ Major team, (photo below) dispatched the second-seeded Minnesota Merchants 65+ team 16-13 in the title game. The Road Warriors 60 of Arizona finished third in the three-team division.

Men's 60/65+ Silver: The third-seeded Minnesota Road Warriors 65+ AAA team (photo below) knocked off the top-seeded Silver Lumberjacks 65+ AAA team from Minnesota 15-8 to claim the four-team division. Fourth-seeded Buddies, Sampson's, Mid-Michigan Merchants finished third.

Men's 70+ Major: Playing a best-of-three format, the Minnesota River Bats swept Doctors Care MD of Wisconsin 22-13 and 18-8. The River Bats finished 4-1 overall.

Men's 70+ Silver: The top-seeded AA team MN Lumberjacks 70s (photo below) went 3-0 in seeding games then lost their first bracket contest, 15-14, to the eventual runner-up Blizzard of Minnesota.  The Lumberjacks then won four in a row, including 20-15 and 21-9 triumphs in the title games. The third-seeded Oshkosh Ambassadors 70 of Wisconsin took third in the four-team division.

Men's 75+ Gold: The Minnesota Norsemen, a 75+ Major team (photo below), won seeding games 18-13, 24-6, 23-20 and 19-4 before extending the unbeaten streak through bracket play, where the Norsemen dispatched runner-up Handeland Flooring 75s of Wisconsin 19-12 in the title game. Handeland Flooring earned the 75+ AAA TOC berth. The third-seeded MN Lumberjacks 75s took third in the three-team division.

Men's 75/80/85+ Gold: This mixed division pitted  85+, 80+ and 75+ teams against each other, with two 80+ teams making the finals. The second-seeded Minnesota Masters 80s earned the 80+ Major TOC berth and overall division title with a 7-0 triumph over top-seeded Dunns MKE of Wisconsin, which nabbed the 80+ AAA TOC berth. The fifth-seeded Badger Classics 75+ AA team from Wisconsin earned third in the five-team division.