Marissa Rothenberger, a reportedly male athlete at the center of a growing statewide controversy, pitched a complete-game shutout Wednesday to lead Champlin Park to a 5-0 win over Eagan in the Class 4A quarterfinals of the Minnesota State High School League softball tournament.
Rothenberger — the Rebels’ right-handed starter — gave up no runs over seven innings, striking out four batters and walking none.
The second-seeded Rebels will face No. 6 seed White Bear Lake today at 4 p.m. A win would send the Rebels to the state championship game on Friday.
Court records show legal sex change at age 9 as pitcher dominates in girls’ softball
Rothenberger has dominated on the field all season. As previously reported by Alpha News, court records show Rothenberger’s legal name and sex were changed in 2017, when the athlete was just nine years old, according to a report from Reduxx.
The Hennepin County District Court granted a petition filed by Rothenberger’s mother, changing the name from “Charlie Dean” to “Marissa” and the sex designation to female, the report said.
Eagan official accused of trying to censor concerns before game
One parent told Alpha News that even before Wednesday’s quarterfinal game started, Eagan High School’s athletic director appeared to be trying to silence anyone who might speak out.
Ahead of the matchup, Jason Elias, Eagan’s assistant principal and athletic director, sent an email to parents urging them to avoid “political messages, signs, or shirts” and to refrain from engaging in “conversations or commentary about other teams.”
“There may be added attention surrounding our game, and it’s important that we represent our team and school with class and integrity,” Elias wrote. “We ask that families avoid engaging in conversations or commentary about other teams … and that no political messages, signs, or shirts be brought to or displayed at the game.”
A parent who shared the email with Alpha News called the message an attempt to shut down valid criticism. “It seems as though this is about censorship,” the parent said.
Submitted: the message to Eagan parents from the Athletic Director attending the state tournament ahead of today’s game with Champlin Park.
Parent: “It seems as though this is about censorship.” https://t.co/acLbgmrbP4 pic.twitter.com/zA8fulOSLJ
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 4, 2025
Lawsuit filed over state transgender policy
Alpha News reported last month that Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of three high school girls, accusing Attorney General Keith Ellison, the MSHSL, and other state officials of violating Title IX by allowing biologically male athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
According to the complaint, the three plaintiffs say they’ve been directly impacted by competing against Rothenberger—one was hit by a pitch and injured, another lost key postseason games to the athlete, and a third left her team to avoid competing with Rothenberger for pitching time.
The MSHSL policy, adopted in 2015, allows students to participate in sports based on self-identified gender. It contains no physical benchmarks or restrictions related to biological sex, which the lawsuit argues undermines fairness and safety in girls’ competition.
The lawsuit also names Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, Education Commissioner Willie Jett, and the Anoka-Hennepin, Farmington, and Osseo school boards as defendants. It asks the court to declare the policy unconstitutional and in violation of Title IX, and to prohibit male athletes from competing in girls’ sports statewide.
Update: After shutting out Eagan 5–0 in the quarterfinals Wednesday morning, Champlin Park returned to the field later that day to edge White Bear Lake 3–2 in the semifinals.
Rothenberger sparked the go-ahead rally in the top of the 7th inning with a clutch line-drive double, helping the Rebels secure their spot in Friday’s title game.
Champlin Park will face Bloomington Jefferson at 9:00 a.m. Friday, June 6, at the University of Minnesota’s Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
