Veteran Pitching Coach: Minnesota State Champions In Softball 'Going To Be Known As Cheaters'

Last week, as Minnesota crowned its state champion in high school girls' softball, there was a massive elephant in the room. And as is the case with such elephants, everyone was afraid to talk about it.

Well, almost everyone.

Marissa Rothenberger, a trans-identifying male athlete who was born Charlie Dean, pitched Champlin Park High School to a Class AAAA state championship on Friday. Rothenberger threw three complete games over the course of the tournament, allowing just two runs over 21 innings and garnering All-Tournament team honors. 

Under current Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) policy, athletes are allowed to compete based on gender identity, regardless of biological sex.

Champlin Park celebrates its softball state title, while Bloomington Jefferson looks on.

(Photo by Amber Harding)

But while Champlin Park celebrated its title, others were left wondering what the result says about the direction of the sport and what that means for the girls who play it.

One of those people is Kent Reed, a Minnesota-based pitching coach with 17 years of experience. Reed has trained some of the top softball pitchers in the state — many of whom have gone on to play Division I ball. In 2022, he gave Rothenberger a few lessons. At first, he thought Marissa was "just an awkward kid." He was not made aware the pitcher was male.

But now that Marissa has grown to 6 feet tall and is throwing consistent shutouts, the difference is obvious.

"When you have the levers, and you're really tall, you can throw pretty hard," Reed told OutKick during the Minnesota state tournament. "Boys overall have a lot different muscle structure — more fast-twitch muscles — and there are some girls that have that, but in no way is that the same.

"They're always going to be stronger, faster. Bone structure and such. They will dominate."

Marissa Rothenberger pitched all 21 innings of the state tournament for Champlin Park.

(Photo by Amber Harding)

Reed said Rothenberger isn't even close to peak potential yet.

"Mechanically, it’s not there. Not yet. There could be a lot of improvements, which would make it more devastating. If somebody like that was throwing 65, 70…" he trailed off. "Right now he's throwing around 60, and I think others have confirmed that, too. But yeah, as we’ve seen on the news from other sports, they just dominate. That’s unfortunate."

The System Allows For Males In Girls' Sports & Punishes Those Who Speak Out

Reed isn't the only one who sees it. During my time covering the tournament in Minnesota, numerous parents and even club coaches expressed deep concern about trans-identifying males competing in girls' softball. But every single one declined to go on record.

Some feared backlash against their daughters. Others worried about losing tournament eligibility or seeing their club programs sanctioned. One dad asked who I was with. When I said OutKick, he waved me off and told me to "go talk to the other side."

"Everybody’s got to be PC," Reed said. "People are scared. If you have a business, your business could suffer. I do have one, but I don't care what people think, because somebody's got to stand up for these kids."

Kent Reed has been coaching girls' fastpitch for 17 years.

(Photo by Amber Harding)

Reed believes the (MSHSL), along with state leaders and school officials, are actively silencing dissent.

"The state, and the governing body — the Minnesota High School State League — and the school and the coaches, they’re all at fault," he said. "Everybody’s holding back because of them."

READ: School Official Told Parents: No Signs, No Shirts, No Comments On Trans Softball Player

Reed shared the story of one of his students who lost her varsity spot to Rothenberger.

"She was supposed to share some varsity time. And of course, that didn’t pan out," he said. "She talked to the coach, talked to the [athletic director], and nothing came of it. She was a senior, didn't want to play JV another year and just left the team.

"Mentally, it was really hard on her. I felt bad."

OUTKICK EXCLUSIVE: After Being Forced To Compete With A Male Athlete, This Minnesota Softball Player Is Fighting Back

Reed said he’s also heard from parents connected to Rothenberger's club team who stepped away quietly once they found out what was going on. 

I personally spoke to an athlete, whom we'll refer to as M.S. in accordance with her legal filing, who quit the club team. M.S. is now part of a federal lawsuit filed against the state of Minnesota for Title IX violations.

"I was pushing myself all season to do my best, and once I found out, I was like, all that work was for nothing," she told me. "If there’s a boy on this team, I'm not going to be playing."

Pitching Coach: ‘That Team Is Going to Be Known as Cheaters’

Reed believes the issue has gone far beyond just fairness on the field.

"They should play with the boys. They should not be playing with the girls, and in the locker room and bathrooms — that's a completely different situation," he said. "I couldn't believe anybody would even think about supporting having their daughter go into a bathroom with a man pretending to be a woman.

"Bottom line: it should not exist, period."

Reed also floated the idea of creating a separate, coed division open to boys, girls and student-athletes who identify as trans.

"That would be fine," he said. "But otherwise, stay out of the sport."

(Getty Images)

The ripple effects, Reed said, go beyond just the girls losing roster spots. Allowing males to play girls' sports erodes the legitimacy of the entire sport.

"I think something needs to be done in every sport to stop this from happening," he said. "To have that moment of time — just coming to a tournament — and have that stolen from them, that memory… that's what hurts. And that team is going to be known as cheaters."

And in Minnesota, it's just going to keep happening. At least until everyone is finally ready to talk about that elephant.