Sign up for the Bozo Memorial Golf Tournament on August 15!
Since 1965, serving members of the Minnesota State High School League by providing high school officials in baseball, basketball, football, and softball and educating officials who are members of the association.
Click here to read important updates from Gopher,
last updated May 22, 2025 and includes information about the
State Baseball and Softball umpires and new dues policies and payment options.
May 22, 2025
Congratulations to the umpires below who were selected to work the State Softball or State Baseball tournaments!
State Softball
Don Bowman 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals A/Semi-Finals A Home Plate/Umpire1
Dan Evans 6/5/2025 Consolation Championship AA/3rd Place AA Umpire2/ Umpire1
Kathy Graen 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AA/ Semi-Finals AA Home Plate/Umpire2
Geno Hanson 6/5/2025 Consolation Championship AA/3rd Place AA Umpire1/ Home Plate
Dennis Harris 6/3/2025 Quarterfinals AAA/ Quarterfinals A Umpire2/ Umpire1
James Holt 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AAAA/ Semi-Finals AAAA Home Plate/Umpire2
Gerald Johnson 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AAAA/ Semi-Finals AAAA Home Plate/Umpire2
Tom Knoblauch 6/3/2025 Quarterfinals AAA/ Quarterfinals A Umpire1/ Umpire2
Bart Peck 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals A/ Semi-Finals A Home Plate/Umpire1
Keith Purinton 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals A/ Semi-Finals A Umpire2/ Home Plate
Scott Schimetz 6/3/2025 Quarterfinals AAAA/ Quarterfinals AA Umpire2/ Umpire1
Rick Shomion 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AA/ Semi-Finals AA Umpire2/ Home Plate
Andrew True 6/3/2025 Quarterfinals AAAA/ Quarterfinals AA Umpire1/ Umpire2
Alexis Walker 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AAA/ Semi-Finals AAA Umpire2/ Umpire1
Scott Weis 6/4/2025 Consolation Semi-Finals AAAA/ Semi-Finals AAAA Umpire2/ Umpire1
Finals
Dennis Harris 6/6/2025 Championship AAAA Home Plate
Scott Schimetz 6/6/2025 Championship AAA Home Plate
State Baseball
Ryan Bellefy 6/11/2025 Quarterfinals AA/ Quarterfinals AA Umpire2/ Umpire1
Dan Kvitrud 6/11/2025 Quarterfinals AAAA/ Quarterfinals AAAA Pitch Count Recorder/Pitch Count Recorder
Tim Litfin 6/11/2025 Quarterfinals AAA/ Quarterfinals AAA Pitch Count Recorder/Pitch Count Recorder
Nick Litfin 6/12/2025 3rd Place A/ Consolation Semi-Finals A Umpire2/ Home Plate
Jason Weber 6/11/2025 Quarterfinals AAAA/ Quarterfinals AAAA Pitch Count Recorder/Pitch Count Recorder
2025-26 Dues
The Board of Directors voted at their most recent meeting to make some modifications to the dues policies.
The Board voted to eliminate the processing fee for credit cards. Instead, dues for each sport will go up $5 and the fee is simply incorporated into the dues amount. For the 2025-26 school year, dues for football will be $80, basketball will be $110, and softball/baseball will be $95.
Officials who work more than one sport can pay all of their dues at once and receive a 10 dollar discount for two sports and a $15 discount for three sports. You do not get a discount if you pay dues individually.
The costs for 2025-26 will be as follows:
Football $80
Basketball $110
Baseball/Softball $95
Football & Basketball $180 ($10 discount)
Football & Baseball/Softball $165 ($10 discount)
Basketball & Baseball/Softball $195 ($10 discount)
Football & Basketball & Baseball/Softball $270 ($15 discount)
Due to issues beyond our control, we have eliminated the option to pay via Venmo. For 25-26 checks and credit cards are the only payment options.
Dues payment for 2025-26 is now available on the gopher state website.
April 30, 2025
At the Gopher Board meeting on Sunday, April 27, the Board took the following actions:
Awarded the 2025 Bozo Wincek Award to Donald Adderley.
Awarded the 2025 Rookie of the Year Awards to:
Baseball – Ryan Bellefy
Basketball – Drew Burau
Football – Jason Rutten
Softball – Alexis Walker
Following the resignation from the Board of Eric Gray, approved Matt Olson as an At Large board position and vacated the Football Representative position.
There will be a vacancy in the Football Representative position until the football meeting this fall, when a new representative will be elected.
Approved Scott Schimetz as Gopher's new Treasurer.
Established a code of conduct for the Association's officials.
Established standing committees for each sport, charged with training of current officials and recruiting of new officials for their sport.
Named Rick Baker the Association's new clinician for basketball with the departure of Craig Laird from that position.
April 8, 2025
On March 22 at the Class A Boys Basketball Championship game, longtime Gopher official Harvey Scheffert was presented with the MSHSL Distinguished Service Award for his service to Gopher State Officials and the officiating community of Minnesota.
The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) award allows the MSHSL the opportunity to honor individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to their Association and the student athletes who officiate high school sports. It is awarded to only a few officials each year, anywhere between four and eight officials from across the state annually. The awards go to officials throughout the state who have demonstrated support, leadership, and “extra” for their association and their community.
Harvey is very deserving of this recognition. He officiated for Gopher state officials for four decades, from 1970 to 2010, all with Gopher State. Harvey was a great ambassador for helping out the newer official- never being “above” the newer official. Harvey worked diligently and regularly, officiating hundreds of varsity contests for approximately 35 years.
Harvey was always first class with his communication/interactions with fellow officials, coaches, the scorer's table, site managers, spectators, and athletic directors. He went above and beyond for everyone to feel like they mattered, because they mattered to Harvey.
Congratulations to Harvey Scheffert on the 2025 Distinguished Service Award, and thank you for your service to officiating in the state of Minnesota!
Previous winners for Gopher State Officials include:
2010 Don Bertek - Inaugural Year of Awards
2011 Steve Makowske
2012 Arnie Mavis
2013 Mike Madden
2014 Bozo Wincek
2015 Greg Swan and Jacki Wincek
2016 Paul Nesvig and Michelle (Wincek) Schneider
2017 John Monson
2018 Clark Worthington
2019 Tim Litfin
2020 No event
2021 Mark Stange
2022 George Winn
2023 Rick DeGardner
2024 Gary Sipe
Pictures below.
Last updated December 20, 2024
A tribute page for Gopher's longtime leader Bozo Wincek has been added to the site. It is available here, or under the "About" tab up above.
Interested in Becoming an Official?
Fill out the Membership Application Form below and
someone from Gopher State will be in touch with you soon!
