May 2, 2023

The MSHSL has introduced a new shirt for football officials, so if you're looking to buy a new one or need a new one, it might make sense to wait until June to do so. This shirt will be a three-year implementation plan. The uniform shirt(s) will be required for State Tournament Officials in 2023. It will be required for all postseason games in 2024, and all varsity games in 2025.

Notes from the High School League on availability:

The shirts should begin to be available by the end of June. Predicting quantities will help make sure there are enough shirts of the correct style (and keep costs down). If you’re planning to purchase a shirt this year, General Sports will have an ordering window (mid-June) where you can go to their online store to guarantee that you will receive your uniform shirts before your first game. The jerseys will be produced by Smitty’s (the manufacturer of most officials’ uniforms already), and the sizing & material is similar to other products. The shirt will be available in men’s & women’s cuts, and short & long sleeves from distributors like General Sports in Edina and online (see https://smittyapparel.com/pages/minnesota-preferred-dealers). The new shirts have the MSHSL logo and U.S. Flag that are sublimated and only Smitty is approved to manufacture these shirts.   

March 28, 2023

Congratulations to Scott Schimetz on his election to the Board of Directors. Scott will serve a two year term until the first full term election in Spring 2025. The Powerpoint from the baseball/softball meeting is available here.

Late fees for baseball/softball dues will go up $25 on Saturday April 1. Pay your dues now to avoid the late fee!

March 12, 2023

Baseball/Softball Update

1.  The baseball and softball seasons are rapidly approaching! Geno is still inputting the games into Arbiter. Then schools need to verify all game information, so it will likely be a few more weeks before umpires start getting assigned games. In the meantime, make sure to block off any dates on Arbiter that you do not want to be assigned a game.

2. Our umpire numbers are extremely low. Please check with your fellow umpires to make sure they have sent an email to gopherstateumpires@gmail.com to notify Geno and I that they are returning. If anyone did not receive this email, that means they are not properly set up in Arbiter. Gopher State Officials is part of MN Officials 112731 on Arbiter.

3. Consider recruiting 1-2 new umpires...... Here's a message I have been sending out....It's not too late to umpire baseball and/or softball this Spring for Gopher State Officials!!  All the information you need can be found at www.gopherstateofficials.org. There is an Informational letter under the Baseball/Softball tab. Or you can contact Tim Litfin at 612-910-6200 for baseball related questions or Scott Schimetz at 612-636-7268 for softball. Game fees for all levels (9th, B, JV, Varsity) for softball is $75 and baseball is $83.

4. Pay your dues by April 1st to avoid late fees! More information can be found at www.gopherstateofficials.org.

5.  MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The annual Gopher State Baseball/Softball meeting will be held at the Brooklyn Park Activity Center (5600 85th Ave N, 55443) on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 5:30pm.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD - Rick DeGardner has been selected to receive a Minnesota State High School League Distinguished Service Award for exceptional service to the Gopher State Officials Association.  This award honors individuals who have gone above and beyond in service to their Association. The presentation of this award will take place on Saturday, March 25, 2023, as part of the State Boys Basketball Tournament.  The Award will be presented at a special halftime program during the Class A Championship Game, which starts at 11:00 a.m. This presentation will be part of the TV production that can be seen on Channel 45.

Congratulations to Rick and thank you for your service to Gopher State and the schools we serve!!