ROSTER NEEDS FOR THE 2027 SEASON
12U Gold: 2 Utility
12U National: Outfield/Utility
Please reach out to tryouts@minnesotavortex.org if interested in setting up a tryout.
2026-2027 Tryouts are Monday Aug. 3 & Tuesday Aug. 4
Pre-Tryout Clinic
7/28 6:00-8:00pm
Loretto Athletic Complex: 700 N Medina St Loretto, MN 55357
- Work with our Coaches
- Prepare for Tryouts
- Check out our Home Fields
- Learn more about our Program
- Free!
Open House
7/30 6:00-8:00pm
TCOS Training Center: 14410 21st Ave N Plymouth, MN 55447
- Meet with our Coaches
- Ask Questions
- Learn more about our Program
- Check out our Home Indoor Facility
- Free!
Expected Teams & Coaches
11U Gold: Head Coach Maggie O'Brien, Assistant Coach Tyana Kleis, Assistant Coach Matt Boatman, Assistant Coach Ashley Allerson Hamberger
12U Gold: Co Head Coach Kylie Gaston, Co Head Coach Molly Gross
12U National Gold: Head Coach Amy Christiansen, Assistant Coach Kayla Peterson, Assistant Coach Aaron Locke, Assistant Coach Adam Botz
13U National Johnson: Head Coach Daylan Johnson, Assistant Coach Kianna Johnson, Assistant Coach Kyra Johnson, Assistant Coach Ryan Boomer
13U National Harrison: Head Coach Jeff Harrison, Assistant Coach Jordyn Clapp
14U Gold: Co Head Coach Larissa Snyder, Co Head Coach Amanda Schlecht
14U Gold: Head Coach Mikenna Becker, Assistant Coach Sarah Olson, Assistant Coach Sienna Bemmels
14U National: Head Coach Scott Peterson, Assistant Coach Mark Heinsch
15U Gold: Head Coach Kennedy Biegler, Coach Courtney Smith, Assistant Coach Jake Smith
15U National: Co Head Coach Izzy Guttenfelder, Co Head Coach Ella Luoto. Fall Coaches: Jason Rudquist & Rich Gross
16U Gold: Co Head Coach Johanna Harrison & Co Head Coach Megan Baniecke
16U National: Head Coach Jim Leicht, Assistant Coach Steve Bartz, Assistant Coach Mike Kopischke
17U National: Head Coach Rebecca Danielson, Assistant Coach Alana Miller
18U National Summer: Head Coach Jason Rudquist, Assistant Coach Rich Gross
Additional resources will be provided to the teams including but not limited to: Becky Sande, Mike Carter, Brian Balabon, Brinna Kopischke, Ava Blake, Karen Balabon, Carly Stuckmayer, Adi Singer, Kassie Balabon, Sabrina Hauschildt, Lauren Volling, Jade Kolbe, Lizzy Harrison.
USSSA Age Chart
Program Information
The Minnesota Vortex & A's Mission is to develop players on and off the field. On top of developing skilled athletes, we also strive to positively impact our athletes' lives outside of softball as well.
Advantages of being apart of our MN Vortex & A's Family
- We have our own facilities! Loretto Athletic Complex is our Home Field Complex. We have our own indoor TCOS Training Center in Plymouth. We do rent other fields and indoor facilities in the metro area.
- Our Winter Training Program offers training 5 days per week for each skill and many different times. This allows multi-sport athletes the flexibility to train when they're able. It allows players to train how often they want to. You do not have to pay extra to train more.
- We offer scholarships to families in need on an application basis so everyone has the opportunity to be apart of our MN Vortex & A's Family.
- We are a 501c3 Non Profit Organization since 2015.
Guidelines
We strongly encourage you to attend your first club choice tryouts first!
- 11U-14U are the Minnesota Vortex and 15U-18U are the Minnesota A's.
- 11U is 1st year 12U, 13U is 1st year 14U, 15U is 1st year 16U, 17U is 1st year 18U.
- Gold Level teams travel less than National Level teams
- Frequency and/or Distance
- See below for many tryout session options for your convenience.
- Tryout Cost is $40
- We are a non-profit organization. This helps cover fields, technology and evaluators.
- No refunds within 24 hours of tryout time. Thanks for understanding
Questions?
Most of your questions should be answered by clicking on our Overview Button below.
If you have additional questions, please email tryouts@minnesotavortex.org
Location
Tryouts will be at our Fields in Loretto if weather cooperates. 700 N Medina St Loretto, MN 55373
If weather does not cooperate, we will move indoors to our facility, TCOS Training Center: 14410 21st Ave N Plymouth, MN 55447
2026 11U/12U Tryouts
- Monday, August 3: 7:30am-8:30am PITCHERS & CATCHERS ONLY - Show off your Pitching/Catching skills early! Sign up right away for both this Early Bird Session and an additional Full Tryout later in the day. If you get an offer during this Early Bird Session, no need to come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more). If you don't receive an offer in the Early Bird Session, come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more) to show off your other skills. You will get a promo code in the confirmation email of this registration so you can sign up for a General Session too and only have to pay once.
- Monday, August 3: 11:30am-1:00pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 11:00am)
- Monday, August 3: 6:30pm-8:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 6:00pm)
- Tuesday, August 4: 9:00am-10:30am (Pitchers & Catchers at 8:30am)
- Tuesday, August 4: 11:00am-12:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 10:30am)
- Make up tryouts are Wednesday, August 5 by request
2026 13U/14U Tryouts
- Monday, August 3: 9:00am-11:00am (Pitchers & Catchers at 8:30am)
- Monday, August 3: 4:00pm-6:00pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 3:30pm)
- Monday, August 3: 6:30pm-8:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 6:00pm)
- Tuesday, August 4: 9:00am-10:30am (Pitchers & Catchers at 8:30am)
- Tuesday, August 4: 11:00am-12:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 10:30am)
- Make up tryouts are Wednesday, August 5 by request
*There is no early bird pitching/catching for 13U/14U just because of numbers and the 1st p/c tryout for this age is right after the early bird at 8:30am so still pretty early!*
2026 15U/16U Tryouts
- Monday, August 3: 7:30am-8:30am PITCHERS & CATCHERS ONLY - Show off your Pitching/Catching skills early! Sign up right away for both this Early Bird Session and an additional Full Tryout later in the day. If you get an offer during this Early Bird Session, no need to come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more). If you don't receive an offer in the Early Bird Session, come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more) to show off your other skills. You will get a promo code in the confirmation email of this registration so you can sign up for a General Session too and only have to pay once.
- Monday, August 3: 1:30pm-3:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 1:00pm)
- Monday, August 3: 6:30pm-8:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 6:00pm)
- Tuesday, August 4: 9:00am-10:30am (Pitchers & Catchers at 8:30am)
- Tuesday, August 4: 11:00am-12:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 10:30am)
- Make up tryouts are Wednesday, August 5 by request
2025 17U/18U Tryouts
- Monday, August 3: 7:30am-8:30am PITCHERS & CATCHERS ONLY - Show off your Pitching/Catching skills early! Sign up right away for both this Early Bird Session and an additional Full Tryout later in the day. If you get an offer during this Early Bird Session, no need to come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more). If you don't receive an offer in the Early Bird Session, come back for the additional session (Hitting, Fielding, Pitching, Catching & more) to show off your other skills. You will get a promo code in the confirmation email of this registration so you can sign up for a General Session too and only have to pay once.
- Monday, August 4: 11:30am-1:00pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 11:00am)
- Monday, August 4: 4:00pm-6:00pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 3:30pm)
- Tuesday, August 5: 9:00am-10:30am (Pitchers & Catchers at 8:30am)
- Tuesday, August 5: 11:00am-12:30pm (Pitchers & Catchers at 10:30am)
- Make up tryouts are Wednesday, August 6 by request