The schools have met just twice before in the playoffs, with each team winning one game. Hibbing defeated Proctor, 14-0, in five innings in the first round of the 2002 Section 7AAA Playoffs. Proctor won its game in the semifinals of the 1978 Region 7AA Tournament, by a score of 5-1. In that game, Mike Grover hit a two-run home run, had three RBIs, and was the winning pitcher with 10 strikeouts to lead the Rails to the Region 7AA championship game, a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Grand Rapids.

Hibbing finished the 2015 regular season with a 5-15 record. The Bluejackets averge 2.2 runs scored and 5.4 runs allowed per game. Many of their losses were of the low-scoring, one-run variety.

The Rails, 10-9 in the regular season, average 5.5 runs scored and 4.5 runs allowed per game.

Hibbing snapped a four-game losing streak to Proctor with a 3-2 win at Hibbing on May 16. Hibbing owns a 6-4 edge in the last 10 games of the series.