For the first time, the state of Michigan sent a baseball team to the High School National Championship in Omaha, Nebraska. The tournament, filled with teams from 12 states, took place at the home of the College World Series. Team Michigan went 2-1 with wins over Georgia and Massachusetts. The team of 18 players in the class of 2025 included two Downriver League Athletes and three from the KLAA, as well as four from the Catholic League, among other great athletes from the state. Head Coach Corey Farner of Woodhaven led the team, along with Assistant Coaches Brandon Justice of Wyandotte and Tony Brinson of Woodhaven.
As for the Players, Jace Davis of Woodhaven, Joel Mator of Trenton, and Uli Fernsler of Novi all had big weekends for the team. Davis finished hitting .286 with two RBIs while also making some great defensive plays for the team. Mator pitched in relief for Team Michigan, pitching 1.1 innings, allowing one run, and picking up the win against Team Massachusetts.
The brightest star for the team was Novi High School Junior, and TCU commit Uli Fernsler. Fernsler was named the MVP pitcher of the tournament for his complete game shutout of Team Georgia. In the game, he pitched seven innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out ten. Congrats to all the players and coaches on this accomplishment.
photo by Jonathan Mailhes