Coach Dunfield and the Bears have a lot to be happy about despite falling one game short of their goals. The Bears defeated Warren Mott 13-0 in the pre-district game, and defeated rival Royal Oak in the district semi-finals 10-2, whom they lost to in the district semi-finals last year. After beating Royal Oak, they faced Warren Cousino in the District Championship where they were defeated 10-4.
In the pre-district game, captain Drew Sermo got the start on the mound and delivered a dominant performance. Sermo pitched all five innings in the mercy-rule victory, striking out nine batters. He also contributed at the plate, recording two hits and driving in three runs. Freshman Jake Jones and senior Noah Lambertson each drove in two runs, while junior Sam Sermo collected three hits and an RBI. Senior Ryan Meinke added two hits and drove in a run to help power the Bears’ offense.
In the district semifinals against Royal Oak, Drew Sermo took the mound once again and turned in another dominant performance. The junior pitched a complete game, striking out eight batters while allowing just one earned run over seven innings. At the plate, freshman Jake Jones and Josh Luptak each recorded two hits and combined for five RBIs, with Jones also blasting his second home run of the season. Junior Will Schmidt, senior Ryan Meinke, junior Sam Sermo, freshman Landon Lutz, and Drew Sermo each added a hit as the Bears powered their way to a 10-2 victory.
In the district championship game, junior Will Schmidt got the start on the mound, pitching four innings while striking out six batters and allowing four earned runs. Senior Ryan Meinke and junior Dylan Field came on in relief, combining for four strikeouts. At the plate, Schmidt and Lutz each recorded two hits, with Lutz also hitting his second home run of the season. Luptak, Jones, and Lucas Eyeler added a hit apiece, but the Bears ultimately fell 10-4 to Warren Cousino.
The baseball season is long, and it’s important to stay together as a team throughout the season, “I think throughout the season we have improved our team chemistry on and off the field.” says Sermo.
Despite losing in the championship game, the Bears defeated the No. 12 team in the state, Troy Athens, tied No. 10 Howell, swept Seaholm, and swept league rival Bloomfield Hills. Alongside those team accomplishments, Junior pitcher Will Schmidt reached 100 career strikeouts, Freshman Gavin Duggan threw a no-hitter against Warren Woods Tower, and several players recorded their first varsity hits and strikeouts.
For Junior captain Sam Sermo, the highlight of the season was the team’s sweep against Bloomfield Hills. He also pointed out that the victory against Troy Athens was “huge for our team because it got us back on track at the start of the season after a couple tough losses to competitive teams.”
The Bears strong play against some of the top teams in the state showed how much the team has grown throughout the season. Sam said that tying Howell “showed that we could compete with the top teams in the state.” He also credited the team’s success to its energy and focus during key series, “The energy was incredible during the BH (Bloomfield Hills) and Athens series. Everyone was locked in and focused as well.”
The resilience and effort was shown in these games, as Sam says, “The game that stands out to me the most is our second game against West Bloomfield. Due to the fact that the day before that we lost 13-0, but we stayed positive and resilient. Even though we still lost that game we played our hearts out that night.”
As the season came to an end, Sam was proud of both his own growth and the development of the team. “Personally, I am most proud of my attitude. In baseball it’s really hard to lose focus mentally and have a bad attitude. But I feel like I have kept my composure through all the tough situations.” From a team perspective, Sam is really proud of all of the freshmen that stepped up on the varsity level, “I’m most proud of our freshmen and how they have played valuable roles for our team this season.”
While the Bears fell one game short of a district title, the future remains bright with a talented core returning next season. Looking ahead, the team’s focus is already on improving for next year. “For the offseason our goals as a team are to build stronger relationships and play as much baseball as we can. Getting constant reps,” Sam said.
Although the season ended sooner than the Bears had hoped, their growth, resilience, and success against top competition provided a lot to celebrate. With key contributors returning and a talented group of underclassmen gaining valuable experience, the future of Bears baseball looks bright.
