Darius Washington wins 2025 AAA HR derby
Washington and Kendrick at it again a year after earning co-champ title

August 15, 2025

PARMA—Outfielder Darius Washington and third basemen Andrew Kendrick met in the finals of the Cuyahoga County AAA’s HR derby once again.  However, unlike last year when darkness forced a tie, Washington prevailed in the championship by the score of 10-7.

In addition to Darius and Andrew, Jacob Connery and Jon Nola also participated in the 12-player derby.  Connery finished in a tie for third.  He hit five home runs in the second round, which fell just short of the six needed to advance to the finals.

Format: Each team sends two players in addition to last year’s champion(s).  The returning champion(s) receive a bye while the other 10 players compete in round 1.  The top four players from round 1 join the returning champion(s) in round 2.  The top two players from round 2 meet in the finals.

Sox sweep 2025 All-AAA awards
Five Blue Sox earn all-league, including MVP, "Best Hitter,", and "Best Pitcher"

August 15, 2025

The 2025 Berea Blue Sox had a trio of talent sweep the Cuyahoga County AAA’s highest league honors on Friday evening. Zac Johnson was named the league’s MVP while Jon Nola was named the league’s “Best Hitter” and Jonathan Sprowls was named the league’s “Best Pitcher.”

Johnson led the Blue Sox and the AAA with six (6) home runs, was first on the Sox and second in the league with 18 RBI, and batted .371 (13-for-35).  His impressive .540 OBP and .943 slugging resulted in an incredible 1.483 OPS.

Nola was a model of consistency all year—and for the last two years—hitting .377 (20-for-53). He led the team and league with seven (7) doubles.  He added one (1) HR and 15 RBI.  Jon’s OPS was also north of 1.000 as he had a .441 OBP and .566 slugging.

Sprowls turned in a fantastic season from start to finish.  He was built up early and ready to throw, going 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched.  He allowed just one (1) run all season and had a phenomenal 22-2 K-BB ratio.

Joining Zac, Jon, and Jonathan on the all-league team were newcomer Brady Maciak (OF) and 2024 MVP Andrew Kendrick (3B).  Maciak led the league in average (.424).  Brady had two (2) doubles, one (1) triple, and three (3) home runs.  He slashed .424/.548/.818 and had a 1.366 OPS.  Kendrick was second on the Sox in home runs (4).  He slashed .356/.475/.711 and had an OPS of 1.186.. 

2025 All-Cuyahoga County AAA

C        Jon Nola (Berea Blue Sox)                            .377 – BEST HITTER
1B      Zac Johnson (Berea Blue Sox)                     .371
2B      Trey Haley (Cleveland Marlins)                        .375
SS      Christian Stanziano (Fairview Cardinals)         .356
3B      Andrew Kendrick (Berea Blue Sox)              .356
OF     Brady Maciak (Berea Blue Sox)                     .424
OF     Flynn Lenahan (Cleveland Marlins)                  .345
OF     Jesus Roldan (Cleveland Marlins)                    .304
DH     Jared Carpenter (Goathouse Goats)                .341
P        Jonathan Sprowls (Berea Blue Sox)             3-0, 0.34 ERA – BEST PITCHER
P        Robinson Reyes (Cleveland Marlins)               4-2, 1 SV, 3.53 ERA

MVP   Zac Johnson (Berea Blue Sox)

Qualifications: Position players must have 36 plate appearances (i.e., 2.1 plate appearances per 17 league games) and pitchers must have 17 innings pitched (i.e., 1.0 inning pitched per 17 league games)

Blue Sox fall in NABF World Series championship
Beecher Muskies overcome deficit to knock off Sox in final innings

August 3, 2025

NAPERVILLE, Ill.—The Berea Blue Sox held a 6-1 led over the Beecher (Ill.) Muskies after five innings of play in the NABF World Series championship game but fell short by a final of 10-6 at North Central College’s Zimmerman field on Sunday afternoon.

The Sox held the advantage thanks in large part to the offensive output of outfielders Darius Washington and Brady Maciak and third baseman Andrew Kendrick along with the pitching of starter Cam Fuller. Washington went 3-for-6, Maciak 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBI, and Kendrick was 1-for-2 with four walks. 

Unfortunately, the Muskies rallied to score four runs in the sixth and eighth innings, knocking off the Sox and capturing their first world series title since 2010.

Although the final outcome was not ideal, the Sox fought hard all tournament, overcoming injuries and a major setback in their opening game, a 14-1 loss to the Lombard (Ill.) Orioles.

In game two, starter Mike Herringshaw was clutch—as he always is at the World Series—tossing a complete game victory over the Portland (Ind.) Rockets.  Mike scattered eight hits over seven innings in the 6-1 win.  Washington, Maciak, and DH Jon Nola led the offense as all three players went 2-for-3.  Washington had a triple, home run, and two RBI; Nola had a triple and RBI; and Maciak added an RBI and stole a base.

Game three turned out to be a win-and-your-in scenario for the Blue Sox.  Washington again led the offense (2-for-3, HBP, RBI) with fellow outfielder Jake Plata (2-for-3, RBI), but it was the pitching of starter Jeff Salay and closer Johnny Anservitz that helped the team win their pool with a 3-2 victory over the Hackensack (N.J.) Troasts.  Salay tossed six innings of one-hit baseball before turning it over to Anservitz for the two-out save.

Berea’s quarterfinal match-up was a second chance for the Rockets to scratch across more than a lone run, but the pitching of Jonathan Sprowls and Answervitz kept Portland from scoring at all in the 5-0 shutout.  As he had been all throughout the regular season, Sprowls was dominant,   allowing just four hits while striking out five.  After an injury forced Sprowls out of the game, Anservitz tossed the final two innings to secure the team’s advancement to the semifinals.  Washington and catcher Eric White each had two hits in the game.  Eric had two RBI and Darius drove in one run.

The semifinals pitted the Sox against the defending national champion Buffalo Diesel.  Just before first pitch the team had to make an emergency pitching change.  Owen Gerba was tabbed to start just moments before the home plate meeting.  He stepped in and threw 4.1 innings, allowing an earned run on three hits while striking out four.  Once gain Anservitz was called upon to hold the lead.  Johnny stepped in to stop the Diesel, who were threatening with two runners on and only one out.  He then proceeded to throw four more innings, racking up eight strikeouts.  Berea, which had been leading 2-1, added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, before the Diesel were finally able to tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Zac Johnson came up huge for the Sox as he led off the top of the ninth with a double and was later plated on Kendrick’s RBI single.  Berea added another insurance run to make it 5-3 and Anservitz shut the door in the ninth.

Pool Play

Lombard Orioles (Ill.) 14, Blue Sox 1

Blue Sox 6, Portland (Ind.) Rockets 1

Blue Sox 3, Hackensack (N.J.) Troasts 2

Quarterfinals

Blue Sox 5, Portland (Ind.) Rockets 0

Semifinals

Blue Sox 5, Buffalo Diesel 3

Championship

Beecher (Ill.) Muskies 10, Blue Sox 6

All-Tournament Team

Darius Washington (OF): 11-for-21 (.524), 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Jake Plata (OF): 6-for-16 (.375), 4 RBI, 4 BB

Mike Herringshaw (SP): 7.0 IP (W; CG), 1 ER, 8 H, 1 K

Johnny Anservitz (RP): 8.2 IP, 1 W, 1 SV, 3 ER, 8 H, 12 K

Blue Sox claim Cuyahoga County AAA title
Berea seals 19th consecutive league title with win at Fairview

July 7, 2025

FAIRVIEW—The Berea Blue Sox (15-2) defeated the Fairview Cardinals, 5-0, in their second-to-last game of the regular season on Monday evening at Bohlken Park.  The win sealed the team’s 19th consecutive Cuyahoga County AAA championship (2007-2025).  Berea won the first half of the regular season with an 8-0 record before locking up the second half with a 7-2 record.

Starter Jonathan Sprowls earned the win for the Sox.  He allowed just one hit while striking out six over four innings.  Catcher Eric White led the offense with two hits (2-for-4) and two RBI. 

The game was scoreless through the first three innings before the Sox got on the board in the top of the fourth inning on Brendan Krowka’s two-out, RBI single.  Following Krowka, the Sox saw four straight hitters reach base as Jackson Homage singled, Jacob Connery walked, and Brady Maciak and White hit back-to-back doubles that each plated two runs. Relievers Manny Nager, Owen Gerba, and Johnny Anservitz tossed back-to-back-to-back hitless innings, striking out six and walking none, to preserve the victory.

Berea dropped only two games in 2025 after losing only once in 2024.  The team dropped the first two games of the second half within the same week.  Following the brief skid they won the next six games they played by a combined score of 54-4.

Washington & Kendrick win AAA home run derby
Co-champs put on a show before darkness forces a tie

August 16, 2024

PARMA—Outfielder Darius Washington and third basemen Andrew Kendrick were named co-champs of the AAA's annual home run derby at State Road Park on Friday evening.

The pair, along with Berea first baseman Zac Johnson, all drew byes in the first round of the 12-person derby due to their regular season home runs (Washington 5*, Kendrick 6^, Johnson 2) and Washington's having finished as the 2023 home run derby runner-up. (^league leader, *league runner-up)

All three made the final four, but it was Washington and Kendrick who prevailed as darkness forced the event to end in a tie.

Kendrick MVP, White "Best Hitter" in 2024
Five Blue Sox earn All-AAA selections

August 15, 2024

STRONGSVILLE—Led by MVP Andrew Kendrick and the league’s “Best Hitter,” Eric White, five members of the 2024 Cuyahoga County AAA champion Berea Blue Sox were named to the all-league team on Thursday evening.

In just his first season with the Sox, Kendrick hit .452 and led the league with six home runs.  His OBP of .566 and slugging of .929 combined for a 1.495 OPS.  He was second in the league in RBI (22).

White hit .476 and led the league with 25 runs scored, 21 walks, and a .652 OBP.  He tied for third in the league with 21 RBI.

Washington hit .379 and led the league with 26 RBI.  He finished just behind Kendrick with five home runs.

Joining Andrew, Eric, and Darius were DH Jonathan Nola and pitcher Alex Sir Louis.  Nola led the league in average (.489) and hits (23) and tied for the league lead with seven doubles.  Sir Louis fell just shy of being named the league’s “Best Pitcher” for the second year in a row.  Alex finished 4-1 with a 0.94 ERA (three earned runs all season).  He struck out 36 batters in 22.1 innings pitched for a 1.6K/IP ratio. 

2024 All-Cuyahoga County AAA
C        Eric White (Berea Blue Sox) - .476 – BEST HITTER
1B      Mike Faile Johnson (Fairview Cardinals) - .400
2B      Sami Mehmed (Firehouse Indians) - .328
SS      Jason Sassano (Indians) - .400
3B      Andrew Kendrick (Berea Blue Sox) - .452
OF     Darius Washington (Berea Blue Sox) - .418
OF     Nick Reinhart (Goathouse Goats) - .375
OF     Dan Kraus (Fairview Cardinals) - .333
DH     Jonathan Nola (Berea Blue Sox) - .489
P        Robinson Reyes (Los Marlins de Cleveland) - 3-3, 1.25 ERA  –  BEST PITCHER
P        Alex Sir Louis (Berea Blue Sox) - 4-1, 0.94 ERA 

MVP  Andrew Kendrick (Berea Blue Sox)

Qualifications: Position players must have 42 plate appearances (i.e., 2.1 plate appearances per 20 league games) and pitchers must have 20 innings pitched (i.e., 1.0 inning pitched per 20 league games)

Blue Sox clinch AAA title
Berea wins 18th consecutive Cuyahoga County AAA championship

July 8, 2024

STRONGSVILLE—The Berea Blue Sox (18-1) defeated the Fairview Cardinals, 10-3, in their second-to-last game of the regular season on Tuesday.  The win locked up their 18th consecutive Cuyahoga County AAA championship (2007-2024).

Berea had won the first half of the regular season with a 9-1 record.  Winning that half coupled with their win over Fairview—giving the Cardinals three second-half losses with only one game to play—secured the overall league championship. 

Starter Mike Herringshaw earned the win for the Sox.  Catcher Eric White and outfielder Darius Washington led the offense.  White went 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored while Washington was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

Berea dropped their first game of the season before running off 19 straight wins on their way to the title.

Seven Blue Sox named All-AAA
Sir Louis selected as league's "Best Pitcher"

January 24, 2024

STRONGSVILLE—Seven members of the 2023 NABF World Series champion Berea Blue Sox were named to the All-Cuyahoga County AAA team on Tuesday evening.  Headlining the group was pitcher Alex Sir Louis, who was named the AAA’s “Best Pitcher.” 

Sir Louis was 3-0 on the season with a 0.88 ERA over 24.0 innings pitched.  He allowed just four runs all season, three of which were earned. 

Mike Herringshaw joined Sir Louis as the second pitcher on the all-league team. “BGH” was 5-1 with a 2.24 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched. 

The Sox swept the outfield selections with Darius Washington, Alex Johnson, and Alex Massaroni being chosen to the team.  Rounding out the Sox’ selections were first baseman Zac Johnson and DH Eric White.

2023 All-Cuyahoga County AAA
C        Richard Perez (Los Marlins de Cleveland) - .444
1B      Zac Johnson (Berea Blue Sox) - .343
2B      Sami Mehmed (Firehouse Indians) - .326
SS      Johnny Costella (Fairview Cardinals) - .390
3B      Christian Stanziano (Fairview Cardinals) - .513 – BEST HITTER
OF     Darius Washington (Berea Blue Sox) - .418
OF     Alex Johnson (Berea Blue Sox) - .475
OF     Alex Massaroni (Berea Blue Sox) - .409
DH     Eric White (Berea Blue Sox) - .292
P        Alex Sir Louis (Berea Blue Sox) - 3-0, 0.88 ERA  –  BEST PITCHER
P        Mike Herringshaw (Berea Blue Sox) - 5-1, 2.24 ERA 

MVP   Christian Stanziano (Cardinals)

3X NABF WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
Back-to-back...and back again: Blue Sox win 2023 NABF World Series

August 6, 2023

BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—The Berea Blue Sox became just the ninth* team in the 109-year history of the NABF to win three world series championships on Sunday when they defeated the Lombard (Ill.) Orioles, 5-2, at Nichols Field in Bailey Park.

Berea jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a first-inning home run by left fielder and tournament MVP Darius Washington.  Lombard added a few runs to draw close at 3-2, but RBIs by center fielder Alex Johnson and catcher Jonathan Nola and the pitching of starter Alex Sir Louis and reliever Dan Kraus were enough for the Sox to hold on in a rain-shortened, six-inning championship game.

The Sox started the tournament with a bang as leadoff hitter Zac Johnson hit a home run on the second pitch of the opening game and the Sox never looked back.  Berea beat the Manistee (Mich.) Saints, 9-3, as starter Jeff Salay threw five innings, giving up just three hits and no earned runs in the victory.  Johnson was 2-for-4 with the home run, a double, and three RBI.  Short stop Jake Kucia was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.

In game two, starter Mike Herringshaw threw the team’s first of three complete games in a 6-2 win over the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Black Sox.  Herringshaw allowed just four hits over seven innings in the win.  The Sox did all of their damage in the fifth inning, scoring six times on the strength of a three-run double by Alex Johnson.  Third baseman Steve Ross was 2-for-3 with an RBI in the victory.

The team’s third pool play game was another 6-2 win, this time over the Michiana (Ind.) Brewers.  Starter Chris Hahn allowed just one earned run on three hits over six innings to pick up the win.  The offense was led by Alex Massaroni who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.  Kucia launched a solo home run for the Sox.

Berea’s quarterfinal match-up against the Buffalo Stingers started out with a lot of offense as the team scored two runs in each of the first two innings.  However after that the Sox relied on starter Matt LaRocca to keep the Stingers at bay.  Rock tossed a complete game shutout, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits over nine innings in the 4-0 victory.  Eric White led the offense going 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Zac Johnson was 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

The bats exploded in a 17-4 win over the Hackensack (N.J.) Troast in the semifinals.  Six players collected multiple hits and five players drove in multiple runs in the 20-hit affair.  Darius Washington led the way going 4-for-5 with a double, home run and two RBI.  Fellow outfielders Alex Johnson and Jake Plata each had three hits and two RBI.  First baseman Zac Johnson was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, triple, and three RBI.  Starter Kyle Stahlberg threw the team’s third complete game.

In the team’s six games the pitching staff allowed just 13 runs (11 earned) on 25 hits over 43 innings of work, resulting in a 1.74 ERA.  Blue Sox hitters pounded out 57 hits and scored 47 runs in that same 43-inning span. For their efforts, LaRocca and Hahn were named to the all-tournament team as pitchers and Zac Johnson (1B), Alex Johnson (OF), and Jonathan Nola (UTIL) joined MVP Washington (OF) as position players.

This year’s tournament was the last in an 11-year run as host for Battle Creek.  In their five consecutive appearances at Bailey Park (2018-19, 2021-23), the Blue Sox went 22-4 (12-3 in pool play, 10-1 in the playoffs) and won three World Series Championships (2019, 2021, 2023).

Pool Play

Blue Sox 9, Manistee (Mich.) Saints 3

Blue Sox 6, Hattiesburg (Miss.) Black Sox 2

Blue Sox 6, Michiana (Ind.) Brewers 2

Quarterfinals

Blue Sox 4, Buffalo Stingers 0

Semifinals

Blue Sox 17, Hackensack (N.J.) Troast 4 (7)

Championship

Blue Sox 5, Lombard (Ill.) Orioles 2 (6)

All-Tournament Team

Darius Washington (MVP; OF): 7-for-19 (.368), 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI

Zac Johnson (1B): 7-for-18 (.389), 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB

Alex Johnson (OF): 7-for-19 (.368), 3 2B, 7 RBI

Jonathan Nola (UTIL): 7-for-13 (.538), 1 2B, 3 RBI, 6B B

Matt LaRocca (P): 9.0 IP (W; CG SHO), 2 H, 13 K

Chris Hahn (P): 6.0 IP (W), 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K

Kneeling (L-R): Alex Massaroni, Dylan McHaffie, Jake Kucia, Chris Hahn, Rob Jackman, Mike Herringshaw, Jake Plata, Eric White

Standing: Brendan Krowka, Dereck Lopez, Kyle Stahlberg, Adam Gray, Darius Washington, Alex Sir Louis, Matt LaRocca, Jonathan Nola, Alex Johnson, Steve Ross, Zac Johnson, Jonathan Sprowls, Dan Kraus

Not Pictured: Jeff Salay

*Teams that have won three NABF World Series championships (Cleveland White Autos - 1915, 1918, 1921; Cleveland Fisher Foods - 1931, 1932, 1936; New York City Equitable Life - 1948, 1949, 1950; Youngstown McKelvey's Stores - 1953, 1954, 1955; Detroit ITM - 1972, 1973, 1976; Louisville Star Drywall - 1977, 1980, 1991, 2000; Cincinnati Reading Taxi - 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990; Detroit Jet Box - 1997, 2007, 2009; Buffalo Battistoni Diesel - 2015, 2017, 2022)

BACK 2 BACK NABF CHAMPS
Blue Sox win 2021 NABF World Series

August 8, 2021

BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—The Berea Blue Sox became just the ninth team in the 107-year history of the NABF to win back-to-back world series championships on Sunday when they defeated the Buffalo Diesel, 16-8, at C.O. Brown Stadium.  The Sox are the first team to win two in a row since Cincinnati Reading Taxi won in 1989 and 1990.

Berea feel behind early, 6-0, after only two innings, the opposite of how they started the 2019 championship game.  They rallied to score 14 unanswered runs, including four in the seventh and seven in the eighth, to beat Buffalo for the second time in the tournament.  Earlier in pool play the Sox took down the Diesel, 8-4.  This is the third year the team has eliminated the 2015 and 2017 national champions.

Center fielder Alex Johnson was named tournament MVP and first baseman Zac Johnson was named the tournament's batting champion, hitting an impressive .500 (14-for-28) with four home runs.

Joining Johnson & Johnson on the all-tournament team were third baseman Steve Ross, outfielder Jake Plata, and pitcher Mike Herringshaw.

Pool Play

Battle Creek (Mich.) Merchants 6, Blue Sox 5

Blue Sox 8, Pittsburgh St. John's 3

Blue Sox 8, Buffalo Diesel 4

Quarterfinals

Blue Sox 6, Beecher (Ill.) Muskies 5

Semifinals

Blue Sox 9, Lombard (Ill.) Orioles 4

Championship

Blue Sox 16, Buffalo Diesel 8 (8)

Kneeling (L-R): Jake Kucia, Jake Plata, Dylan McHaffie, Alex Massaroni, Bryan Miller, Mike Herringshaw, Jeff Salay, Rob Jackman, Chris Hahn

Standing: Bobby Mullin, Jeff Petkac, Darius Washington, Jonathan Nola, Brendan Krowka, Zac Johnson, Adam Gray, Steve Ross, Matt LaRocca, Alex Johnson, Kyle Stahlberg, Alex Sir Louis, Jonathan Sprowls, Robinson Reyes, Eric White

Not Pictured: Ryan Adams

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
Blue Sox win 2019 NABF World Series

August 11, 2019

BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—The Berea Blue Sox finally ascended the mountain top on Sunday, winning the 106th NABF World Series, 10-6, over the Brunswick (Md.) Orioles at C.O. Brown Stadium.  

Berea scored two runs in the first and four in the second to jump out to an early 6-1 lead.  They tacked on another run to go up 7-1 before the Orioles clawed back to within 7-5.  The teams traded scoring in the later innings, but the Sox were able to secure the 10-6 victory.   

Right fielder Jake Plata was named tournament MVP and third baseman Steve Ross was named the tournament's batting champion for the second consecutive year.

Pool Play

Blue Sox 9, Fort Wayne (Ind.) Jackers 0 (7)

Blue Sox 11, Mid-Michigan Tigers 7

Blue Sox 5, Lombard (Ill.) Orioles 4

Quarterfinals

Blue Sox 9, Buffalo Diesel 0 (8)

Semifinals

Blue Sox 4, Detroit Jet Box 3

Championship

Blue Sox 10, Brunswick (Md.) Orioles 6

Kneeling (L-R): Chuck Mechling, Adam Gray, Bryan Miller, Mike LaLonde, Mike Herringshaw, Ryan Adams, Dylan McHaffie, Jonathan Nola

Standing: Jake Plata, Jeff Petkac, Kyle Stahlberg, Darius Washington, Zac Johnson, Steve Ross, Alex Johnson, Matt LaRocca, Eric White, Jonathan Sprowls, Brendan Krowka

Not Pictured: Jeff Salay