Gateway Indians Championship Teams

North County Baseball League

2008

Forestwood Park—Ferguson, Missouri

In their fourth season of existence, the 2008 Indians won the first championship in team history, clinching the title with a 15-0 win over Mattingly’s in the semifinals and a 19-4 demolition of the Aces in the championship game on August 10.  Earlier in the season, the Tribe reached the Final Four of the Show-Me Games before falling in the semifinals to a team from William Woods University.  Overall the Indians finished with a 23-10 record.

Brent Buffa won both the MVP and Cy Young Awards in 2008.

Manager: Justin Coliny

Coaches: Jerry Barnes, Bob Billham

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Justin Coliny, Jerry Barnes, Bryan Abbott, Matt Jayne, Adam Maschmidt, Scott Long, Eliel Malpica, Mitch Billham, Brent Haas, Josh Denson, Eric Doyle, Brent Buffa, John Antone, Brandon Schenck

2010

Forestwood Park—Ferguson, Missouri

The 2010 Indians played the most grueling schedule in team history, competing in both the North County Baseball League and the St. Louis Men’s Baseball League.  Raw talent overcame some team chemistry issues, resulting in the team’s second championship.

A schedule of 11 games in 12 days led to the North County Baseball League championship series against Edwardsville and possibly the most memorable moment in team history.  After losing the first game in the best-of-three series, the Indians found themselves trailing again and on the brink of elimination.  Manager Justin Coliny requested scorekeeper John Brocato to break out “It’s Rally Time” earlier than normal.  The Indians responded, particularly Brent Buffa, who delivered a game-winning grand slam.  Scott Long returned to the mound for the first time in two months, earning the save pitching two innings in the 9-8 deciding win.  Matt Pomerantz went 4-for-4, tying the team record (later broken by Brandon Bretscher and Justin Schaefer) for hits in a single game.

Manager: Justin Coliny
Coaches: Jerry Barnes, Bob Billham

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Matt Pomerantz, Jared Sitze, Brent Buffa, Matt Jayne (co-MVP), Scott Long, Adam Maschmidt, Adam Springmeyer (co-MVP), Brandon Marolf (Cy Young), Mitch Billham, Mitch Scheller, Matt Ellis, Justin Coliny, Jerry Barnes, Mike Moore, Joel Murphy, Bob Billham

2011

Forestwood Park—Ferguson, Missouri

Following the 2010 season, some of the chemistry issues manifested themselves as several of the Indians players left to start a competing team, the Bad Boys.  Manager Justin Coliny and new Assistant Manager Scott Long spent the offseason aggressively recruiting players, bringing Dave Kemp out of retirement while adding Pat Brannon, Nate Mabb, Robbie McMorris, Matt Meier, and Chris Meier.  The new-look team gelled quickly, winning 14 consecutive games at one point, and finishing the season 27-5.  The Indians finished with a team batting average of .389 while Brandon Marolf and Matt Ellis formed one of the best one-two pitching combinations in the area.

The Indians would have two memorable moments against the Bad Boys during the 2011 season.  Brandon Marolf threw a no-hitter in a 10-0 Tribe win.  The Indians scored a team-record 21 runs in the second inning of a 24-9 triumph against the Bad Boys.

Following the 2010 season, some of the chemistry issues manifested themselves as several of the Indians players left to start a competing team, the Bad Boys.  Manager Justin Coliny and new Assistant Manager Scott Long spent the offseason aggressively recruiting players, bringing Dave Kemp out of retirement while adding Pat Brannon, Nate Mabb, Robbie McMorris, Matt Meier, and Chris Meier.  The new-look team gelled quickly, winning 14 consecutive games at one point, and finishing the season 27-5.  The Indians finished with a team batting average of .389 while Brandon Marolf and Matt Ellis formed one of the best one-two pitching combinations in the area.

The Indians would have two memorable moments against the Bad Boys during the 2011 season.  Brandon Marolf threw a no-hitter in a 10-0 Tribe win.  The Indians scored a team-record 21 runs in the second inning of a 24-9 triumph against the Bad Boys.

The Indians swept their seven playoff games, capped by 6-4 and 9-2 wins over the White Sox to win their third and final North County Baseball League championship.  Brandon Marolf pitched a complete game to clinch the title, allowing one earned run while striking out eight.

Manager: Justin Coliny

Assistant Managers: Scott Long, Bob Billham

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Pat Brannon, Justin Coliny, Matt Ellis, Brent Haas, Matt Jayne (MVP), Dave Kemp, Scott Long, Nate Mabb, Brandon Marolf (Cy Young), Robbie McMorris, Chris Meier, Matt Meier, Matt Pomerantz

St. Louis Men’s Baseball League

2016

Sauget Field—Sauget, Illinois

After taking a hiatus for the 2014 season, the Indians returned in 2015, joining the St. Louis Men’s Baseball League and played for the MSBL title for the first time in 2016—and a considerably different roster from the previous championship team five years earlier.  The Indians had to get past the Longhorns, a team with whom the Tribe had a long-running rivalry until the Longhorns folded after the 2019 season.

The Longhorns scored five runs in the first inning and jumped to an early 6-0 lead in Game 1.  Starting with the second inning, the Tribe scored in each inning and rallied to an 11-6 win.  Matt Pomerantz and Zach Speckhals each had three hits and Michael Strope pitched a complete game with 9 strikeouts to earn the win.  The Indians fell into another five-run deficit in Game 2 before a rally capped by a three-run home run from Drew Sertich.  Zach Speckhals, who pitched a one-hit complete game in the semifinals, outlasted a Longhorns rally in the bottom of the seventh to hold onto a 15-13 win.  Scott Long earned his 35^th career win.  Drew Sertich finished with three hits and 6 RBIs while Tyler Schweigert also had three hits and drove in four.

Manager: Justin Coliny

Coach: Scott Long

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Tyler Schweigert (co-MVP), Matt Jayne, Nate Mabb, Drew Sertich (co-MVP), Matt Pomerantz, Justin Coliny, Joe Phelps (Cy Young), Zach Speckhals, Robbie Unser, Ryan Peterson, Dave Willey, Joe Kenney, Scott Long, Michael Strope, Chuck Fulford, Jordan Savage

2018

GCS Ballpark—Sauget, Illinois

Following a painful 2017 championship loss to the Longhorns, the Indians returned to the championship series a third consecutive year.  This time they found their offense and swept Bud Light to win their fifth title.

Game 1 featured a pitcher’s duel between Shawn Spainhoward and Bud Light’s Conor Faron.  Drew Sertich, reviving his postseason magic from two years earlier, broke a scoreless tie with a home run with two out in the bottom of the sixth.  After Bud Light tied the game in the seventh, Tyler Schweigert singled home Justin Coliny for a 2-1 walkoff run.  Spainhoward struck out 11 batters in the complete-game win.

With team founder Justin Coliny planning to retire following the 2018 season, his long-time teammate and friend Scott Long took the mound in Game 2.  The teams battled to a 5-5 tie through five innings.  In the top of the sixth, the Indians broke the game open with a seven-run inning.  Long earned his 39^th career win with three earned runs allowed over five innings.  Tyler Schweigert pitched the last two innings to clinch the title.  The Indians tied a team record with nine doubles in the game.  Cie Arell finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored.

Manager: Justin Coliny

Coach: Scott Long

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Cie Arell (MVP), Drew Sertich, Ryan Peterson, Justin Schaefer, Kevin Briggs, Justin Coliny, Scott Long, Matt Jayne, Tyler Schweigert, Derringer Huff (co-Cy Young), Zach Speckhals, Shawn Spainhoward (co-Cy Young), Nate Mabb, Matt Pomerantz, Michael Strope, Greg Ball

2019

Sauget Field—Sauget, Illinois

The 2019 season was a transitional year for the Indians.  Justin Coliny retired following the previous season and Tyler Schweigert took the helm.  However, Schweigert left in July to take a coaching position in Texas, putting Scott Long in charge.  At the time of his move, Schweigert was batting .609 with 20 RBIs in only 13 games.  Despite the changes, the Indians ended up winning back-to-back titles for the second time in team history.

The Thunder claimed Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series with a seventh-inning rally to take the game 14-13.  Brooks McDowell pitched the Indians to a Game 2 win, setting up a rubber game three days later.

The Indians took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh of the deciding game before the Thunder tied the game and proceeded to load the bases with only one out.  Following a foul pop out, Shawn Spainhoward coaxed a short pop-up that appeared headed for no man’s land.  Matt Pomerantz came through with a sliding basket catch to send the game into extra innings tied at four.

Two consecutive wild pitches gave the Indians a 6-4 lead in the top of the eighth.  Justin Schaefer’s ground out drove in another run.  Shawn Spainhoward finished the eight-inning complete game and improved to 21-0 as an Indian.

Managers: Tyler Schweigert (April-July), Scott Long (July-September)

Scorekeeper: John Brocato

Players: Shawn Spainhoward (Cy Young), Brooks McDowell, Drew Sertich, Matt Jayne, Cie Arell, Scott Long, Ryan Peterson, Jeremiah Vance, Cam Waltsgott, Jed Vance, Justin Schaefer, Zach Speckhals, Matt Pomerantz, Joe Kenney, Tyler Schweigert (MVP)