sports HIGHlights

J

osh Birnberg is back home. 
And it didn’
t take a long time.
Just six years after ending a 
memorable playing career with 
the West Bloomfield High School 
baseball team, Birnberg is the 
Lakers’
 new coach.
At age 24, he’
s one of the 
youngest high school coaches in 
any sport in the state.
West Bloomfield Athletic 
Director Eric Pierce, who was 
Birnberg’
s coach during the four 
years Birnberg was the starting 
shortstop for the Lakers, said he is 
ready for his new job.
“Eric knows my expectations 
for our baseball team because he 

bought into the program when he 
was a player, and he knows how 
much everyone loves baseball at 
West Bloomfield,” Pierce said.
“He’
s not going to shy away from 
anything. He has a high baseball 
IQ, beyond his years. That’
s why 
he’
ll be a great leader. He’
ll get us 
back to where we’
ve been.”
West Bloomfield went 13-20 last 
season. The Lakers don’
t finish 
under .500 very often.
Birnberg coached Motor City 
Hit Dogs 10U and 17U travel 
baseball teams the last three 
summers. He feels that experience 
— and six years of playing for the 
Hit Dogs — was great preparation 

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

30 | MARCH 19 • 2020 

Ryan Krauthamer was still waiting to see himself on 
television last week.
The West Bloomfield High School freshman was a 
competitor in the age 13-14 division in the second season 
of the American Ninja Warrior Junior TV show, but he’
s 
sworn to secrecy on how he did until his episode airs.
American Ninja Warrior Junior airs weekly at 7 p.m. 
Saturday on the Universal Kids cable channel. Episodes 
were taped last summer in Los Angeles.
Ryan was chosen to be on the show from about 
10,000 applicants. 

Elle Hartje helped the Yale University women’
s 
hockey team win a program-best 17 games this 
season.
Hartje, a freshman forward from Detroit 
Country Day School, had 11 goals and 14 assists 
for the Bulldogs. She scored two power-play goals 
and had two game-winning goals.
In her first collegiate game, she had three 
goals and an assist in Yale’
s 9-2 victory over Long 
Island on Oct. 25. She had two assists in Yale’
s 
3-0 win over St. Lawrence on Feb. 7.
Yale finished 17-15 overall and 13-9 in the 
ECAC Hockey conference. The Bulldogs lost 4-3 to Harvard in triple-overtime 
in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Hartje was the captain and scoring leader for the Belle Tire 19U women’
s 
team that won a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2019 at the 
USA Hockey National Championships.
She was a four-time tennis individual and team champion and a four-time 
all-state selection in soccer while she was at Country Day.

YALE UNIVERSITY

ROY KRAUTHAMER

From Captain
to Coach

At age 24, ex-West Bloomfi
 eld High 
School shortstop Josh Birnberg is now 
in charge of the Lakers.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Josh Nodler had three goals and five assists in 36 games this 
season for the Michigan State University men’
s hockey team.
The freshman forward from Oak Park scored against Cornell 
(Nov. 2), Michigan (Nov. 16) and Notre Dame (Feb. 29).
His assists came against Northern Michigan (Oct. 11), 
Michigan (Nov. 14), Notre Dame (Nov. 23 and Feb. 28) and 
Michigan Tech (Dec. 30).
Michigan State finished 15-19-2 overall and 11-11-2 in the 
Big Ten Conference.
A Berkley High School graduate, Nodler was selected in the 
fifth round (150th overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2019 NHL draft.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Josh Birnberg looks toward home plate 
during a West Bloomfield High School 
freshman baseball game last season. 

LAURA SCHWARTZ

NMLS#2289
brought to you in partnership with 

CAROL HENSON

Josh Birnberg (left) takes in a West Bloomfield High School boys 
basketball game at Breslin Center in East Lansing with friends Max 
Sandberg and Mitchell Jones.

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