32 | MARCH 19 • 2020 

Birnberg went to Eastern 
Michigan University to play 
baseball.
But he didn’
t spend much 
time in Ypsilanti, leaving after 
a freshman red-shirt season 
and transferring to Oakland 
University, where he didn’
t play 
baseball and earned a degree in 
communications in 2018.
“I must admit, it took me a 
while to get over not playing 
baseball anymore,” Birnberg 
said. “I started playing high-
level baseball when I was 9. 
Getting into coaching with 
the Hit Dogs really helped me 
through a tough time.”
Birnberg also coached the 
West Bloomfield freshman 
baseball team last spring and, 
this winter, he was the coach of 
the undefeated (12-0) Abbott 

Middle School seventh-grade 
boys basketball team.
He’
s also a hitting and 
fielding instructor at High 
Performance Training in 
Keego Harbor.
So why did Birnberg coach 
basketball at Abbott?
He has experience in the 
sport. He played basketball at 
West Bloomfield.
He was the Lakers’
 starting 
point guard as a sophomore 
and junior, but he didn’
t play 
basketball as a senior so he 
could concentrate on baseball.
Birnberg’
s first scheduled 
game as West Bloomfield’
s 
baseball coach was to be 
March 23, but the game 
was canceled due to the 
coronavirus. 

continued from page 31

S

tandings in the B’
nai 
B’
rith basketball league 
through eight weeks of 
the nine-week regular season:

1. Pisgah/Zeiger 8-0
2. Pisgah 5-3
3. Brotherhood I 2-6

4. Brotherhood II 1-7

High scorers in Week 7 
and Week 8:
1. Eric Fishman (Pisgah) 35 points
2. Steve Lipshaw (Pisgah/Zeiger) 22 
points 
3 (Tie). Avi Katz (Brotherhood I) 21 
points; Mike Morris (Pisgah/Zeiger) 21 
points 
5. (Tie) Max Kersch (Brotherhood II) 20 
points; Rusian Shamayev (Brotherhood 
I) 20 points 
7. Justin Peters (Brotherhood II) 16 
points 
8. (Tie) David Banooni (Pisgah) 15 
points; Dan Serlin (Pisgah-Zeiger) 15 
points 
10. Jenard Long (Pisgah-Zeiger) 14 

points

Playoffs 
Due to the cornoavirus, the playoffs 
scheduled for March 22 have been 
postponed, date to be determined.

Stats

sports HIGHlights

brought to you in partnership with 

NMLS#2289

The Frankel Jewish Academy 
boys bowling team wasn’
t on a roll 
this season, but it was a very good 
year for the Jaguars.
They finished fourth among nine 
teams in their Catholic League 
division, winning seven of 10 
matches, and they were 8-4 overall.
They once again couldn’
t compete 
in the Catholic League tournament 
because it was held on Shabbat, but 
thanks to accommodations made by 
the Michigan High School Athletic 
Association and Ten Pin Alley in 
Tecumseh and not being on winter 
break, they were able to compete in 
a Division 4 regional tournament.
FJA bowlers participated in the 
individual portion of the regional 
Thursday, Feb. 27, instead of the 
scheduled Saturday, Feb. 29. They 
competed in the team portion Friday, 
Feb. 28, during the day.
Senior Hannah Resnick, the lone 
girl on the FJA team (there was no 
girls team), led the Jaguars in the 
individual competition at the regional 
with a 33rd-place finish among 91 
bowlers. She rolled 911 in six games.

Senior Jonah Feldman was 
38th with 865. The top 10 bowlers 
qualified for the state tournament.
FJA was 11th of 16 teams in the 
regional team competition, which 
consisted of six Baker games and 
three match-play games. The top 
three teams moved on to state.
Sophomore Eli Gordon was 
FJA’
s top bowler during the season, 
averaging 159. He was named to the 
Catholic League All-League Team.
“Eli struggled early in the season, 
but he really came on at the end,” 
said FJA coach Joe Bernstein. “He 
probably averaged 185 after the new 
year with multiple games of more 
than 200.”

Also on the FJA roster were 
seniors Avery Feldman and 
Elliot Kaftan and sophomores 
Andy Tukel, Adam State, Jacob 
Bronstein, Daniel Stryk and 
Charlie LaBelle.
Avery Feldman was named to the 
Catholic League All-Academic Team.
Langan’
s Nor-West Lanes in 
Farmington Hills once again was 
FJA’
s home lanes.

Above: Members of the Frankel Jewish 
Academy bowling team.

ABOVE: Josh Birnberg (left) and team-
mate Brandon Wallace show off the West 
Bloomfield High School baseball team’
s 
district championship trophy in 2014.

WENDY BIRNBERG

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

CAPTAIN TO COACH continued from page 31

WENDY BIRNBERG
MARLEE SHIFMAN

GARY KLINGER

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