66 | APRIL 27 • 2023 

SPORTS

J

osh Birnberg is the coach of a state-
ranked high school baseball team.
“We’re good, and I think people 
respect us for what we did last year,
” he said.
What West Bloomfield did last year 
was finish 32-8. The Lakers won the 
championship of the Oakland Activities 
Association White Division with a 10-2 
record and were beaten by eventual Division 
1 champion and national power Orchard 
Lake St. Mary’s in the district finals.
It was West Bloomfield’s first league title 
since 2015. Before that, the Lakers hadn’t 
won a league championship since 1998.
West Bloomfield is ranked No. 8 in 
Division 1 in the Michigan High School 
Baseball Coaches Association’s most recent 
poll. St. Mary’s is No. 1.
The Lakers are No. 12 in Prep Baseball 
Report’s top 25 statewide power rankings 
(No. 9 in Division 1), and No. 17 in SBLive’s 
top 25 statewide power rankings.
West Bloomfield has moved into the 
OAA Red Division — arguably the toughest 
division for baseball in the OAA — joining 
Clarkston, Lake Orion, Oxford, Rochester, 
Rochester Adams and Rochester Hills Stony 
Creek. Adams is ranked No. 9 in Division 1 
by the Coaches Association.
“I’m looking forward to playing in that 
division,
” Birnberg said. “There will be great 
competition during the season, and it will 
prepare us for the state playoffs. It’s a win/
win for us.
”
West Bloomfield was 12-3 including 3-2 
in the OAA Red as of last week, losing twice 
to Adams.
In addition to the Jewish coach, there are 
five Jewish players on the West Bloomfield 
roster. They are senior catcher Jacob Mills, 
senior utility player/pitcher Quinn Lewis, 
junior catcher Max Gross and 
junior pitchers Ari Klinger 
and Andre Landau.
Of the five, Gross probably 
will see the most action this 
season. This is his second 
year on the team.

Right now, he’s splitting time behind the 
plate and getting an occasional at-bat as he 
recovers from a compound dislocation of 
his right pinkie finger.
He suffered the injury in late February 
playing basketball with friends.
“I can’t completely close my hand,
” he 
said.
Gross said West Bloomfield is a talented 
baseball team.
“We’re strong 1-9 in our lineup. We have 
a bunch of guys who are going to play 
baseball in college,
” he said, including senior 
catcher Zack Matthews, who is headed to 
Concordia University.

Gross wants to play college baseball.
He loves being a catcher.
“You’re always doing something out there 
during a game,
” he said. “You always have an 
impact on what’s happening. I enjoy that.
”
Gross, 17, is the son of cantor Dan Gross 
of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington 
Hills. He’s the oldest of Dan and Lauren 
Gross’ four children. His siblings are Zev, 12, 
Zosia, 11, and Bram, 9. The family lives in 
West Bloomfield.
This is Birnberg’s fourth year in charge of 
the Lakers. His first season was wiped out 
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“
All we had that year were tryouts,
” he 
said.
West Bloomfield went 25-15 in Birnberg’s 
first actual season and finished in a three-
way tie for second place in the OAA White 
with a 9-6 record.
“It’s been fun coaching,
” he said. “Of 
course, the more winning you do, the more 
fun it is.
”
Birnberg is a former West Bloomfield 
baseball player. He was the starting 
shortstop for four years, including the 2014 
team that upset Birmingham Brother Rice 
in the districts and advanced to the regional 
finals.
One year after he graduated, the Lakers 
ended their league championship drought. 

Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

Coach Josh Birnberg’s West Bloomfield High School 
baseball team is one of the best in the state.
Diamond Dandy

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JOSH BIRNBERG

Josh 
Birnberg

GARY KLINGER

GARY KLINGER

Max Gross sets up behind the plate.
Andre Landau (left), Ari Klinger and Jacob 
Mills take a walk.
Max Gross

MAX GROSS

