I

t was a great 2024 season for 
the West Bloomfield High 
School baseball team despite a 
frustrating ending.
Josh Birnberg won his 100th 
career game in his four sea-
sons as the Lakers’ coach when 
West Bloomfield beat North 
Farmington 6-0 on the road April 
25. 
Birnberg is now 115-44 since 
he was named West Bloomfield’s 
coach prior to the 2020 season 
that was cancelled because of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. 
The 28-year-old has deep ties 
to the West Bloomfield baseball 
team. 
He played for the Lakers for 
four years. He was a standout 
senior shortstop on the 2014 West 
Bloomfield team that shocked 
Birmingham Brother Rice in the 
state tournament and advanced to 
Elite Eight.
The Lakers finished 31-8 overall 
in 2024 against a tough sched-
ule and they won the Oakland 
Activities Association White 
Division championship with a 
12-3 record. 
They were 23-1 overall at one 
point of the season. Three of 
their final seven losses were one-
run decisions to OAA White foe 
Birmingham Seaholm during the 
same week after the Lakers had 
clinched the division title.
West Bloomfield was ranked in 
the top five in Division 1 most of 

the season. The Lakers were No. 
12 in the final poll, which was 
released in late May, just prior to 
the start of the state tournament.
West Bloomfield’s Jewish coach 
had five Jewish players, all seniors, 
on his roster. Four are moving on 
to play college baseball. 
Pitchers Ari Klinger and Quinn 
Lewis are going to Albion College. 
Utility man extraordinaire 
Mitchell Rebtoy is off to Macomb 
Community College. 
Andre Landau, another pitcher, 
didn’t play for West Bloomfield 
this past spring because of an 
elbow injury, but he plans to play 
at Lansing Community College.
Catcher Max Gross, son of 
Daniel Gross, the cantor at Adat 
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington 
Hills, won’t be playing college 
baseball. He’ll be serving his coun-
try. He’s enlisted in the Air Force 
and will report for basic training 
in Texas.
“I had an offer to play baseball 
at Henry Ford College. I love 
baseball, but I think I’m done with 
it for now,
” Max said. “I really 
didn’t know what I wanted to 
study in college, so I thought I’
d 
enlist in the Air Force and have 
my college paid for when I do 
decide what I want to study.
“I wasn’t able to get into the 
Air Force Academy. It’s one of the 
toughest colleges to get into. So I 
enlisted. I’ll be in the Air Force for 
four or six years.
”

West Bloomfi
 eld High School baseball coach 
Josh Birnberg won his 100th career game 
and catcher Max Gross was a standout for 
the Lakers in a memorable 2024 season.

100 Wins ... 
And One 
Frustrating Loss

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

28 | JULY 25 • 2024 
J
N

Josh Birnberg (left) celebrates his 100th win as the West 
Bloomfield High School baseball coach with assistant coach 
Allen Gill.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

SPORTS

Max Gross

THERESE SHEIDT

continued on page 30

