AVON, OH – As the 2024 regular season comes to a close, it is time to announce the annual Frontier League Post-Season Awards. The Frontier League is proud to honor the following people as recipients of the league's annual awards: The Morgan Burkhart Most Valuable Player Award: Caleb McNeely, Washington Wild Things Caleb McNeely of the Washington Wild Things has been voted this year's most valuable player after an incredibly successful statistical season. McNeely is the first player in Wild Things franchise history to record a 20 home run-20 stolen base season. He has been instrumental in a year where the Wild Things have set a new franchise record in wins (65), providing a unique threat of power and speed at the top of the Washington lineup. McNeely is also one of the only everyday players in the league who has not recorded an error while playing his center field spot. The Brian Tollberg Pitcher of the Year Award: James Bradwell, Québec Capitales Québec Capitales right-hander James Bradwell has proved himself to be one of the great pitchers in professional baseball with his impressive 12-0 record while boasting a career-low 2.76 ERA in 17 starts this season. Bradwell was thrust into a full-time starting role for the now three-time Frontier League East Division champions and established himself as a bona fide ace in the Québec rotation. He is the Frontier League leader in wins and ranks in the top five in ERA and top 10 in WHIP (1.18). The Jason Simontacchi Rookie of the Year Award: TJ Reeves, Florence Y'alls Reeves burst onto the Frontier League scene, providing massive power to a Florence team on the rise in the West Division. Throughout the season, Reeves has been among the league leaders in home runs and slugging percentage and showcased his impeccable skills with the bat during this year's home run derby. Reeves has also shown supreme athleticism in the Y'alls' outfield this season, leaping over the wall to rob would-be home runs on multiple occasions. The Roger Haners Manager of the Year Award: Patrick Scalabrini, Québec Capitales After leading his team to their third consecutive Frontier League East Division title, Québec Manager Patrick Scalabrini has been named the Roger Haners Manager of the Year. Scalabrini has made the Capitales a force to be reckoned with in the East, with 2024 providing the most successful year in Québec history as a member of the Frontier League. His .652 winning percentage and two league championships do not do justice to his full impact on the revival of professional baseball in the French-Canadian province. The Bob Wolfe Executive of the Year Award: Charles Demers, Québec Capitales Charles Demers has spearheaded the organizational success that the Capitales have enjoyed since joining the Frontier League. Demers has been directly responsible for the business success in Québec this season, including selling out 15 straight home games and 19 total for the 2024 season. The Fran Riordan Citizenship Award: Frank Nigro, New Jersey Jackals Frank Nigro became a fixture in New Jersey in his first season with the Jackals, sharing his time and interacting with fans before and after each game including indulging in conversations, signing autographs, and getting to know fans personally. Frank has shown his first-class nature off the field by doing things such as giving away tickets to fans who had lost their homes, inviting kids into the dugout to meet his teammates, and then inviting them back to be bat boys. He also is heavily invested in the elder community as part of Indyball Jobs' non-profit sector and has hosted catching clinics for children ages 8 to 16. Frank's contributions to people of all ages and backgrounds make him a prime example of what a professional athlete should be and show the best of players in the Frontier League. The Darren Bush Coach of the Year Award: Alex Boshers, Washington Wild Things Alex has been an instrumental part of Washington's pitching staff, which has led the Frontier League in team ERA (3.17) and WHIP (1.15) while also allowing the fewest walks (244) and earned runs (291). Boshers also won this award in 2021 when he pitched for the Wild Things. Alex represented the West for the second time in the All-Star Game this season as a part of the coaching staff, doing so previously in 2022. The Sam Hartsfield Clubbie of the Year Award: Matt Mooney, Gateway Grizzlies Matt has been a part of the Frontier League for nearly two decades and has been with the Grizzlies since 2022. He began as a clubhouse manager for the River City Rascals in 2007 and then joined the Southern Illinois Miners in 2013. Mooney won the Sam Hartsfield Clubbie of the Year Award twice with the Miners, doing so in 2013 and 2017, and then again in 2023 with the Grizzlies. The Robert Ford Broadcaster of the Year Award: Davide Disipio, Ottawa Titans Davide wins his first Robert Ford Award through his contagious positive energy that he has brought to every one of the Ottawa Titans' broadcasts since joining the team in 2022. He is the voice of the Titans, both on FloSports and on CKDJ 107.9 radio. Davide's excellence in broadcasting was put on display for the entirety of the Frontier League to see and hear when he was chosen as the English-speaking play-by-play voice for this year's All-Star Game in Québec. The Frontier League Trainer of the Year Award: Samantha Fluck, Schaumburg Boomers Samantha has been in baseball for seven years and with the Boomers for the past four. She is a specialist in muscle movement therapy and performance and has been a part of the Grip And Rip and Show Me baseball leagues previously. She trains athletes at Lake Forest College in the offseason and also served as the athletic trainer for Evangel University from 2017-2020. Sammy is a certified member of the National Athletic Training Association and has proven to be a pivotal part of the Boomers and their continued success. The Frontier League Writer of the Year Award: Chris Dugan, Washington Observer-Reporter Chris Dugan is the sports editor for the Observer-Reporter Newspaper in Washington and has been covering the Washington Wild Things for the past 22 years, including starting a blog about the Wild Things in 2007 where he provided updates and interviews with the team. This is Dugan's 12th Writer of the Year Award. Umpire of the year: Kevin Furman Kevin Furman repeats as Umpire of the Year after being voted on by team officials around the Frontier League. Kevin joined the Frontier League in 2021 after spending time in the American Association and quickly built up a reputation as not just a great umpire, but a great ambassador of the Frontier League and the game of baseball. Organization of the Year: Québec Capitales Stadium of the Year: Wintrust Field (Schaumburg) Hotel of the Year: The Desmond (Tri-City) Now, introducing the 2024 All-Frontier League Team : Starting Pitcher - James Bradwell, Québec Capitales - Bradwell has made a seamless transition to starting pitcher in his first season in Québec, boasting an undefeated pitching record while notching a career-high in strikeouts (96), innings pitched (104.1), and wins (12). Relief Pitcher - Gyeongju Kim, Washington Wild Things - Whenever Kim enters out of the Washington bullpen in the late stages of a game, it signifies that the opposition would do well to gather their equipment and start heading towards the locker room. Kim's 27 saves become even more impressive when observers take into account that he is a rookie and already is tied for the fourth-most saves in a single season in Frontier League history. Catcher - John Cristino, New England Knockouts - Cristino is a unique talent at the catcher position, bearing monstrous power along with apt defensive prowess as New England's field general. The winner of the home run derby in Québec, it is no coincidence that Cristino's 22 home runs have been amongst the league leaders this season. First Base - Matthew Warkentin, Joliet Slammers - Warkentin has been a constant force in Joliet since joining the organization in 2023. He has been the muscle in the Slammers' lineup this year, posting his second season with at least 20 home runs. Second Base - Alec Craig, Schaumburg Boomers - Craig has an anomaly for opposing managers this season due to his remarkable ability to get on base. This year marks the fourth straight that the Boomers' second baseman has posted an on-base percentage above .400 while providing half of a lethal middle infield combination in Schaumburg. Third Base - AJ Wright, Ottawa Titans - AJ has enjoyed a great season in Ottawa, getting his second all-star nod while boasting career-highs in batting average (.299), slugging percentage (.475), and walks (57). He has also done significant work to provide more quality at-bats while cutting down on strikeouts. Shortstop - Austin Dennis, New York Boulders - Dennis has been one of the most valuable players in the Frontier League this season, tying for the league lead in wins-above-replacement (4.6). Dennis is also the league leader in hits with a career-high 124. Outfield - Caleb McNeely, Washington Wild Things - McNeely has been everything the Wild Things could have asked for as the everyday center fielder this season. He is the team leader in home runs (21), RBIs (72), and stolen bases (28) while not committing an error in center field. Outfield - Justin Gideon, Québec Capitales - Gideon was one of several representatives for the host Québec Capitales in the All-Star Game this season. He leads the Capitales in all three major offensive categories and has averaged career-highs in batting average (.291), on-base percentage (.389), and slugging percentage (.554). Outfield - TJ Reeves, Florence Y'alls - Reeves has enjoyed one an impressive season that has seen him become the new face of the Florence Y'alls, leading his team in home runs (18), second in RBIs (71), and fourth in batting average (.298). Designated Hitter - Tyreque Reed, Washington Wild Things - A two-time Frontier League Player of the Week, Reed has been a plus player with the bat in the heart of the Wild Things' lineup. His 12 home runs and 52 RBIs rank third on the team while his .335 batting average paces the entire Frontier League.  Congratulations to all of this year's winners!

AVON, OH - Baseball, in some form or another, has existed for the better part of nearly 200 years. With a touch of curiosity (and a quick Google search), anyone can read up on America's Pastime and its expansive history. Needless to say, with such a storied archive of events, it's fairly difficult to do something for the first time in a recorded professional baseball game. However, history was made in the Frontier League on Friday night: the Lake Erie Crushers defeated the Schaumburg Boomers without scoring a run, marking the first time a team has achieved a win without scoring in a professional baseball game. Of course, the question now must be asked: How is that possible? The answer lies within the Frontier League rules for games that extend past the 10th inning: Beginning with the 2022 season, tied games in the Frontier League that went beyond 10 full innings (or eight innings for a double-header game) would be settled in a half-inning sudden death. The rule states that in the event of a tie, the home team designates whether they will field or hit for half of the 11th inning. If the home team elects to field and prevents the visitors from scoring, they will be declared the winners. If the home team decides to hit, the batter on the lineup card who immediately proceeds the next scheduled batter to hit will be placed on first base and the game will proceed with normal extra-inning rules. If the home team scores, they win. If the opposition prevents a run from scoring, they win. The winning decision will be given to whomever was the last pitcher entered for the winning side. The rule also dictates that there will not be a losing pitcher should the team on defense win. The sudden death concept was first devised by current San Francisco Giants' Double-A manager Dennis Pelfrey, a former Frontier League All-Star as a player and manager. A committee of field managers worked with the league office over several months to finalize the specific procedure. "The sudden death rule has brought a tremendous amount of excitement to our games while minimizing extra wear on pitchers and providing a timely ending to games," commented Frontier League commissioner Steve Tahsler. "With the health of our pitchers being a top concern, we wanted to create an efficient way to end games while still maintaining baseball components. Forcing the manager to decide whether to hit or pitch opens him up to second-guessing by fans. We also are able to show that pitching and defense truly can win a game." The early August contest was a battle of two left-handed aces, with Cole Cook and Jack Eisenbarger matching each other with scoreless frame after scoreless frame. Cook, the reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Year, spun eight scoreless innings behind nine strikeouts while only allowing three hits. Eisenbarger, who was teammates with his opposition in the Frontier League All-Star game in July, was equally dominant, carrying Lake Erie through 7.2 scoreless innings while tallying five punchouts. Through the first six innings, the West Division rivals waited for the other to blink. The top of the seventh inning brought a spark into a reasonably calm game when Schaumburg's third baseman Paxton Wallace cracked the first pitch of the inning high in the air out towards deep right field. All Eisenbarger could do was watch as his teammate and right fielder Jake Guenther tracked the ball back toward the fence. With a leap that sent him crashing into the wall, Guenther's glove managed to sneak over the fence and bring back what would have (and perhaps should have) been a home run to keep the game scoreless. "We were about as far away as you can get when it happened," said Lake Erie manager Jared Lemieux. "[Guenther] jumped up and banged against the wall and we didn't know if he caught it. He was so nonchalant about it." The cheers from the dugouts quickly switched sides as Guenther raised his glove to show evidence of his eye-popping defensive highlight. Eisenbarger continued his shutout effort and retired four more batters before calling it a night after tossing a season-high 107 pitches. On the other side, the Crushers finally broke through against Cook in the eighth inning and established a man in scoring position after a single and a hit-by-pitch. The runner represented the first time Lake Erie managed a runner on second for the entire game. Cook managed to get out of the eighth unscathed, ending his outing without allowing a run. Right-handed flamethrower Trevor Kuncl entered the game in the ninth out of the Crusher bullpen to keep the game at a draw. Kuncl, who ranks third in the league in saves (17), made quick work of the middle of the Schaumburg lineup with a 1-2-3 inning. Lake Erie threatened in the bottom of the ninth with two men on and one out, but right-handed reliever Dylan Stutsman was able to keep the ball in the infield and strand runners at the corners to send the game into the 10th. Kuncl came back out for the 10th and worked his way out of a jam to leave Boomers stranded on second and third. Right-handed closer Jake Joyce slammed the door in the bottom of the inning for Schaumburg by inducing an inning-ending double play. Thus, the game would be decided in sudden death. The Crushers chose to close the game out defensively and handed the ball to right-hander Sammy Tavarez to try to keep the game scoreless. With a runner placed on first, the Boomers opened the inning with a sacrifice bunt to move the potential winning run into scoring position. Lake Erie countered the move by intentionally walking the next hitter to set up a force out at second and third base. Tavarez was able to induce the ground ball he needed for a potential double play, but the Crushers were only able to get the out at first while both lead runners moved into scoring position. After a tense six-pitch at-bat loaded the bases, Tavarez got the next hitter to roll over the first pitch to Scout Knotts at first base, who gobbled it up and stepped on the bag to end the game. The historical event concluded with Tavarez picking up his second win of the season, leaving the bases loaded and the hearts of Boomers fans broken. It was the first sudden-death defeat of the year for Schaumburg while also signifying a key win for the Crushers as both teams battle for the final playoff spot in the West. Reflecting on the victory, Lemieux remarked "It's one of the most unique things about baseball, where a game without a score is one of the most exciting games I've managed all year". Lemieux, who managed both Eisenbarger and Cook in the mid-summer classic, credited both starters for demonstrating their All-Star capabilities in their head-to-head matchup. "It was an absolute battle between two All-Star starters. It was a fun game to watch." Friday's contest was the 36th time that the sudden death rule has been needed to decide a game. Home teams have an overall 20-16 record for these games. In the 2024 season, the home team has elected to pitch in 13 of the 14 opportunities and has won ten times. The game gives a glimpse at some of the excitement that is generated by the rule changes in the Frontier League while also being the cutting edge of time management within the game of baseball. Schaumburg play-by-play broadcaster Tim Calderwood went on to praise the sudden death concept, saying "The addition of sudden death has added an entirely new level of excitement late in games, especially on weekend games like Fridays when the crowd is still in the ballpark.  While it may be the first scoreless game in history, it's probably not the last.

The Trois-Rivières Aigles welcome the return of a power hitter from the 2023 edition! They signed Canadian infielder Brendon Dadson to a deal.

The Evansville Otters continue building the 2024 roster with the signings of Clayton Keyes, David Mendham, Chris Davis and Mitchell Balint.

The Trois-Rivières Aigles continue their work to solidify their bullpen for the 2024 season as they have added former San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Michell Miliano to their roster.

The New England Knockouts, Frontier League’s newest addition, today unveiled its team logos for its debut season this spring.

It is with great pleasure that the four-time Frontier League Champion Schaumburg Boomers announce that the team has acquired the 2023 Brian Tollberg Award Winner, left-handed pitcher Cole Cook, from the Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican League.

The Sussex County Miners proudly announce the return of All-Star Outfielder Edwin Mateo to its roster for the upcoming 2024 season.