2025 FRONTIER LEAGUE PREVIEWS: LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS

The Lake Erie Crushers’ progress in 2024 was appreciable. For a large portion of last season, they were in the mix for the West Division title. The Frontier League’s team in Northwest Ohio improved their record by 14 games from the year prior and made the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Lake Erie also won a playoff game, a feat that had not been accomplished since the 2013 Division Series.

Looking ahead, 2025 will be the second year of the management group led by former Cleveland Cavaliers executive Len Komoroski and team president Vic Gregovits. The first year under their leadership saw tremendous success, including an increase in total and average attendance, and the team’s best record in five years.

Gregovits further increased the Crushers’ footprint in the greater Cleveland community by being elected as Honorary Chair Member for the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio’s Harvest for Hunger campaign. The goal of the campaign will be to “grow hope in [the] region by creating pathways to nutritious foods…”

Lake Erie is another of the Frontier League’s teams to have a player signed by a Major League Baseball organization in the past year: former all-star and closer Trevor Kuncl signed with the Cincinnati Reds last fall and was recently given an invite to spring training.

On the Lake Erie staff, former MLB pitcher Johnny Barbato was announced as the pitching coaching for 2025. He will take over a staff that was second in earned run average and third in WHIP last season.

The Crushers have been at the forefront of making their games a family-friendly environment with a high quality on-field product. Fans entering Crusher Stadium are known to be greeted by players; Lake Erie has also made a point to make its athletes accessible to youth in the community by holding autograph sessions after Sunday games.

Lake Erie is also planning for a number of Friday and Saturday games with fireworks shows, as well as special celebrations for their home opener on May 13^th and their Independence Day Celebration on July 3^rd. Other promotions include the debut of $2 Tuesdays, where there will be select concession items $2 each.

The excitement surrounding the Crushers’ 2025 season is sure to reach new highs when their promotional schedule is released in the next few weeks. Make sure to keep up with all of the teams’ updates and purchase tickets at lakeeriecrushers.com!