2026 Waynesville Grizzlies Complete Perfect 28-0 Season to Capture 2026 MVABL Championship
Miami Valley Adult Baseball League
Waynesville Grizzlies 9, Springboro Mariners 4
Submitted by Rob Johnson, manager
The Waynesville Grizzlies completed a record-setting 2026 season, finishing 28-0 and capturing the Miami Valley Adult Baseball League Championship without losing a game from Opening Day through the final out of the postseason.
The Grizzlies finished the regular season 22-0, earned the league’s No. 1 seed, and then went 6-0 in the postseason to complete the undefeated championship season.
While the perfect record tells part of the story, the Grizzlies’ season was also defined by a remarkable collection of individual performances, a deep roster, and a group that found a way to win regardless of what a particular game demanded.
A RECORD-SETTING OFFENSE…The Grizzlies’ lineup was headlined by Jack McKenzie, who put together one of the finest offensive seasons in MVABL history.
McKenzie finished the season with a .660 batting average, establishing a new league record. His season included one of the Grizzlies’ most memorable moments when he launched a walk-off grand slam on July 27, adding another chapter to a season filled with memorable moments.
But McKenzie was hardly alone.
Two-way standout Logan Fisher hit .597 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI, finishing among the league leaders in virtually every major offensive category while simultaneously putting together a historic season on the mound.
Dylan Bower provided another remarkable offensive statistic, going the entire regular season without striking out — zero strikeouts in 69 plate appearances.
The team’s speed created another weapon. Garrett Leicht stole 38 bases, placing him fourth on the MVABL’s all-time single-season list.
Throughout the lineup, the Grizzlies received contributions from Bryce Heller, Tom Barkevich, Jax Byrd, Adam Luersman, Johnny Adkins, Matt Hellebusch, Derek Luersman, Nathan Teller, Andrew “Chev” Apanasewicz, Sam McKenzie, Jacob Hughes, Owen Walker, Chris Mutter and John Hoover, with every player finding ways to contribute to the undefeated run.
Stars dotted the lineup, but the Grizzlies’ greatest offensive strength was that no opponent could simply pitch around one player. Production could come from anywhere in the order.
FISHER LEADS A DEEP AND DOMINANT PITCHING STAFF…As impressive as the offense was, the Grizzlies were equally formidable on the mound, with a deep pitching staff capable of shutting down opponents throughout the season.
At the top of that staff was Logan Fisher, who put together one of the most dominant pitching seasons in MVABL history. Fisher finished the season 14-0 with 158 strikeouts. Both established new MVABL single-season records.
Fisher’s combination of power pitching, durability, and consistency gave Waynesville an ace capable of taking over any game, and his biggest performance came when the Grizzlies needed it most.
But the strength of the Grizzlies’ pitching staff went well beyond their ace.
Dylan Bower was another overpowering arm, striking out 30 batters in just 21 innings and giving Waynesville another pitcher capable of missing bats in bunches.
Chris Mutter was equally impressive when called upon, delivering dominant innings throughout the season and giving the Grizzlies another arm capable of taking over a game.
Nathan Teller gave Waynesville yet another dependable option on the mound. A key contributor in multiple roles, Teller provided valuable innings throughout the undefeated run, and his versatility was another example of the depth that defined the Grizzlies’ roster.
With Fisher, Bower, Mutter and Teller, along with contributions from the rest of the staff, Waynesville wasn’t dependent on one arm to survive a 28-game season. The Grizzlies had multiple pitchers capable of controlling a game, allowing the team to match its record-setting offense with a pitching staff that was just as important to the perfect season.
Combined with a strong defense behind them, the Grizzlies could win with their bats, their arms, or their gloves — and over 28 games, they never failed to find a way.
THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION…As the victories accumulated, so did the pressure. What began as simply trying to win the next baseball game eventually became a pursuit of something much larger. Ten straight became 15. Fifteen became 20.
When the regular season concluded, Waynesville stood at 22-0.
But the Grizzlies understood that an undefeated regular season would mean considerably less if they couldn’t finish the job in the postseason.
Every opponent knew exactly what was at stake. Waynesville wasn’t simply the No. 1 seed anymore — it was the undefeated team everyone wanted the opportunity to beat.
The Grizzlies responded the same way they had all season; They kept winning. Six more victories followed.
BRINGING HOME THE CHAMPIONSHIP…After knocking off the Yankees and Machine to advance through the MVABL postseason, the Grizzlies met the Springboro Mariners in the championship series.
Game One belonged to Fisher. The right-hander went the distance, shutting out the Mariners in a 4-0 Grizzlies victory. Johnny Adkins delivered a key RBI, while Jack McKenzie added a double as Waynesville moved within one victory of the championship.
The championship series would conclude with more of the same as Fisher also won game two and the offense came alive for 9 runs in a 9-4 victory against a strong Mariners lineup. This was also a testament to the continued rise of a talented Mariners club, but Waynesville ultimately finished what it had started months earlier.
When the final out of the championship was recorded, the numbers represented something much bigger than one postseason victory.
28-0. Undefeated regular season. Undefeated postseason. 2026 MVABL Champions.
MORE THAN THE NUMBERS…For manager Rob Johnson, who has spent more than a decade coaching in the MVABL, the significance of the season extended beyond the record book. The statistics were extraordinary, but the chemistry within the clubhouse was equally important. Every player had a role.
Some produced record-setting numbers. Others delivered a hit, an inning, a stolen base, a defensive play, or one moment that changed a game. Over 28 victories, all of those moments mattered.
Jack McKenzie, Dylan Bower, Logan Fisher, Bryce Heller, Tom Barkevich, Jax Byrd, Adam Luersman, Garrett Leicht, Johnny Adkins, Matt Hellebusch, Derek Luersman, Nathan Teller, Andrew “Chev” Apanasewicz, Sam McKenzie, Jacob Hughes, Owen Walker, Chris Mutter and John Hoover each played a part in making 2026 a season the Grizzlies will never forget.
The result was a team that didn’t lose a baseball game for an entire season. That is something few players ever experience, regardless of the level of baseball.
The Grizzlies finished 2026 with league records, individual milestones and a championship trophy, but perhaps their greatest accomplishment was navigating an entire season with every opponent trying to become the first team to beat them — and never allowing it to happen.