2026 Redwood Empire 25+ National Cardinals Repeat as Champions After a Hard-Fought Postseason
Redwood Empire Baseball League, 25+ National Division
Cardinals 10, Braves 4 (Game two of best-of-three championship series sweep)
Submitted by Jesse Robinson, manager
The REBL 25+ NL Cardinals put together another memorable season, finishing third in the regular season with a 12–8 record. As a team, the Cardinals hit .295, drove in 100 runs, and stole 45 bases over 20 games. The goal was simple: finish in the top four, earn a playoff spot, and save their best baseball for when it mattered most. That is exactly what they did.
In the semifinals, the Cardinals drew the second-seeded Rockies in a best-of-three series. It was a familiar matchup, as the Cardinals had defeated the Rockies in the 2025 championship to end their four-year winning streak.
The Cardinals opened the series strong in Game one, scoring five runs early and never surrendering the lead. Nick Roth delivered eight strong innings before Bryant Thornton came in to record the final three outs and earn the save.
Game 2 was a different story. Defensive errors and missed opportunities allowed four unearned runs, and despite a late fight, the Cardinals came up short, losing 7–5. That set up a winner-take-all Game three on Sunday.
Rather than letting the loss carry over, the Cardinals responded with one of their best performances of the season. Trevor Mallett opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning, followed by a two-run single from Grant StMartin. The Cardinals added four more runs in the third on RBI singles from Josh Tamba, Cody Morris, StMartin, and Ryan Thompson, building a commanding lead.
The biggest surprise of the day came on the mound. Grant StMartin, who had thrown just three innings all season, delivered seven shutout innings to lead the Cardinals to an 8–0 victory. He also went 2 for 5 at the plate, driving in three runs and scoring one. The win sent the Cardinals to the championship for the second consecutive year.
Friday night brought Game one of the championship under the lights, and the Cardinals came out firing. Barreto Nery led off with a single before Cody Morris drove him and Nick Robinson in with a two-run double. Grant StMartin followed with a sacrifice fly, and the Cardinals jumped out to a 3–0 first-inning lead.
From there, they never looked back. The offense finished with 12 hits and 12 runs, but Todd Strahlendorf on the mound stole the show. In the second inning, Strahlendorf pulled a muscle in his leg while pitching. Despite the injury, he stayed locked in and battled through a dominant complete-game shutout, striking out seven and never allowing the Braves to reach third base. His incredible effort helped lead the Cardinals to a 12–0 victory and put them one win away from repeating as champions.
Saturday afternoon brought Game Two, with the championship on the line. The Cardinals scored first on an RBI single from Jesse Robinson in the bottom of the first, but the Braves answered with two runs in the second.
After a scoreless third inning, the Cardinals regained control with four runs in the fourth. Grant StMartin started the rally with an RBI double, followed by a push bunt base hit from Jesse Robinson, setting up a sacrifice fly from Jason Masciorini, an RBI single from Jon Irvine, and an RBI double from Trent Matthews.
The Braves refused to go away quietly, scoring twice in the sixth to make it a one-run game at 5–4. Nick Roth delivered seven strong innings to keep the Cardinals in front before Grant StMartin took over to close out the game.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, the Cardinals broke the game open with five runs in the bottom half. Nick Robinson started things off with a pinch-hit, first-pitch double into the gap, and Cody Morris drove him in with a single. StMartin followed with his second RBI double of the game, Jesse Robinson added his second RBI single, Matt Kimura delivered an RBI double, and Jon Irvine capped the rally with his second RBI single of the afternoon.
StMartin then closed out the ninth inning, retiring the Braves in four batters to secure a 10–4 victory and deliver the Cardinals their second consecutive championship.
While several players delivered standout performances throughout the series, the team effort defined this championship. Tyler Weeks caught all 18 innings of the championship series, in addition to catching Game Three of the semifinals. Over those 27 innings, he allowed no stolen bases or passed balls. Every player on the roster contributed in a meaningful way, and it took the entire team to finish the job.
Managers Perspective
This is my third year managing the Cardinals, and I could not be happier with the group of rats we have assembled. We play this game because we genuinely love it and have a passion for it. Being around this team allows us to compete, have fun, and feel like kids again.
One mantra we kept coming back to throughout the season was, “Act like you’re playing wiffle ball.” That mindset captures what makes this group so special. We compete hard, but we never lose sight of why we started playing in the first place.
I look up to the guys on this team in different ways, both on and off the field. Winning back-to-back championships is something we will always be proud of, but what makes this team truly special is the people in the dugout. This has been the most fun I have had playing baseball since I was a kid, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be a part of this group.
I look forward to continuing to play alongside these guys for as long as I physically can, and I feel blessed to be part of something I would not trade for anything. It is written!