Crushers hope they have the right mix to win Frontier League championship

AVON — The Lake Erie Crushers are going to face a familiar opponent when they open the 2026 Frontier League season against Schaumburg at ForeFront Field on Friday night. The Boomers swept Lake Erie in a best-of-three Wild Card series to end last year, but the Crushers are hoping to build off momentum from a 52-41 regular season, the team's best record since 2019. "No doubt, it's good to get right back after it with them and hopefully we can get off to a good start," second baseman Davie Morgan said. Morgan appeared in 90 games as a rookie last year and, along with veteran shortstop Jarrod Watkins, gives the Crushers one of the league's best double-play combinations. "I like what we have this year," Morgan said. "We have a good mix of veteran guys coming back and some good young guys that we're adding to the lineup and the rotation." The 29-year-old Watkins is beginning his fifth season for Lake Erie and seventh in the Frontier League. He is a three-time All-Star. "I like the community, the people here. It reminds me a lot of where I'm from," Watkins, a Washington, Illinois, native said. "Everybody's dream is to play for one team and not have to move around a lot. It helps me out because I'm comfortable. I just try to do my job and come prepared to play every day." With veteran catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, who played briefly with the Chicago White Sox in 2018, returning for his third year with the team, Lake Erie's defense rivals that of many affiliated teams. "This is a good group. I've seen a lot of talent in spring training but it's all about coming together," said Jared Lemieux, who is beginning his fourth season as manager. "It's important to have guys back who have been there. They help to set the tone. We also have young guys who are going to get tested." The Crushers begin their 102-game schedule with nine straight home games, three each against Schaumburg, Windy City and Mississippi. Lake Erie's home schedule includes 18 fireworks nights, beginning with opening night, and nine Sunday Family Fun Days. "We feel the energy in the stands. When we make a nice play in the field and the crowd roars, the guys feed off of that and it gives the guys the reason to keep giving their all," Lemieux said. Lake Erie has a revamped pitching staff and also made a number of major offseason acquisitions to bolster the lineup. Infielder Luis Acevedo, a 2025 Frontier League All-Star was acquired in an offseason trade with New Jersey along with Pavin Parks, a 2024 Frontier League All-Star with Evansville, who has pitched and played all four infield positions in his five years in the Frontier League. For the first time, the league will play a 102-game regular season, which concludes on Sept. 6. "You have to come ready to play every day. Baseball is a marathon and not a sprint. Every team's goal is by the time you get close to the playoffs, you really start meshing with each other," Watkins said. "The whole year is like a build up to hopefully having that playoff moment." After spending the offseason focused on roster construction, Lemieux hopes he has put together a group that can lead the Crushers back to the Frontier League Championship Series for the first time since 2013. "I work really hard to bring in guys with the right personalities and the drive to survive a 102-game season," Lemieux said. "It's my favorite time of year. There's all this buzz because of the potential we have. Hopefully we put on a good show for the fans this year." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.