Manatee County high school baseball team wins national championship title
IMG Academy’s baseball team polished off a national title-winning season.
The Ascenders claimed their second MaxPreps’ national championship in three seasons following a 24-1 record in 2025. During the year, IMG Academy notched five wins over MaxPreps’ Top 25 teams.
Offensively, the Ascenders averaged 7.72 runs per game. They hit .366 as a team. Defensively, IMG Academy allowed 1.76 runs per game with senior Chase Bentley leading the pitching staff.
Bentley posted a scintillating 0.94 earned run average, striking out 62 batters while walking five in 59.2 innings. He finished the season 10-0.
The top hitters for the Ascenders were seniors Dean Moss and Sean Gamble. Moss produced a slash line of .471/.611/1.282, while Gamble’s slash line was .413/.484/1.310.
Seniors Kelvyn Paulino and Nate Eisfelder also hit .371 apiece. Gamble and Eisfelder each slugged four home runs, while Paulino added three dingers.
“We are honored to be named the 2025 MaxPreps Baseball National Champions — finishing the season 24-1, with a dominant run against top-tier competition, reflecting our student-athletes’ relentless work ethic and our staff’s unwavering commitment to their development,” IMG Academy baseball director Dan Simonds said in a news release.
