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2025 Spring Team Preview: Notre Dame Preparatory School

March 5, 2025
Bruce Hefflinger
Michigan Senior Writer

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With 2024 now in the past, Prep Baseball Michigan is eagerly anticipating bringing the state the best high school coverage that can be found anywhere in 2025. Starting in February, we began releasing team previews for squads across the state. Ahead, we will have Preseason All-State Teams as well as the Preseason State Rankings coming your way.

To view the full list of 2025 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2025 Team Preview, click here.

Interested in attending a Prep Baseball Michigan event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

2025 Spring Team Preview: Notre Dame Preparatory School

PONTIAC - Two junior all-state performers are back to lead the way for Notre Dame Preparatory School this season.

Central Michigan committee Drake Roa and Lehigh recruit Henry Ewles bring heavy expectations to a program that has six juniors back for their third year of varsity action.

“We return eight position starters and our top six arms,” noted Jason Gendreau, who led The Fighting Irish to a 25-6 record during a season that ended with an upset loss to Macomb Lutheran North in the district finals. The 25 wins is the second most in school history, two behind the 2018 team.

Seeking their first regional championship in school history, Notre Dame Prep is looking to use the formula Gendreau has brought to the program in his seven seasons at the helm.

“We are tough, we’re very disciplined and we play small ball,” noted Gendreau, who has more than 350 wins through 20 years as a head coach, including eight district championships. “We play with a lot of intelligence and discipline. We’re very blue collar."

Roa, “athletically the best I have ever had in 20 years” is the fourth-rated 2026 shortstop in Michigan. Roa, whose “defense is unbelievable" according to Gendreau, scored 41 runs and stole 33 bases while hitting .418 last season. The 13th-ranked junior in Michigan will also pitch this year.

Ewles, the top-rated junior first baseman in the state, batted .425 with 38 RBIs, striking out just seven times in 109 plate appearances. The Lehigh commit is also the staff ace after posting a 6-1 record with a 0.948 ERA, striking out 64 in 51 innings in 2024.

There is additional mound experience that brings optimism, with the potential of Josh Laura and Roman Chefori. Laura, the 12th-ranked junior left-handed pitcher in Michigan, was 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA as a sophomore, fanning 40 in 33 innings. Roman Chefori, a senior RHP, was 4-0 during his junior campaign.

Owen Fulsher, the seventh-rated 2026 catcher in the state, will be behind the plate while having the ability to play corner infield as well.

Tomassino Offer brings versatility to the infield with the junior expected to see time at first base, shortstop and third base depending on who is pitching. Senior Ethan Janssen, a college soccer recruit, will play second base.

Cherfoli and Laura will be in the outfield with Michael Wiebelhaus, an all-state linebacker on the Notre Dame Prep state championship football team this year, filling out the outfield.

“We won state in football and boys soccer this year and 10 of our players were part of those teams,” noted Gendreau.

There is a lot more that the veteran coach likes about his squad.

“Experience, leadership, team defense and toughness,” Gendreau listed off in reference to strengths of this year’s team. “They’ve been there. They lost in the district championship game as freshmen by one and as sophomores by one. Now they’re older. Unfortunately, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is now in our district. But we can play with them.”

Country Day is also in the district making the path to regionals a tough one.

“Our schedule is brutal,” pointed out Gendreau, whose team opens with Allen Park before heading to southeast Ohio to play Elder, Oak Hills, Anderson and Hamilton Ross. “You’ll find out right away what kind of team you have. It’s the toughest we’ve ever scheduled at this school. We’re playing predominantly D-I schools.”

So what is the key to success?

“The bottom half of our batting order competing,” Gendreau said about what will make or break his team this season. “Can our bottom three get on base? If we do that, we will be in really good shape.”

2025 Spring Team Preview: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

Team Name: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Head Coach: Jason Gendreau
Division: 2
2024 Record: 25-6
2024 Tourney Finish: District Finals loss to Macomb Lutheran North
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 8/7

Coach Outlook: "Excited to play our toughest schedule in school history!"

2025 Team Strengths:

  • Leadership
  • Defense
  • Pitching

Top Returning Players:

Drake Roa, SS, 2026 Central Michigan commit

Henry Ewles, 1B/LHP, 2026 Lehigh commit

Josh Laura, OF/LHP, 2026

Owen Fulsher, C/RHP, 2026

Ethan Janssen, MIF, 2025

Roman Cherfoli, OF/RHP, 2025

Class of 2025 Prospects:

Michael Wiebelhaus, OF/RHP

Vinny Tartaglia, RHP

Class of 2026 Prospects:

Tomassino Offer, MIF

Class of 2027 Prospects:

Jack Fallon, C/1B

Class of 2028 Prospects:

Anthony Fischione, C

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