Following a long season riddled with rain-soaked Mondays and logistical nightmares, the Avi Nelson Rockies have emerged as the 2023 Masters 38+ Division champions, securing their first title in franchise history.

Their triumphant campaign reached a thrilling climax in a tension-filled Game 5 victory over the Milton Breakers at the hallowed grounds of Stein Diamond, on the campus of Brandeis University.

Having endured heartbreaking losses in the 2021 Finals against The Bulls and the 2022 Finals versus Los Gigantes, the Rockies were eager for another shot at redemption. However, after their 10-7-1 record earned them the No. 4 seed, they understood that the journey back to the Finals would be an arduous one.

Their postseason quest began in the quarterfinals against the fifth-seeded South Shore Mariners at Adams Field in Quincy. The Rockies marched Mike Barthel (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB) to the mound in the opener, while the Mariners countered with Bryan Curran (6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 2 BB). Both starting pitchers were spectacular on the mound, each going the distance for their respective squad.

In the top of the 7th with two outs and runners at second and third, the Mariners were trailing 4-2, when a single to left appeared to tie the game, but only one run would cross safely as the Rockies' left fielder Tony Anderlionis threw out the potential tying run at home, ending the game 4-3 in a defensive walk-off fashion.

Nate Knowles (2-3, 2 R), Mike Navarro (2-3, R), and Mike Barthel (2-3, 3 RBI) had two hits apiece to lead the Rockies' offense. Barthel helped his own cause on the mound, driving in three of their four runs on the night.

The Mariners bounced back in Game 2 with a convincing 9-1 victory at Libby Field in Weymouth, taking advantage of several defensive miscues by the Rockies.

Tom Levett (6 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 K, 2 BB) was masterful on the mound, tossing 6 innings, giving up just 1 run on 5 hits to go along with 2 strikeouts to earn the win.

In the absence of their ace pitcher Ethan Solomon, who was representing Team Great Britain overseas, the Rockies looked to none other than Mike Barthel, who faced off against the Masters' MVP, Matt McMillan, in the pivotal Game 3.

Barthel (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 K, BB) tossed his second complete game of the brief series, holding the Mariners to just 3 hits while striking out 5, guiding the Rockies to a commanding 9-0 shutout win.

Nate Knowles (4-4, 3 R, 2 RBI), Mike Navarro (2-4, R), Tony Anderlionis (2-3, R, RBI, BB), Dan Braz (2-3, 3 RBI, BB), and Mike Barthel (1-4, R, 2 RBI) paced the offense, while the defense was spectacular on both sides.

The Rockies moved on to the semifinal round to face the defending champion and top-seeded Los Gigantes, who advanced to the semis following a 2-0 sweep of the No. 8-seeded Sea Dogs, outscoring their opponent 30-1 in the series.

In a rematch of last year's finals, Game 1 was without drama as Cy Young Award winner Yulkin German bested the Rockies' workhorse Mike Barthel in a 7-1 lopsided Gigantes victory at Libby Field.

The Rockies were overpowered by German (4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 K) and Brendan Moore (3 IP, 1 H, 2K), mustering just 3 hits in the game. Barthel gave up 7 hits and 3 earned runs with 7 strikeouts in the complete game loss.

Adams Field hosted Game 2, where the Rockies flipped the score on the Gigantes, knocking out each pitcher they sent to the mound in the 7-1 win.

Mike Barthel (7 IP, 5 H, ER, K, BB) tossed his fourth complete game of the postseason, giving up just 5 hits and 1 earned run, while striking out 1.

Offensively, Barthel (2-3, R, RBI, BB), Tony Anderlionis (1-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI), Nate Knowles (1-2, RBI, 2 BB), Mike Navarro (1-3, RBI), Mike Feetham (1-1, R, 2B, 3 BB), and Jason Ackerson (1-2, 2 RBI, BB) all chipped in to help secure the victory and force a decisive Game 3.

As the 2nd-seeded Milton Breakers lie in wait for their Finals opponent, following a series sweep of the Somerville Alibrandis, Game 3 would get under way under the lights at Libby Field in Weymouth.

Returning from his stint in the Czech Republic for the 2023 WBSC European Championship, Ethan Solomon made his 2023 postseason debut against Yulkin German in a matchup of two 3-time Cy Young Award winners that came with plenty of hype and did not disappoint.

To nobody's surprise, the two starters traded zeroes through 7 innings, with Solomon battling through adversity and leaving runners in scoring position several times. Meanwhile, German allowed just one hit through 7, maintaining his remarkable 0.00 ERA for the season.

Enter the top of the 8th with the score knotted at 0-0. German recorded two quick outs, but the battle-tested Rockies were not done. Jason Ackerson drew a walk, and due up next was the No. 8-hitter Joe Tufo.

Before stepping to the plate, teammate Mike Navarro offered Joe a little nugget of advice: "We have nothing to lose. Swing as hard as you can and hit one out." Joe obliged, albeit the ball didn't quite clear the fence, crushing a double to the left field corner on the first pitch of his at-bat, plating Jason Ackerson on a very close play at the plate.

Next up was Carl Rodriguez (1-3, R, RBI), who gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead after ending his playoff hitless streak with an RBI single that drove home Tufo.

Ethan Solomon, who had been added to the bottom of the order, wasted no time in extending their lead to 3-0, smacking a double to left center that sent the ball rolling all the way to the fence. This allowed pinch-runner Mike Cox to score all the way from first, even after what must've been a Red Bull pit stop at 3rd.

In the blink of an eye, the Rockies scored three runs on four straight hits, all with two outs, against the Gigantes' ace, who had maintained an untarnished 0.00 ERA on the season up until that point.

Following the crazy turn of events, Solomon closed out the 8th and secured the 3-0 victory, giving up just 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking 1.

With the Game 3 win, the Rockies punched their ticket to the Finals for a third straight season, hoping for a different outcome this time around.

In a sign of things to come, Game 1 of the best-of-five championship series ended in a close one. Dan Braz (2-3, 2 RBI) provided most of the offense, singling in Tony Anderlionis twice, as the Rockies went on to win the opener by a final score of 2-1.

Mike Barthel (7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) notched his fourth complete game win of the postseason, allowing just five hits and no earned runs while striking out two.

This was the Rockies' third straight victory over the Breakers, going back to the regular season. However, the dynamics of the series were about to undergo a dramatic shift.

The Breakers evened up the series at one game apiece with a 6-5 extra-innings victory in Game 2, which featured an epic pitcher's duel between Brian Tanguy (9 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 3 BB) and Ethan Solomon (9 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 0 BB), with both starters throwing 9 innings apiece.

In the top of the 9th, with runners on second and third and the game tied at 5-5, the Rockies brought their infield in with just one out. Solomon was then able to induce a sharply-hit groundball to short, but the Breakers, led by Manager of the Year Brian Bennett, decided to take a calculated risk. Bennett chose to send the runner on third sprinting for home on the throw to first.

It was a high-stakes gamble that ultimately paid off for the Breakers, despite the Rockies' valiant efforts, which included another multi-hit performance by Nate Knowles (2-5, RBI) and a three-hit display by Ethan Solomon (3-3, 2 RBI) in the loss.

As the pivotal Game 3 approached, the Rockies were hampered by injuries. Mike Navarro was still on the road to recovery from a significant injury, and the ever-reliable iron man, Mike Barthel, suffered a pulled calf while manning the hot corner. His availability for the rest of the series was in doubt, and so was the Rockies' hope of closing out the series.

The Breakers would capitalize on their injury woes, emerging victorious in Game 3 by a final score of 5-2. With great defense behind him, Paul Louderback (7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB) tossed a complete game 7-hitter to earn the victory and bring his team within one win of the championship.

Offensively, Manny Soto (2-3, R, 2 RBI) led the charge for the Breakers, going 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 1 run scored. For the Rockies, Nate Knowles (2-3, 2 R, BB) and Mike Feetham (2-3, 2B, RBI) chipped in with two hits apiece.

Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Rockies found themselves in an all-too-familiar scenario of having their postseason hopes hanging by a thread, their backs firmly against the wall. But, as it turned out, the Rockies held an ace up their sleeve, and he went by the name of Mike Barthel, who, after extensive physical therapy and countless laps in the swimming pool, took the ball in the must-win Game 4.

In a gutsy outing reminiscent of Curt Schilling's bloody sock performance in 2004, Barthel put the team on his back, earning his fifth complete game victory of the postseason, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits while recording 3 strikeouts and issuing no walks.

Mike Feetham (2-3, R, RBI, BB) and Steve Miller (2-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB) led the offense, combining to go 4-for-6 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored, as the Rockies once again staved off elimination with a 4-2 victory.

Game 5 of the Masters Finals delivered the kind of high-stakes drama and suspense that one can only hope for. In a bold (or, some might say, audacious) move, Brett Rudy held his phone in his hand in order to live-stream the all-or-nothing showdown.

Fresh off pitching the Boston Bombers to a Game 5 win over the Cambridge Spinners in the 28+ championship, Anthony Del Prete (5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 K, 2 BB) tried to repeat the feat for the Breakers just five days later. The Rockies countered with Ethan Solomon (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB), who was making his third appearance of the postseason.

With the Rockies' Mike Navarro and Tony Anderlionis sidelined due to injury, Steve Miller filled in at shortstop and Joe Tufo's pregame audition at third was good enough for him to get the starting nod at the hot corner, both playing a flawless game on defense.

The Rockies jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st as Mike Barthel (3-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI) continued his assault on opposing teams, but this time from the batter's box. Barthel got his team on the board with a single that drove in Mike Feetham (2-4, 2 R, SB), followed by a steal of home by Steve Miller (0-3, R, BB), who broke for the plate on the throw down to second on Nate Knowles' stolen base attempt.

The Breakers answered back with three runs in the 2nd, taking a 3-2 lead, highlighted by a dropped infield pop-up that scored two. Nevertheless, Solomon's stellar pitching, combined with outstanding defensive plays from Knowles and Feetham in the outfield, enabled the Rockies to stay in the game and eventually tie the score at 3-3 on yet another RBI single from Barthel in the 5th.

Following a scoreless 6th, the Rockies took to the plate in the top of the 7th with the game hanging in the balance. After two quick outs, what followed was a scene reminiscent of their two-out rally in Game 3 of their semifinal matchup with the Gigantes.

The magic was set in motion with a clutch double to left center off the bat of none other than Mike Barthel, who, despite his nagging injury, was able to hobble into second base safely.

Pinch-hitting for his twin brother Mike, Joe Tufo (1-1, R) followed with an infield hit, putting runners at first and third for veteran Teddy Brovitz, who stepped into the batter's box 0-for-3 on the night.

After falling behind in the count 0-2, the 60-year-old ripped a single to right, driving in the eventual game-winning run. Solomon helped his own cause by adding an insurance run with a line drive single to left, giving the Rockies a 5-3 lead.

Solomon came back out to the mound for the bottom of the 7th and was able to close the door, securing the 5-3 complete game victory and the Rockies' first Masters Division championship.

The path to the title was anything but a cakewalk for the newly-crowned champs. They navigated a challenging journey that involved overcoming the 5th-seeded Mariners, led by MVP Matt McMillan, then taking on the top-seeded Los Gigantes, anchored by Cy Young winner Yulkin German, and ultimately facing off against the 2nd-seeded Breakers, masterfully guided by Manager of the Year, Brian Bennett.

Undoubtedly, the most valuable player of the postseason was Mike Barthel, whose contributions were nothing short of extraordinary. Barthel pitched six complete games with a 5-1 record, a 1.02 ERA, and a .805 WHIP in 41 1/3 innings, but his impact didn't stop on the mound. On offense, he batted .367 (11-30) with 2 doubles and led the team with 9 RBIs.

Honorable mention goes out to Nate Knowles, who had a tremendous postseason of his own, going 15-for-37 (.405) with 4 RBIs and 9 runs scored.

Congratulations to the Avi Nelson Rockies on winning their first Masters title, and a tip of the cap to the runner-up Milton Breakers on an outstanding season and a remarkable postseason journey.

A special shout out to veteran Jason Ackerson, who, after a 20-year career, finally clinched his first BMBL championship.