Crown the Bees: New Britain Blankets Vermont 11-0 in Game 3 to Capture First FCBL Championship

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BURLINGTON, Vt. — One year after falling just short in the finals, the New Britain Bees stand atop the Futures Collegiate Baseball League as champions for the first time in franchise history.

Behind a masterclass seven-inning performance from league ERA leader Garret Garbinski and a flawless 5-for-5 afternoon from Owen Rich, New Britain dominated the top-seeded Vermont Lake Monsters 11–0 in Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 3 at Centennial Field.

The shutout victory wrapped up a wild, pitching-dominated three-game series, giving the Bees their first postseason title after finishing as league runners-up in 2025.

Game 3 By The Numbers

Team	R	H	E
New Britain Bees (2–1)	11	14	0
Vermont Lake Monsters (1–2)	0	3	1

WP: Garret Garbinski (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)

LP: Isaac Jensen (3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K)

Hitting Stars: Owen Rich (5-for-5, 3 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI), Tim Hennig (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI)

Pitching Perfection: Garbinski and Harding Stifle Lake Monsters

Garbinski, who posted a league-best 1.37 ERA during the regular season, saved his absolute best for the final game of the summer. The right-hander worked out of an early jam in the bottom of the first inning before completely locking down Vermont’s high-powered offense:

17 Straight Retired: After allowing a one-out single in the fourth inning, Garbinski and reliever Thomas Harding combined to retire the final 17 Vermont batters to close out the championship.
Complete Suppression: Garbinski surrendered just three singles and two walks across seven shutout frames, striking out seven. Harding worked two hitless innings out of the bullpen with two punchouts to seal the crown.

Offensive Explosion: Owen Rich’s 5-for-5 Masterpiece

While the pitching staff silenced Centennial Field, New Britain’s offense blew the game wide open against Vermont’s pitching staff:

Rich’s Unblemished Day: Center fielder Owen Rich set the tone at the plate, going a perfect 5-for-5 with three doubles, four runs scored, and three RBIs.
Hennig Adds the Exclamation Point: First baseman Tim Hennig blasted a solo home run in the fifth inning—his second big fly of the championship series—extending the Bees’ lead to 7–0 and putting the game completely out of reach.
Bookend Blowouts: In a strange statistical anomaly, New Britain won both Game 1 and Game 3 at Centennial Field by identical 11–0 scores, surrounding a 1–0 Game 2 pitcher’s duel loss in New Britain on Saturday.

2026 FCBL Championship Series Summary

Game	Location	Result	Key Highlight
Game 1	Centennial Field (Burlington, VT)	New Britain 11, Vermont 0	Bees collect 15 hits in a road shutout blowout.
Game 2	New Britain Stadium (New Britain, CT)	Vermont 1, New Britain 0	Chase Burrows throws 8 scoreless innings for Vermont.
Game 3	Centennial Field (Burlington, VT)	New Britain 11, Vermont 0	Garbinski/Harding combine for 3-hit shutout; Rich goes 5-for-5.

From Heartbreak to Hardware

The title marks a sweet moment of redemption for New Britain. After losing Game 3 of the 2025 FCBL Finals to Norwich, the Bees knocked off the three-time defending champion Sea Unicorns in the semifinals before taking down the 30-win Lake Monsters on their home turf.

With 22 regular-season victories, a postseason bullpen lockdown, and two dominant road shutouts in Burlington, the 2026 New Britain Bees leave no doubt about who rules the Futures League.