I am not much of a self-promoter, but I can't let other teams get mentioned without talking about the 17 year old Sparks. They were the 2005 CABA State champs, Sparks Classic champs, and were invited to play at Notre Dame, Purdue, and the University of Illinois last summer. Our fall season was very successful, ending with the team going undefeated in the Lombard Lightning Fall Showcase. Team members include T.J. McFarland and Nick Rossi from Stagg, Mark Ahern (H/F), Brain Stroud (Providence), Tyler Newsome, Mike Vucsko, and Nick Pappas from Marist, Chris Chojnowski, Louie Soto, Diego Martinez, Dan Jilek, and Pete Balsam from St Rita, Tim Norman (Minooka), Dan McConlogue, Rich Forkin, Kyle Fraser, Trevor Willis, John Pastwa, and Matt Shilney from Lockport, Brian Bajer (Oak Forest), Robert Scumaci (De La Salle), Jon Merrick (Chicago Christian), Philip Wunderlich (Downers Grove South), Miguel Amesquita (Brother Rice), and Carter Kopach (Mount Carmel).
The Sparks train at their own 25,000 square foot facility located in Tinley Park. It has six cages with machines, three mounds, and 15,000 square feet of turfed infield area. The ceilings are 30 feet high. Players have access to the facility virtually 24/7 365 days a year. Team coaches include former pros Tim Newsome (hitting), Kirk Vucsko (pitching), Erik Pappas (catching), as well as Rich Forkin (Ultimate Sports Academy).
From top to bottom, from ages 10 up, the Sparks have firmly established themselves as one of the top youth baseball organizations in Illinois. Our reputation with college and pro coaches continues to grow, and we work as hard as anyone out there to get a player exposure to the right college for them.
If you have any further questions about the Sparks, their website is
http://www.orlandsparks.com.