Slammers News Archives
Slammers Training Academy has always followed the belief of "player
first" mentality when it comes to our training and programs, and because
of that Slammers has developed some of the best local talent of
baseball and softball over the past several years. In a mission to
continue to develop future athlete leaders, Slammers would like to share
our experiences and professionalism with everyone.
Here are some of the past News & Events in the Slammers Community:
Slammers 16u Team WINS 2014 Northern IL Invite
Slammers would like to congratulate our 16u Slammers Team for their
recent Championship victory in DeKalb at the 2014 Northern Illinois
Invite 16u Tournament. They followed up that weekend with another
championship in Evanston, IL (pictured to the right). Good luck in the
upcoming weeks - all that hard work is paying off now!!
Local Buffalo Grove Team WINS Cooperstown!!
Slammers would like to congratulate the Buffalo Grove travel baseball team which includes our own Slammers' student Bryan Park
(pictured on the right with team Championship trophy) - great job to
all the players and coaches!! Bryan's team competed all tournament and
represented the Illinois baseball community very commendably at the
national level!!
Tyler Feece strong on mound this Summer
Tyler
Feece (Vernon Hills HS '13) has been showing very well this Summer with
his arm. Now a red-shirt freshman at Illinois State University, the
coaches have noticed his plus arm and precision location. Tyler has
been coming to Slammers for years and it has been a pleasure watching
him develop to what he is today. MORE INFO!
Slammers & GCHS Summer Camp Successful!
Slammers would
like to thank the Grayslake Central High School staff and the GYBA
Program for our partnership in recent Summer Camp held at Grayslake
Central. Beautiful weather made the week complete, as the participants
all improved in hitting, pitching, fielding, throwing, catching and base
running while attending the program.
 Two Local Players Sign at Concordia
Slammers Training Academy would like to congratulate
both Noah Greenberg (Libertyville HS) and Michael Szeszol (Lake Forest
HS) in their recent signing to continue their playing career at the
collegiate level. Both local players have signed on with Concordia
University in Mequon, WI. They will begin playing there in the Fall
when they start up and we wish them both the best of luck in all future
endeavors.
Support Evan Skoug in Home Run Derby
Slammers
would like to encourage friends and family to consider sponsoring Evan
Skoug, a senior baseball player at Libertyville HS as he is teaming up
with Kate to help find a treatment for Nemaline Myopathy. On January
4th, 2014 - Evan will represent Illinois in baseball's Power Showcase "
Home Runs That Help"
home run derby at the Marlins Stadium in Miami. Each of the home runs
hit by Evan are dedicated to Kate and money raised goes to a Foundation
for Building Strength.
Link to information webpage: Home Runs that Help -Team Kate and Evan
Slammers 16's NIU Invite Champions
We would like to
wish a special congratulations to the Slammers 16-U Summer Team as they
captured the Championship at the Northern Illinois University Invite
last weekend in DeKalb, IL. Defeating the
Illinois Indians 7-5 in the Championship Game, this coming off of last weekend's 2nd place
finish in Kenosha
.
Neal Cotts back in Chicago
Slammers would like to congratulate Neal Cotts for his hard work and constant dedication to achieve his goals.
Slammers' own senior Pitching Instructor in the off-season, Neal
does a great job with the players that its nice to see him having some
success. Cotts was in town this weekend with his Rangers to play the
White Sox. During pre-game warmups, Neal signed autographs
for the fans and conversed with numerous amounts of players that he's
trained through Slammers.
Neal's Interview with CSNChicago
Cotts' Long Road to MLB
Slammers own pitching instructor Neal Cotts in the MLB again after a
long road back dealing with injuries and surgery. His story is captured
by this article:
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Slammers is Home of State Bound HS Teams
Slammers would like to congratulate Libertyville HS and Grayslake Central HS
for their gutsy performances in their Super-Sectional victories that
secured each of them a spot in the 2013 IHSA State Tournament in their
respective class. Grayslake Central HS will play St. Francis on Friday
morning @ 10am while Liber
tyville HS will play St. Charles East @ 5pm - games will be played at Silver Cross Field (Joliet).
WGN airs Steve Sakas Documentary 
Legendary baseball great Steve Sakas
(1921 - 2012) was involved with baseball in many aspects from playing to
coaching the game to mentoring players in baseball and life lessons.
WGN hosted a documentary about legendary Steve Sakas on April 1st during
their 9pm news hour. Slammers coaching staff members including senior
pitching coach
Jim Sakas (Steve's son), coach Tony Tichy as well as 2012 World Series Champion George Kontos were interviewed on the documentary at Slammers.
Illinois Bone & Joint's Performance Center
Slammers partner Illinois Bone & Joint opened up a brand new
state-of-the-art Performance Center and has merged with IMPACT Sports
Performance. The merging with IMPACT and IBJI's current relationship
with Slammers Training Academy has come together to conjoin the
professional knowledge of the athlete's physical structure alongside
Slammers experience and knowledge of baseball to offer the best
collaborative athletic training program available on the market.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NEW PERFORMANCE CENTER'S SITE
Good Luck to all 2014 Graduates this Year
Slammers rich history of players moving from the High School to collegiate and professional levels has been unprecedented. CLICK HERE for a full list of our alumni that have reached some of their goals in baseball.
Slammers would like to congratulate players from the Class of 2014 - Lake Forest's Luke Johnson on his commitment to D1 Patriot League member Bucknell University along with Taylor Langtry from Glen Ellyn who plays for Slammers Softball Instructor Kerry Satterwhite (playing with Illinois Chill Team). Libertyville's Jimmy Govern (Eastern Illinois), Lake Forest's JR Reimers (Northwestern), Libertyville's Evan Skoug (Texas Christian University), Carmel's Ian Kristan (Bradley University), Libertyville's Noah Greenberg (Concordia), Lake Forest's Michael Szeszol (Concordia) and Libertyville's Ian Grant (Rose-Hulman) will all continue their careers.
 4 Eastern Illinois Players Selected to All-OVA Team!
Slammers is proud of Libertyville natives and EIU Seniors Troy Barton & Tyler Schweigert as they both were selected to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Team. Barton posted a 1.38 ERA in 26 innings with 7 saves (1st in OVC) on the year while striking out 27 and only 5 walks while Schweigert had a break out year batting .314 with 29 runs and 25 RBI's.
 Ian Grant Signs @ Rose-Hulman
Congratulations to Ian Grant, Libertyville High School Senior, who has committed to play for Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN. At Rose Hulman Ian will study Mechanical Engineering, they plan to use Ian as a pitcher and outfielder when not on the mound.
Slammers is Home to Championship Teams
Slammers would like to congratulate all teams that train with Slammers throughout the year on their victories and successful seasons that they are starting to wind down. Tournament Championships carry a special feeling to those players and coaches that participated that weekend, and Slammers would like to share these pictures of our teams that won in 2013 . From left-to-right: Libertyville 9-Black team wins Great Lakes Championship in Vernon Hills, Select Baseball (Coyote Select) wins the GameDay tournament in West Chicago and Libertyville 12-Orange wins the MSBL Elite League Tournament in Glenview.
 Impressive 1st Year @ Washington and Lee
Hinsdale Central grad and Washington and Lee Freshman Tom Concklin has been impressive in his freshman campaign making 12 appearances including 7 starts and held a 3-2 record. Tom led all starting pitchers for the Generals in ERA with a 2.02 mark and was 2nd on the team in innings pitched (49) and strikeouts (24) on the year.
Matt Vogt Enjoying Success
Libertyville High School senior Matt Vogt is excited to lead his team this Spring. So far, they have been to a strong start
at 17-7-1 and in the middle of the 2013 conference race. Matt and his
siblings, who all work out with Slammers, are dedicated to improving
their own selves in an effort to lead others to do the same. Slammers
would like to congratulate Matt for his leadership and hard work.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE ON MATT.
Former Player Commits to University of Washington
Slammers wants to recognize former Libertyville resident and Slammers patron Harrison Goonewardene who verbally committed to the University of Washington. Harrison works with Slammers Senior Pitching Coach Jim Sakas while visiting from his new residence near Seattle, WA. Congrats to Harrison and good luck this season and into your collegiate career!
 Zach Wade Encouraging Others
Deerfield High School's starting catcher Zach Wade
has become a leader in the clubhouse and on the field for the Warriors
this Spring. Not only offensively but defensively, calling the games
and mentally helping his pitching staff compete - Zach is a true leader,
even down to working baseball camps with 5-8 year olds at Slammers,
Zach has patience and heart for the game. Slammers wishes Zach the best
for this year and in future endeavors.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE ON ZACH.
Neal Cotts called up with the Rangers
Slammers would like to congratulate Neal Cotts for his hard work and dedication to his goals. Slammers own senior Pitching Instructor in the off-season, Neal does a great job with the players that its nice to see him having some success. Neal's first outing of the year can be seen by
CLICKING HERE.
Neal was currently with Triple-A Round Rock (Rangers) and pitched in 13
games with 21 IP, gave up 13 hits but only 2 earned runs along with 37
strikeouts to 5 walks and a stellar 0.86 ERA so far in 2013
Matt Ryan Playing His Role
Carmel Catholic High School senior Matt Ryan had
a difficult start to his Spring, but through sticking through the tough
times and working hard to get back into rotation, Matt embodies
everything Slammers stands for in his dedication and support of those
around him even during tough times. Being a leader isn't only by
example but also by supporting those around you and achieving common
goals as a team - and Matt plays his role very well.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE ON MATT.
Slammers is Home State Finalist Teams
Slammers would like congratulate Libertyville HS (2nd Place) and Grayslake Central HS (3rd Place) for their performances in their Super-Sectional victories that secure them a spot in the 2013 IHSA State Tournament in their respective classes this year.
 
Slammers 16u - NIU INVITE Champions!!
We would like to congratulate the Slammers 16-U Summer Team as they captured the Championship at the Northern Illinois University Invite last weekend in DeKalb, IL. Defeating the Illinois Indians 7-5 in the Championship Game, this coming off of last weekend's 2nd place finish in Kenosha.
Slammers Congratulates Class of 2013 Commitments!
Slammers would like to wish all HS seniors good luck in their collegiate years. Slammers would also like to congratulate the following players for their recent commitments to where they will begin their collegiate baseball careers next year.
Evan Skoug Leadership Showing
Libertyville High School Junior Evan Skoug
has worked countless hours on the mental and physical talents over the
last 2 years. Now LHS's Captain (youngest in over a decade) on the
Diamond is doing great things on the field because of his work off the
field. Slammers wants to congratulate Evan for not only getting honored
for his leadership among his peers and coaches but also for his
dedication to the game.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE ON EVAN.
2013 College World Series Begins in Omaha
Slammers would like to wish good luck to all the teams that have advanced through the Super Regional Tournaments this past weekend. NC
State, UCLA, UNC, LSU, Louisville, Indiana, Mississippi St. and Oregon St. have all punched their tickets to this year's
Men's College World Series in Omaha which begins bracket play on June 15th, 2013.
Special congrats to Slammers student (Barrington HS graduate)
Ricky Alfonso and the rest of the Indiana Hoosiers Men's Baseball
team for advancing to Omaha by sweeping FSU in the Super
Regional last weekend! IU is the first Big Ten team that has advanced
to Omaha since Michigan did it back in 1984. Slammers wishes good luck
to Ricky and the boys in Omaha!
Neal Cotts with the Texas Rangers
Slammers instructor Neal Cotts
was picked up by the Texas Rangers for Spring Training. Neal is
competing in the final grouping to make the big league roster for
Opening Day 2012. Neal played for 7 years in the big
leagues with the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, enjoying his finest
year as a professional in 2005 when he was a part of the White Sox
World Series Team.
Goldstein starts for Illinois in
2013
University
of Illinois Freshman
Catcher Jason Goldstein has been the starter
for Illinois, making him the first freshman to start
the first game of the year at catcher since Brian
Schullian in 1992. The Highland Park High School grad was
ranked
as the No. 4 catcher in the country and the No. 71
prospect nationally in the high school class of 2012. Jason
and his older brother Tyler have been members of Slammers since its
inception and one of the mainstays with Slammers Senior Hitting Coach
Ray Borucki, who also coached him.
Ryan Borucki Signs & Visits Toronto 
Slammers would like to congratulate Ryan Borucki, son of Slammers
Instructor
Ray Borucki
for getting drafted in the MLB Amateur Draft out
in High School this Summer. Pictured to the right is Ryan and Ray on
the field of the Rogers Centre in late June 2012 after the draft. Ryan
has enjoyed a great career at Mundelein HS, and Slammers wishes
Ryan a continuation in success along the way to a long future in the
professional baseball. Ryan has been involved with travel teams and
workouts at Slammers since he was a young athlete and now he is involved
with giving back to the community through baseball with coaching local
youth players and travel teams.
Ed Tolzien with MLB Coach Rudy Jaramillo
Slammers Training Academy Co-Owner Ed Tolzien
was invited to spend the weekend alongside of current Chicago Cubs
Hitting Coach Rudy Jaramillo in Dallas, TX. Rudy Jaramillo has worked
with some of the best hitters currently in the Major Leagues. His
simple 5-step approach has helped players like Jeff Bagwell, Alex
Rodriguez, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton and Starlin Castro. Jaramillo
has spent 15 years with the Texas Rangers and 2 years with the Cubs
with 17 of his players winning the Silver Slugger Award and 3 MVP
Awards under his guidance.
Slammers Hosts 2012 College Signing Day
Slammers would like to congratulate all players that signed this past
Fall to play collegiate baseball, as we take pride in continuing to
develop local student athletes to prepare for the next level. Slammers
would like to wish good luck to these players in college, who attended
the 2012 signing day:
Adam Walton (Stevenson High School - University of Illinois)
Pat Kenney (Warren Township High School - Purdue University)
Ryan Borucki (Mundelein High School - University of Iowa)
Nick Coutre (Libertyville High School - Villanova University)
Jason Goldstein (Highland Park High School - University of Illinois)
Lake County 2012 All-Area High School Players
Slammers Training Academy congratulates all high school baseball
players that made the Lake County All-Area First Team, including Slammers Clients:
Chris Marras (All-Lake County Captain - Vernon Hills HS), Pat Kenney
(Warren HS), Adam Walton (Stevenson HS), Chris Maranto (Mundelein HS),
Anthony Mack (Libertyville HS), Max Golembo (Stevenson HS), Adam Gomski
(Grayslake North HS), Tyler Feece (Vernon Hills HS) & Jon Gurchak
(Grayslake Central HS). Great Job & Good Luck this Summer!
LINK TO ALL 2012 LAKE COUNTY ALL-AREA PLAYERS
2012 Illinois HS Baseball Playoffs
Slammers
would like to congratulate those teams that have moved onto
the super-sectionals after the games this weekend. Local teams like
Highland Park HS (7-3 win), Grayslake Central HS (4-0 win), Grant HS
(5-2 win) & Schaumburg HS (11-1 win). Good luck to teams during
their Super-Sectionals!
LINK TO ALL 2012 IHSA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT SCORES
Ryan Borucki (Mundelein HS '12)
Already committed to play collegiately for Iowa University next year,
Ryan Borucki looks forward to leading the Mustangs to a stellar 2012
Spring season. Ryan already has posted a 2-0 record with 14 strikeouts
in 8 innings pitched early in the season. Ryan is the son of Slammers
Baseball Instructor
Ray Borucki,
who enjoyed a fantastic playing career himself and now shares his
expertise in baseball to teach local players his experiences and how to
play the game the right way.
CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE ON RYAN
Coach Gary Bennett in Hong Kong
Slammers Training Academy's own Gary Bennett
visits Hong Kong along with other former MLB players to work with the
local kids on fundamentals of Baseball. Gary played for 13 years at the
Major League level and enjoyed a lot of success throughout his career.
Gary was on the St. Louis Cardinals on the 2006 Championship team that won the World Series over the Detroit Tigers.
Slammers Hosts Ripken Camp
January 31, 2010 -
Slammers Training Academy hosts Ripken Baseball Camp conducted by Hall
of Fame Member Cal Ripken Jr. and 13-Year MLB veteran Billy Ripken.
Select local travel teams participated in this all-day baseball
training camp held at Slammers Training Academy in Lake Forest.
Ryan Dempster Summer Camp
July 2009 - Slammers Training Academy along with Chicago Cubs & 2008 MLB All-Star Pitcher Ryan Dempster
came together for a Summer Camp held at Butler Lake Fields in local
Libertyville, IL. Slammers conducted a 4-Day Skills Camp for the
community and hosted a question & answer session and allowed players
meet and greet with a Major League player and 2008 All-Star.
Aaron Miles Skills Camp
June 2009 - Slammers Training Academy teamed up with new partners Illinois Bone & Joint along with Chicago Cubs player Aaron Miles for
a Summer Camp held at Slammers in Lake Forest, IL. Slammers conducted a
4-Day Advanced Skills Camp for the community and hosted a question
& answer session and allowed players meet and greet with a 7-Year MLB Veteran.
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