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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.