On May 10, the West Suburban Baseball League (WSBL) celebrated the mid-way point of its second season with an all day All-Star event at the Lumberyard in Bourbonnais, IL.
The day began with a skills competition, broken down into two age groups (9-11, 12-14). The competition featured five different categories: fastest base running, home run hitting, throwing accuracy from the outfield to home plate, around the horn, and pitch speed. Highlighted winners from the competitions are as follows:
Home Run Hitting
14U Chris Antalek , Riverside Brookfield Bulldogs, Champion , 2 HRs
14U Michael Samp , Lisle Wolves, Runner-up , 1 HR
13U Richie O’Neil , Wheaton-Briarcliffe Blazers, Champion, 4 HRs
13U Matt Skora , Lindy’s Lumber, Runner-up, 3 HRs
12U Muta Crusoe , LaGrange Panthers , Champion, 3 HRs
12U Max Peters , Oak Brook Outlaws , Runner-up, 2 HRs
11U Mark Khoury , Lisle Wolves , Champion, 2 HRs
11U Zach Namaketz , Plainfield Diamond Dawgs , Runner-up, 1 HR
10U Arno Curtis , Glen Ellyn Bulldogs, Champion, 2 HRs
10U Matt Giles , Winfield Wolves , Runner-up, 1 HR
9U Robbie Murphy , Glen Ellyn Bulldogs, Champion , 2 HRs
9U Ashton Burbridge , Warrenville Warriors , Runner-up , 1 HR
Fastest Pitcher
14U Jon Kingzette , Riverside-Brookfield Bulldogs , Champion , 66 MPH
14U Micheal Samp , Lisle Wolves , Runner-up , 62 MPH
13U Pat McInerney , Downers Grove Longshots , Champion , 71 MPH
13U Joe Vattimo , Downers Grove Longshots , Runner-up , 70 MPH
12U Jake Vojslavek , Plainfield Panthers , Champion , 64 MPH
12U Jayden Gerber , Plainfield Pythons, Runner-up , 62 MPH
11U Nick Palesandro , Plainfield Diamond Dawgs , Champion , 62 MPH
11U Mark Khoury , Lisle Wolves , Runner-up , 61 MPH
10U Sam Lawrence , Winfield Wolves , Champion , 58 MPH
10U Hunter Sharrett , Downers Grove Longshots , Runner-up , 55 MPH
9U Andrew Zienty , Glen Ellyn Bulldogs , Champion , 49 MPH
9U Ashton Burbridge , Warrenville Warriors , Runner-up , 48 MPH
Fastest Base Running
14U Jon Kingzette , Riverside-Brookfield Bulldogs , Champion , 16.81
14U Chris Antalek , Riverside-Brookfield Bulldogs , Runner-up , 16.94
13U Alex Callaghan , Downers Grove Longshots , Champion , 14.45
13U Chase Rappe , Wheaton Red Warriors , Runner-up , 14.63
12U Matt Biegalski , Winfield Wolves , Champion , 14.78
12U Jake Seeman , West Chicago Wildcats , Runner-up , 15.13
11U Steven Fassnacht , Wheaton-Briarcliffe Blazers , Champion , 13.56
11U Stephen Dudas , Lisle Wolves , Runner-up , 13.75
10U Sam Lawrence , Winfield Wolves , Champion , 13.87
10U Sam Milnamow , Warrenville Warriors , Runner-up , 14.13
9U Ashton Burbridge , Warrenville Warriors , Champion , 14.88
9U Jack Farley , Warrenville Warriors , Runner-up , 14.97
After the competition, players joined their respective All-Star teams for games across six of the Lumberyard’s fields.
“The kids had a great time,” WSBL President Bob Ryan said. “It’s neat to see the bigger kids out there with the little guys, going from field to field.”
The second half of the WSBL season will go until June 15. There’s a twist to the season’s design though: teams start the second half of the season with a clean slate, 0-0. The season concludes with a Championship Tournament, a year end event that includes every team. Trophies are awarded to the top four teams in each age level.
“Our philosophy is to be competitive, but also let the kids grow,” Ryan said.
So far, that philosophy has proven to be a success. In just its second season, the WSBL has nearly tripled its team enrollment (60 teams last year, 160 this year). All teams are sanctioned by the USSSA and compete in both state and national tournaments.
For more information on the WSBL, visit www.WSBL.org.