Illinois Sparks Baseball Club - (Aurora, IL) - powered by LeagueLineup.com

Cangelosi Baseball 09s Take 2nd In Perfect Game's 2008 WWBA World Championship

Congratulations to Cangelosi Baseball 09's for finishing 2nd in this tournament attended by 80 teams from across the country, Canada and Puerto Rico. Perfect Game's WWBA World Championship is attended by more professional scouts and college coaches than any other single high school baseball tournament in the world. It is estimated that 700 scouts and coaches were in attendance at the home of the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals spring training complex.

Cangelosi Players: Pat Gannon LHP Brother Rice, Justin Kopale MIF/3B St. Rita, Mark Payton OF/LHP St. Rita, Luke Mottashed C/2B Cary Grove, Charlie White OF/LHP Naperville North, Steve DalPorto MIF/3B Nazareth, Matt Highland OF/MIF Herscher, Brandon Hohl 3B/MIF Lincoln-Way East, Chris Savas 3B/1B Willowbrook, Don Stopka 1B/3B Carmel Catholic, Dan Huenecke RHP Palatine, Kevin Gates RHP Chesterton, Jake Naumann RHP Naperville North, Mike Hollenbeck C Joliet Township, David Suarez RHP/3B Lasalle Peru, Pat Kaminska RHP Naperville Central, Mike Kane OF/1B Notre Dave, Anthony Andres LHP/OF St. Rita, Sam Picchiotti MIF/OF Oak Park River Forest, Jack Murphy C/RHP Oak Forest, Brian Krolikowski RHP Batavia, Brian Baldwin RHP/1B Brother Rice

Cangelosi Coaches: Dave Payton, Bill Copp, John Cangelosi, Joe Murphy, Brian Baldwin, Brian White, Jason Vitas

Cangelosi went 4-0 in pool play outscoring their opponents 30 to 8. The pool play wins were 14-1 over New Jersey PG Red, 5-4 over the Ohio Warhawks (pool & tournament favorite), 7-1 over the Dulins Dodgers and 4-2 over Team Worth.

In the round of 16, Cangelosi defeated the Florida Bombers Scout Team 4-1. In the round of 8, Cangelosi defeated the Royals Baseball Club 3-0. In the round of 4, Cangelosi defeated the Texas Scout Team Yankees 3-1. And in the championship game, Cangelosi was defeated by the ABD Bulldogs 7-3.

Congratulations to Mark Payton who was named the championship’s Most Valuable Player for his role in the middle of the batting order, outstanding defense in centerfield and leadership.

The links below will take you to Perfect Game CrossChecker Cangelosi and tournament stories:

Perfect Game CrossChecker's 2008 Jupiter Top 10 List, #1 Cangelosi Embodies Team Concept

Perfect Game CrossChecker's Tournament Blogs

Present College Commitments

Ball State University

2009 Jon Cisna IF/LHP Lockport HS

Belmont University

2009 Dan Huenecke RHP Palatine HS

Bradley University

2009 Bob Schuch OF/IF Brother Rice HS

Central Michigan University

2009 Chris Savas IF Willowbrook HS

2009 Dietrich Enns LHP Lincoln-Way East HS

2009 Scott Marinier RHP/OF St. Rita HS

John A. Logan College

2009 Mike Kane OF/1B Notre Dame HS

Miami University of Ohio

2009 Brian Krolikowski RHP Batavia HS

Purdue University

2009 Pat Gannon LHP Brother Rice HS

Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

2009 Matt Highland IF/OF Herscher HS

Stanford University

2009 Justin Ringo 1B/OF Amos Alonzo Stagg HS

University of Evansville

2009 Jake Naumann RHP/IF Naperville North HS

University of Illinois - Champaign

2009 Brandon Hohl IF Lincoln-Way East HS

2009 Kevin Johnson RHP Mount Carmel HS

University of Kentucky

2009 Jon Carlson LHP Rolling Meadows HS

Vanderbilt University

2009 Jack DeAno OF/RHP Wheaton North HS

Wright State University

2009 Justin Kopale SS St. Rita HS

2009 Sam Picchiotti IF Oak Park River Forest HS

IL Sparks 18s Finish 2nd at Perfect Game's WWBA 2008 Grads 18U National Championship at East Cobb

Congratulations to our 2008 18U players and coaches for finishing 2nd in arguably the most prestigious 18U tournament in the country. The Sparks accomplishment represents the first time that a nothern team has ever advanced beyond the Elite 8 in this tournament's history. This year's tournament was made up of 186 teams and players from across the country. The Sparks finished 9-1 going 5-0 in pool and 4-0 in the tournament round before its only loss in the final championship game of the tournament. John Ruettiger OF/LHP of Joliet Catholic Academy / Arizona State University was named the tournament MVP. The IL Sparks were a recipient of the PG PRO AWARD as well. The recipient of this award is the team that displays the most professionalism, the most class and the best sportsmanship.

You can visit Perfect Game at www.perfectgame.org.

PG Invitational Tournament - Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome

The IL Sparks are excited to announce that Perfect Game has invited our 17U program to participate in this invitational event at the home of the Minnesota Twins. This event will take place on June 10th, 11th and 12th before Perfect Game's National Showcase which will be held over the weekend at the Metrodome. Other programs participating in this event with the IL Sparks include the Minnesota Starz, Midwest Blazers, East Cobb and Orlando Scorpions.

Date	Time	Visitor	Home	Location
6/10/2008	12:00 PM	Midwest Blazers Scout Team	Illinois Sparks 17U	Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome
6/11/2008	12:00 PM	Illinois Sparks 17U	Orlando Scorpions 17U Purple	Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome
6/11/2008	2:30 PM	Illinois Sparks 17U	East Cobb Braves 17	Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome
6/12/2008	11:30 AM	Minnesota Starz	Illinois Sparks 17U	Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome

You can visit Perfect Game at www.perfectgame.org.

Sparks 10U - 15U Teams

Please visit the home of our 10U - 15U teams at www.orlandsparks.com

Illinois Sparks Mission

Our mission is simple: We will strive as a program to ensure that the young men in our organization are provided professional training and instruction. Additionally, we will place a significant emphasis on exposing the IL Sparks to collegiate baseball and the necessary qualities they must possess to play at that level.

Our intent is to play at the highest level of national competition while concurrently providing the required exposure to college coaches and professional scouts. We take a great deal of PRIDE in being a Spark, not only on the field, but off the field as well. We strive to teach each of our players that no individual is larger than the team, and without each other, there is no team.

Illinois Sparks Organization

The Illinois Sparks are one of the region's top amateur programs at the 16U, 17U and 18U levels. Having succeeded on the national stage in many different venues, the program has become recognized nationally because of its talented players. This recognition is very important to the IL Sparks as we have developed many significant relationships with college coaches and professional scouts that will assist our players in achieving their baseball related goals.

We are an organization that places our emphasis on creating great practice habits. We promote team play. We feel strongly that the foundation of our program comes from the strength and professionalism of our coaches, as well as the support from the players and parents of the entire organization. We are a non-profit 501C organization. Without the support from our benefactors and parents, this program would never be possible.

Past College Commitments

Arizona State University	Ohio University
2007 Seth Blair P Rock Falls HS	2008 Nick Egan RHP/3B Wheaton Warrenville S HS
2008 John Ruettiger OF Joliet Catholic HS	Oakton CC
Augustana College	2006 Andrew Hagins OF OPRF HS
2006 Mike Odenthal IF Naperville Central HS	2006 Lenell Mcgee IF/RHP Mt. Carmel HS
Blackhawk College	2006 Devin Foreman IF Hales Franciscan HS
Tom Marsh OF Wheaton Warrenville South HS	2007 Lou Vicelli C Glenbard East HS
Casey Manheim P/C Wheaton Warrenville South HS	Parkland CC
Bradley University	2007 Max Friedman IF Whitney Young HS
2006 Alex Zerman RHP Stevenson HS	Penn State University
Butler University	2008 Joey DeBernardis 3B/RHP Lake Zurich HS
2007 Grant Fillipitch IF Lyons Township HS	Saint Ambrose University
2008 Stephen Kaffel 1B Carl Sandburg HS	2007 Steve Heaney P/DH St. Rita HS
2008 Ryan Salvino RHP Nazareth HS	Saint Louis University
2008 Brian Padove C Marian Catholic HS	2003 Bill Musselman C Providence Catholic HS
Carthage College	South Suburban CC
2008 Marty Dzik RHP Bolingbrook HS	2006 Tony Lepore MIF Sandburg HS
Chandler Gilbert CC	Southern Illinois University
2005 Tim Dennehy LHP OPRF HS	2006 Louie Johanns IF Naperville Central HS
Eastern Illinois University	2006 Tom Cerven C Minooka HS
2003 Mark Chagnon OF Providence Catholic HS	2007 Nick Rice LHP Tremper HS
2007 Sean Estand IF/P St. Rita HS	2008 Jordan Sivertsen RHP/OF Carmel HS
2007 Mike Recchia IF/P Shepard HS	St. Joseph College (Indiana)
Eastern Kentucky University	2006 Thomas Zurliene IF Joliet Catholic HS
2007 Ryan Faidley IF/OF Crystal Lake South HS	2007 Matt Foltz 1B/3B Wheaton Warrenville South HS
2008 Andres Rodriguez OF Marian Catholic HS	2007 Josh Zenawick OF Marist HS
Furman	2007 Chris Chojnowski P St. Rita HS
2008 Bobby Lyne RHP Carmel HS	2008 Phil Trowbridge LHP Providence Catholic HS
Long Island University	United States Military Academy
2008 Julian Kenner IF/C Whitney Young Magnet	2007 Kirk Porter P Lake Zurich HS
Garden City CC	University of Dayton
2006 Edwin Krupa IF/RHP Lockport HS	2006 Bobby Simmons IF/RHP Driscoll HS
Harvard University	University of Illinois - Champaign
2007 Dillon O'Neil OF Benet Academy HS	2006 Micheal Giller C/OF St. Patricks HS
Illinois State University	2007 Casey Crosby LHP Kaneland HS
2007 Kevin Tokarski OF Downers Grove North HS	2008 Corey Kimes LHP Ottawa HS
Illinois Wesleyan University	2008 Brian Roberts RHP/C Benet HS
2006 Pat Kirchhofer RHP/OF Wheaton North HS	2008 Will Strack RHP Sycamore HS
2006 Joeseph Froehlich LHP OPRF HS	University of Illinois - Chicago
Indian Hills CC	2000 Brendan Aubin P Sandburg HS
2006 Oscar Sanchez LHP Clemente HS	2004 Brett Schaefer C Brother Rice HS
Indiana State University	2006 Andy Leonard IF Stagg HS
2007 Brian Reigler C Downers Grove South HS	2007 Deven Melecio OF Clemente HS
Indiana University	2007 Rafael Garcia IF Clemente HS
2006 Brian Lambert IF Pontiac HS	2008 Michael Heesch LHP Prairie Ridge HS
John A Logan CC	University of Iowa
2006 Nick Herrera C Geneva HS	2006 Tyson Blaser C Rockridge HS
Joliet Junior College	2007 Trevor Willis IF Lockport HS
2007 Tyler Thompson 2B/C Carl Sandburg HS	2008 Nick Brown RHP/IF Wheaton Warrenville South HS
2007 Brett Velon SS/OF Carl Sandburg HS	2008 Jarred Hippen LHP Rock Falls HS
Lewis University	2008 Mike McQuillan IF Brother Rice HS
2007 Rich Forkin IF/P Lockport HS	2008 Chett Zeise IF Green Bay Notre Dame HS
2007 Mike Vuscko IF Marist HS	University of Kentucky
2008 Cameron Anello 3B Brother Rice HS	2007 Mike Kaczmarek P/OF Andrews HS
Michigan State University	University of Louisville
2007 Kyle Kaminska P Naperville Central HS	2007 Phil Wunderlich IF Downers Grove South HS
2007 Tyler Newsome P/IF Marist HS	2008 Tony Zych RHP/IF St. Rita HS
Mesa CC	University of Missouri
2006 Joey Dispensa OF/IF St. Rita HS	2004 Lee Fischer IF Sandburg HS
2008 Diego Martinez OF/RHP St. Rita HS	2007 T.J. McFarland LHP Stagg HS
Northern Illinois University	University of Notre Dame
2004 Dave Nykiel P Sandburg HS	2006 Billy Boockford OF/RHP Glenbard West HS
2005 Bobby Stevens IF Guerin Prep HS	2007 Mick Doyle IF Benet HS
2005 Brandon Copp LHP West Aurora HS	University of St. Francis
2006 David Reynolds IF/OF Sandburg HS	2006 Pat Grady C/IF Sandburg HS
2006 Anthony Maziur OF Oak Forest HS	2007 Mark Ahern P Homewood Flossmoor HS
2007 Brad Allen IF/P Geneva HS	2007 Mitch Labuda P/OF Downers Grove North HS
2007 Marvin Sanchez IF Clemente HS	2007 Eric Zehme P Carl Sandburg HS
2007 Kevin Smith C Wheaton North HS	2007 Tom Whelan IF/OF St. Rita HS
2007 Zach Oates RHP Wheaton North HS	2008 Matt Huck RHP Marian Central Catholic HS
2007 Brandon House OF Marian Catholic HS	University of Tennessee
2008 Brett Frantini C Minooka HS	2006 Steve Crnkovich RHP Downers Grove So HS
2008 Jake Hermsen OF/LHP New London HS	Wake Forest University
2008 Kyle Stroup RHP Grant Community HS	2007 Ian Tomkins C Loyola Academy HS
2008 Chris Wakefield RHP/1B Cherokee HS	Western Michigan University
2008 Tom Barry LHP/UT Providence Catholic HS	2007 Brian Stroud P Providence Catholic HS
Oakland University	2008 Mike Frigo IF/OF Lockport HS
2007 Scott Sexton IF Oak Lawn HS

MLB Draft Picks

2008 MLB Draft Picks

#397 Lenell McGee CF To The Los Angeles Dodgers, 2006 Mt. Carmel HS; 2008 Oakton CC

#1053 John Ruettiger CF To The Texas Rangers, 2008 Joliet Catholic Academy

#1138 Joeseph DeBernardis 3B To The Florida Marlins, 2008 Lake Zurich HS

#1349 Julian Kenner SS To The Chicago White Sox, 2008 Whitney Young HS

#1386 Tony Zych RHP To The Chicago Cubs, 2008 St. Rita HS

#1502 Kyle Stroup RHP To The Boston Red Sox, 2008 Grant Community HS

2007 MLB Draft Picks

#137 T.J. McFarland LHP To The Cleveland Indians, 2007 Stagg HS

#181 Casey Crosby LHP To The Detroit Tigers, 2007 Kaneland HS

#766 Kyle Kaminska RHP To The Florida Marlins, 2007 Naperville Central HS

#913 Bill Musselman C To The AZ Diamondbacks, 2003 Providence Catholic HS/2007 SLU

#1102 Oney Guillen IF To The Chicago White Sox, 2007 North Park University

#1388 Seth Blair RHP To The Oakland As, 2007 Rock Falls HS

#1416 Tyler Newsome LHP/IF To The Baltimore Orioles, 2007 Marist HS

2006 MLB Draft Picks

#789 Lenell McGee IF To The Houston Astros, 2006 Mt. Carmel HS

#794 Tim Dennehy LHP To The NY Yankees, 2004 Oak Park River Forest HS/2006 Chandler Gilbert CC

#829 Andrew Hagins OF To The Tampa Bay Devel Rays, 2006 Oak Park River Forest HS

#883 Devin Foreman IF To The Boston Red Sox, 2006 Hales Franciscan HS

#1253 Joey Dispensa OF To The Los Angeles Dodgers, 2006 St. Rita HS