Everett Seitz of the Palos Elite, wields three bats before heading to the plate in the World Wiffle Ball Tournament on July 15. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Everett Seitz of the Palos Elite, wields three bats before heading to the plate in the World Wiffle Ball Tournament on July 15. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Area Sports Roundup | Palos youths face older competition in World Wiffle Ball Championship

Spread the love

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

The Palos Elite team played last weekend in the World Wiffle Ball Championship.

The tournament, which was held July 15-16 at Memorial Park in Midlothian, is composed of teams consisting primarily of adults; but Jack Burke, 14, was Elite’s senior citizen.

Some teams have a mix of adults and youths, and a handful of teams consist primarily of children. Elite, which is made up of players from the Palos Baseball Organization, tried their luck in trying to bring the trophy to the Heights.

When asked about playing against adults, one of the players wisecracked, “They are old — we can take ’em.”

Well, maybe next year. Elite did not make it to the round of 27.

Clutch Players from South Bend, Indiana, won the tourney with a 7-5 victory in nine innings over the Granger Panthers. Teams from Illinois Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin competed.

Elite also featured Everett Seitz and Cohen Steele, both 11, Anders Steele and Henry Burke, both 9, and Sullivan Steele, 4, who served as the team’s manager.

BURKE DIVES scaled

Jack Burke of the Palos Elite makes a diving stop in the World Wiffle Ball tournament in Midlothian. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Warriors compete in Cooperstown
The Westside Warriors 12U team from Oak Lawn had some wild games at the 94-team tournament held July 9-15 at Cooperstown Dreams Park.

The Warriors opened the tournament with a 14-0 victory over the Clarkson (Michigan) Riverdawgs, then toppled North Country (California) Mavericks Green, 21-8, and Bolts Baseball (Florida).

It got little tougher with a 13-0 loss to the Clutch (North Carolina) and a 13-0 setback to Beaver White (Pennsylvania).

That put the Warriors as the 32nd seed heading into bracket play. They beat 33rd-seeded Canon Mac Blaze (Pennsylvania), 6-4, and then dropped a 6-2 decision in a rematch with the Clutch to end their tournament.

The Clutch finished second the tournament.

The Warriors’ Adam Wilk made it to the finals of the home run hitting contest and finished sixth. Mason Hedberg was a finalist in the Golden Arm competition.

WEST SIDE WARRIORS scaled

The Westside Warriors won four games in a tournament in Cooperstown, New York. Photo Supplied

TCC softball coach steps down
Trinity Christian softball coach Amanda Fazzari announced she is leaving the program after five seasons at the helm.

The Trolls had their first winning campaign since 1992 this season, posting a 25-20 record and reaching the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series championship game.

MANAGER scaled

Sullivan Steele, 4, served as manager of the Palos Elite. Photo by Jeff Vorva

2 Comments

  1. Ed Novick on July 20, 2023 at 6:23 pm

    Thanks for the coverage of the Wiffle Ball Championship again, Jeff! Good story.



Local News

Stagg flag football coach Saja Alnajjar received two tickets to the Super Bowl from the Chicago Bears. District 230 photo

Area Sports Report | Stagg flag football coach invited to Super Bowl

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Saja Alnajjar said she became a football fan growing up, and one of the first games she watched was Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts in February 2007. Little did she know then that she would someday be a football coach. And little did…

SXU coach Sidney Lovitsch gives instructions against Trinity Christian on Dec. 9. Photo by Jeff Vorva

College Report | SXU beats Trinity in battle of interim coaches

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer It was a battle featuring two interim coaches on the sidelines. Both Saint Xavier and Trinity Christian College had to find women’s basketball coaches roughly a month before the start of practice this season, and the athletic departments went to work. SXU hired assistant coach Sidney Lovitsch as…

Oak Lawn's Jacky Canales drives in a game against Lindblom on Dec. 9.  Photo by Jeff Vorva

Girls Hoops Wrap | Oak Lawn sees a lot in first 10 games

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Oak Lawn’s girls basketball team beat Lindblom 64-14 on Dec. 9. The Spartans also lost a game 52-18 against Wheaton North on Nov. 24. They have just about seen it all while compiling a 6-4 record to open the season. Close games. Blowouts. But they entered this week…

Oak Lawn forward Henry Martinez (32) goes up to block a shot by Evergreen Park guard Keshaun Crawl-Vava during the Spartans’ 68-66 victory on Dec. 8. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Unbeaten Oak Lawn edges Evergreen Park on late free throws

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Oak Lawn forward Henry Martinez has long thought about playing for the Spartans. Martinez is not only playing for them, but he is also becoming a key contributor for an Oak Lawn team that entered this week unbeaten. His 20-point performance and some clutch free-throws were instrumental in maintaining…

Ray Hanania

Voters need to stop hiding in the weeds

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Ray Hanania . Let’s be honest. The choices we have for president next year are very flawed. You can find something you don’t like about every candidate. Some voters will close their eyes to flaws in order to vote against someone over some issue they don’t like, while others will vote…

Rich Miller

Lobbying orgs need to re-think questionnaires

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Rich Miller . Imagine a lobbyist approaching a legislator and promising that if the member voted for a specific bill the lobbyist would contribute to their campaign committee. Lobbyists have been convicted here for doing just that, going back to at least 1982. Legislators would be violating state law if they…

Christmas decorations light up the sidewalk in front of Justice Village Hall. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Justice lights village Christmas trees 

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan  Justice village officials spent a few minutes before their board meeting last week to celebrate the holiday season by lighting the village Christmas tree and other decorated trees in front of the village hall. Mayor Kris Wasowicz lit the tree and wished everyone a wonderful holiday season. After the tree…

dvn 12-8 it's a wonderful life pop-up bar

Beds Plus to hold ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ pop-up bar in Brookfield 

Spread the love

Spread the loveGeorge Bailey is coming to Brookfield for the Beds Plus third annual “It’s a Wonderful Life” pop-up bar. Come and get your wings from Nick to help those in need of “a couple of decent rooms and a bath.” Beds Plus works to reduce and end homelessness in your community. The pop-up event…

Residents packed the Willow Springs board room for the Nov. 27 meeting.  (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Consultant backs Willow Springs on zoning of LTHS parcel

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch  All for one and one for all was the theme of last week’s community meeting held at the Willow Springs Village Hall. Concerned residents, politicians from the village and surrounding communities joined in their opposition to any industrial development of a parcel of land in the village owned by the…

bedford park police badge

2 men charged in shooting of Bedford Park cop 

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong  A Blue Island man was charged last week with attempted murder in the shooting of a Bedford Park police officer in the early morning hours of November 26. Raul Perez, 24, of Blue Island, was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder of a police officer, one count…

Neighbors

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…

Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois

Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois

By JERRY NOWICKI & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation facilities like the six plants that are…

Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY '24, CNI's Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions

Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions

With new estimates from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, as well as Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Capitol News Illinois’ Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about how the numbers shake out.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions…

Chicago utility pushes back against state oversight, asks for further rate increase

Chicago utility pushes back against state oversight, asks for further rate increase

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Chicago utility Peoples Gas is requesting a multimillion-dollar bump to its already record-high rate increase approved by regulators last month.  In November, the Illinois Commerce Commission forced a yearlong pause on the company’s controversial pipeline replacement program while it investigates whether the program adequately prioritizes replacing…

State health plan declares racism a public health crisis

State health plan declares racism a public health crisis

By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan,…

For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains

For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com State regulators allowed a Carlinville funeral director to operate for months despite a complaint filed by a local coroner who found a decomposing body in his funeral home and alleged the care of the remains was “unacceptable and criminal in nature.” While trying to assist a local family…

Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois

Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children’s books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program founded…

What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban

What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Gun owners face a Jan. 1 deadline to register their assault weapons with the state under Illinois’ assault weapons law. But between lawsuits and ongoing policymaking, the exact guns, accessories and ammunition covered under the Protect Illinois Communities Act remain unclear to many gun rights advocates, who point…

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield