Some people may have been surprised to see Marist alum George Bilecki get the call in the Major League Baseball Draft on July 14.
But his former coach Kevin Sefcik, was not one of them. The RedHawks coach, a former major leaguer, saw it coming after Bilecki hit .359 with 24 homers and 67 RBIs for Division II Lewis in his junior year.
The left-handed hitting outfielder was taken in the 12th round by San Diego and was the 370th overall pick.
“He was at five professional workouts,” Sefcik said of Bilecki. “It had to be the right team at the right time. He worked out for the Padres, so that was cool.”
Bilecki had just one home run in four years at Marist. But Sefcik said he always had some power in high school and adjusted his swing in college.
“He’s an athletic kid who can run and he showed his power at Lewis,” Sefcik said. “I think he deserves a chance.”
Bilecki, who had planned on transferring to Arizona State, reportedly is leaning on signing with the Padres.
He is the seventh former RedHawk who has received interest from pro organizations since 2017.
Infielder Cody Bohanek got things started that year as he was picked out of UIC by Houston in the 30th round. His last stop was with the Chicago Dogs in 2023.
Pitcher Jack Snyder was signed as a free agent out of Western Carolina by Tampa Bay in 2022. He is playing for High Class A Bowling Green.
Jason Hodges was drafted in 2019 out of high school in the 34th round by Cincinnati but chose to play in college. His last action was in 2024 with Bethune-Cookman.
Outfielder Kendal Ewell was drafted out of high school in 2019 by Colorado in the 40th round and he also opted for college. He is playing independent ball for Grand Junction in the Pioneer League.
Third baseman Jack Brannigan was drafted out of Notre Dame in the third round by Pittsburgh in 2022. He was playing for Class AA Altoona this season but was injured after 59 games.
Justin Janas was drafted out of Illinois in the 2022 draft in the 12th round by Atlanta and is at High Class A Rome this season.
Crosstown run to help homeless
The second Crosstown Classic Run for a Cause takes place July 26 as Sandburg athletes will run from Wrigley Field to Rate Field before the White Sox and Cubs face off.
Money raised will go to BEDS Plus, an emergency shelter that also provides housing, meals and case management to homeless individuals.
Donations are taken online at beds-plus.org.
Last year, then-junior Jackson Canellis helped create the run and ran in it. This year, a team of Eagles runners will join him.
Soccer report
The Chicago Stars finished in fourth place in the four-team Teal Rising Cup after dropping a 1-0 decision to Palmeiras July 15 in Kansas City.
The Stars return to National Women’s Soccer League action at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 when they host Gotham at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.
The Chicago Fire had a win and a tie during the week.
They tied Atlanta 2-2 in a July 16 MLS road game. Philip Zinckernagel scored his 10th goal of the season and Maren Haile-Selassie scored his second.
Three days later, the Fire (9-9-5) headed to Canada and beat Montreal 2-0. Hugo Cuypers and Jack Elliott scored goals and goalie Chris Brady recorded his second shutout of the season.
The Fire hosts the New York Red Bulls July 26 at Soldier Field and Chance the Rapper will perform after the game.
The Chicago Fire II (8-5-4) also had success in Canada with a 3-2 MLS NEXT Pro win July 20 over Toronto FC II.
Jason Shookalook scored in the 72nd and 75th minutes to help the Fire tie and take the lead.
The Fire hosts the New York Red Bulls II at 1 p.m. July 27 at SeatGeek Stadium.