Area baseball, softball and volleyball players have been making huge noise at the national level, and two even won national championships.
The Hitters Black Upper Deck Baseball Club’s 17U team won the 145-team Prep Baseball Report national championship in Emerson, Georgia.
St. Laurence’s Cory Les, Mickey Lotus and Daniel Coyle were on that team as was Sandburg’s Drew Drzonek.
“It was incredible to see that the work we put in during the winter and fall and spring helped us do this,” said Drzonek, who is getting Division I looks as a kicker in football. “We were like a David-and-Goliath story the whole year. We have maybe three kids over 6-foot.
“All these teams we were going up against had these big players. In Georgia, we played teams that had commits for Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Kentucky. It was just our guys sticking together and playing as a team and picking each other up.”
In a 1-0 bracket victory over the Ohio Warhawks, Les accounted for the lone run with a homer.
The Hitters won 12-0 over Victus Vandals Camo from New Jersey in the semifinals and beat the Indiana Prospects Franchose 5-0 for the title.
The team will be honored by the White Sox Aug. 11 before a game against Detroit.
In boys volleyball, the Great Lakes Region High Performance Illinois 17U boys volleyball team came out on top at the USA All-Star Championships in a tournament in Madison, Wisconsin, that ended July 27.
Argo’s Sebastian Pardol and Marist’s Briggs Corona were on the championship team, which finished 8-0 and lost just one set.
The Evergreen Park 14U Junior League softball players captured the hearts of many people in the area as World Series watch parties were the order of the weekend before the team bowed to Columbus, Texas 2-0 in the Aug. 2 championship in Kirkland, Washington.
EP won a wild 15-12 semifinal thriller to reach the finals. Marist’s Ava Kreuger drove in six runs.
They opened the tournament with a 16-15 win over Milano, Italy despite giving up seven runs in the first inning and trailing 15-12 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Members of the team included Evergreen Park’s Molly Goyke, Madelyn Schillo and Addison Mrskos; Mother McAuley’s Makenna Juarez, Molly Racz and Samantha Johnson; and Chicago Christian’s Alivia Hovanec.
Evergreen Park resident Ashlyn Dawson, who will be heading to high school this fall, and grade schooler Cecilia Chavez also competed for the team.
On the state level, the Palos Coyotes finished third in the American Legion Senior state tournament in Rantoul on Aug. 2 after dropping a 5-2 decision to Rock Island in an elimination game.
St. Xavier’s Peyton Panozzo and Kaleb Navarro each had two hits for the Coyotes, who finished 28-11 overall and 22-6 in Legion play.
Pro soccer report
The Chicago Stars played at SeatGeek Stadium for the first time since May 24 and came up with a 1-1 draw against Gotham in a NWSL game on Aug. 1 in front of an announced crowd of 2,874.
Ally Schlegel scored in the 68th minute for the Stars (1-9-4). Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher returned to the lineup after a May 24 injury and recorded a save.
The Stars host Bay City at 1 p.m. Aug. 10 at SeatGeek Stadium.
A week after setting a team record with nine goals against the New York Red Bulls, the Chicago Fire II had another offensive explosion in a 6-1 victory over Columbus in an MLS NEXT Pro game on Aug. 3 at SeatGeek Stadium.
Trip Fleming and Harold Orosco each scored twice.
The Fire II (10-5-4) visit New York City FC II on Aug. 8.