There is an interesting doubleheader scheduled on April 12 at Wrigley Field.
At 1:20 p.m., the Cubs are slated host Pittsburgh on that afternoon. After that will be the main event as far as some area high-school baseball fans are concerned.
Oak Lawn will face Reavis 45 minutes after the last out of the Cubs/Pirates game.
While there have been high-school games played at Wrigley Field in the past, this is the first time it will be after a Major League Baseball game.
“When the Cubs contacted us, it sounded like, ‘this is too good to be true,’’’ Oak Lawn coach Bill Gerny said. “I told the players during one of our morning workouts.
“Our team is probably 50-50 on Cubs fans and Sox fans. Even the kids who are Sox fans say to play on Wrigley Field is a no-brainer. You can’t pass up that opportunity.”
The team picked Reavis as an opponent and both schools are responsible for selling 1,000 tickets, which will be good for both the Cub/Pirates and Oak Lawn/Reavis games. Ticket information has yet to be announced.
The game will be considered an exhibition game that will last either seven innings or 2½ hours.
Reavis was pleased to be asked by the Spartans to play.
“I met with the kids and they were ecstatic,” second-year Reavis coach Kyle McKinley said. “We have a great group of kids and they were very thankful. They are looking forward to it.
“This is a life experience for them that they were able to carry with them for a very long time. It’s the greatest baseball field of all time.”
Gerny said it will be a historic afternoon
“I don’t see too many high-school teams play at Wrigley Field and it’s probably one of the most iconic baseball parks in the world.”
It’s going to be an active spring for both teams. Oak Lawn has a trip to Alabama in March. Reavis is scheduled to play at the Prep Baseball Report showcase in O’Fallon as well as a Florida trip.
Cubs officials say this is the only high-school game scheduled for this season so far, but that could change. They are looking into possibly doing it a few more times in 2026.
Officials said they picked Oak Lawn because they talked to several programs, and academic-wise and athletic-wise they felt Oak Lawn was a great choice.
They said they are always looking for different ways to showcase the ballpark to as many people as possible.
Gerny can’t wait to see his troops take the field on April 12.
“That’s every kid’s dream to stand in front of the ivy at Wrigley Field and play baseball,” he said.