There are 31 American Legion senior baseball teams in Illinois, but just one in Cook County.
The Palos Post 1993 Coyotes are the lone American Legion team in the county and have players from St. Rita, St. Laurence, Mount Carmel, Stagg, Lemont and Providence.
“As unfamiliar as it is up here in the northern half of the state, it’s very popular in Central Illinois and Southern Illinois,” Coyotes coach Mike Jeffers said. “And in the rest of the country it’s still pretty popular.”
Jeffers started the Palos program in 2022 and in the past two seasons, it finished third in the state in Legion play.
“In the beginning, it was very difficult,” Jeffers said of recruiting. “With a little bit of success each year, it’s gotten a little easier. Now the kids on the team do a bulk of the recruiting.”
Jeffers said it’s a good experience for those heading into their first or second year of college.
For St. Rita graduate Colin Quinn, being on the Coyotes could help catch the attention of college coaches after he decommitted from Heartland.
“The competition is really good, and I like that there is a playoff setting, which is very good to have especially going into college,” he said.
Jeffers’ son, Brody, is a sophomore who is playing club baseball at Kansas. He has seen the Palos program grow and wanted one more chance to play.
“It’s my last summer to play for my dad,” the Stagg graduate said. “This is a great way to spend some more time with him.”
The play, revisited
Quinn was involved in a bizarre play for St. Rita on June 13 when the catcher appeared to have caught a popup to win the Class 3A state-title game over Triad.
The Mustangs celebrated, but the first-base umpire ruled he dropped the ball and the game continued. The Mustangs won 12-11 in eight innings and celebrated again.
Quinn had heard from a lot of people about the play in the week after state.
“It’s viral on the internet and it’s kind of funny seeing it and (saying), ‘Oh, that’s me,’’’ Quinn said. “That’s the craziest thing.”
So, was it a catch?
“I know it’s a catch,” he said. “I caught it on the run and took three steps, and it came out on the transfer.
“It looks guilty (on video). But I was trying to put that sucker in my back pocket.”
Softball all-staters
The Illinois Coaches Association released its all-state softball teams.
In Class 4A, Marist’s Soleil Tate made the first team, while Richards’ Emily Chavosky, Andrew’s Ana Cisek, Riverside-Brookfield’s Mia Melendez, Marist’s Maddie Rogers and Layla Termunde and St. Laurence’s Cloe Villa made the second team.
Oak Lawn’s Kamya Feigl, Marist’s Lexi Kyros, St. Laurence’s Demi Lotus, Argo’s Hailey Pacheco, Shepard’s Meghan Potenza and Riverside-Brookfield’s Amelia Pytel and Trinity Stevenson were selected to the third team.
In Class 3A, De La Salle’s Samara Agredano and Mother McAuley’s Chloe Jacklin made the second team.
De La Salle’s Mya Alvarez, Evergreen Park’s Molly Goyke, Shelby Izzo and Maggie Troglia, and Kennedy’s Ariel Huerta made the third team.
Fire II wins
Dean Boltz and Vitaliy Hlyut scored goals to help the Chicago Fire II beat New England 2-1 on June 21 in a MLS NEXT Pro game in Rhode Island.
The Fire II (5-5-4) visit Chattanooga on June 27 at 6 p.m.