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2009 season  2008 2007        2010 Roster               Schedule

No. Player High School Pos. College
0 Kelly Engwall Providence Catholic '11 C / 3B  
2 Caryn Connors Lyons Township '10 2B / SS Bucknell University
3 Teagan Walsh Marist '11 P / 1B / OF Western Illinois Univ.
4 Emma Jarrell Sandburg '10 SS / 2B / OF Western Illinois Univ.
6 Alex Washkowiak Andrew '10 C Lewis University
8 Lexi Southall Wilmington '10 OF Univ. of St. Francis
9 Jessica Perkins Sandburg '11 IF / C / OF Univ. of Illinois
18 Krista Watson Coal City '10 2B / 3B / OF
24 Jenna Mychko Huntley '10 C / 3B Univ. of Illinois
28 Amanda Oberc Lockport '11 P / 1B / OF
33 Maddie Joyce Mount Assisi '10 1B/OF
44 Sarah Benak Andrew '10 OF Aurora University
53 Jacki Fletcher Lowell (Ind.) '10 2B/P Illinois-Chicago
99 Ashley Kopp Hinsdale South '10 3B / IF Northern Illinois

Manager: Joe Tholl
Coaches: Kevin Kelly, Christy Sykora.

The 2009 Sparks posted a 5-0 record to win the ASA Chicago Metro Tourney on July 10-12, the fourth qualifying tourney they have won for ASA Nationals in Las Vegas.

Sparks capture 25th place at ASA Nationals

   LAS VEGAS- The Sparks (41-15-2) put together a 2-1 slate on Friday, eventually earning a tie for 25th place in the ASA Class A National Tournament. Orland Park put together a 7-2 mark in Las Vegas before bowing out of the 139-team national tourney. The Sparks advanced farther than any other Illinois entry.

   Sparks 13, Missouri Rattlers 12- Katie Sears belted a two-run triple and Maddie Joyce homered in the eighth-inning of a crazy victory. The Sparks led, 8-2, then needed a two-out RBI-double by Kat Allert in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings before outscoring the Rattlers, 4-3, in the eighth.
   Alexandra Seplak was 4-for-5 with two steals and four runs, Krista Watson was 3-for-5 with two RBI and Jacki Fletcher and Jenna Mychko each knocked in three runs.
   Sparks 8, Michigan Elite 4- After rebounding from a 4-3 deficit, the Sparks scored four in the bottom of the sixth before Natalie Wunderlich closed the door in the seventh. Fletcher, Mychko and Cassie Walisiak (two) all knocked in runs in the sixth. Seplak finished 4-for-4 with a steal and two RBI, Mychko finished 3-for-4 and Walisiak was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
   Florida Ultimate 1, Sparks 0- A fourth-inning homer proved to be the lone run of the contest, as the Sparks managed just four hits and did not advance a runner to third base. Seplak, Fletcher, Joyce and Megan Bolanowski each went 1-for-3.
   Sparks 8, Clovis Rockets 2- Seplak was 3-for-3 with three runs and Mychko went 2-for-4 with two RBI to back winning pitcher Stephanie Becker (18-2, four-hitter, 10 strikeouts). Julia Katsaros belted a double and had an RBI, while other RBI came from Seplak, Katie Healy, Fletcher, Joyce and Bolanowski.
   Compuware 3, Sparks 1- Orland Park outhit its foe, 6-3, but yielded three unearned runs and was not able to complete a comeback. The Sparks (38-14-2) stranded eight baserunners, including seven in scoring position. Fletcher knocked home Healy for the lone run, while Seplak was 2-for-4. Wunderlich was the tough-luck losing pitcher, allowing just three hits and striking out six.
   Sparks 5, Clovis (Calif.) Rockets 3-
Seplak went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Becker (17-2) fanned 11 and didn't allow an earned run to key the victory. Joyce was 2-for-3 with two steals, while Fletcher, Bolanowski and Allert also knocked in runs. The Sparks were 6-for-6 on the basepaths in steals as Healy (two), Bolanowski and Katsaros also had thefts.
   Sparks 3, Texas Rapid Fire 0-
Wunderlich whiffed 10 and scattered five hits in firing the shutout, while Mychko clouted her second homer in as many games. Fletcher was 2-for-3, while Seplak and Healy also added RBI. Watson was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks, and Allert and Allison Larrabee each scored runs.
   Sparks 11, So Cal Stealth 3-
Mychko belted a two-run homer and had three RBI and Fletcher was 3-for-4 to ignite the Sparks in the pool play opener. Watson (double) and Allert each went 2-for-4, while Seplak also knocked in a pair of runs to support winning pitcher Stephanie Becker (16-2, three-hitter, seven strikeouts).
   Sparks 5, New Jersey Pride 0- Becker and Wunderlich (15-7) combined on a one-hitter with six strikeouts and the Sparks finally broke open a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of a tuneup on Sunday. Cassie Walisiak ripped an RBI double and Maddie Joyce notched an RBI single. Watson and Julie Bartosz also scored on wild pitches and Walisiak tallied the initial run on a broken play.

2010 Summer Schedule
Date Tournament/Opponent Time/result
June 11-13       Oak Lawn Tournament TBA
June 18-20      Sioux Falls, SD ASA National Qualifier TBA
June 25-27      Waterton, Wis. ASA National Qualifier TBA
June 28, July 4      Boulder Independence Day Tournament TBA
July 8-11      Chicago ASA Metro at Lemont TBA
July 15-18      Orland Sparks Tournament at Elgin TBA
July 24-25      Stone City Round-Robin

TBA

Aug. 1-8      ASA Nationals at Hemet, Calif. TBA
 

2009 season: 41-15-2 overall record.
                           25th Place- ASA Class A Nationals.
                           1st Place- Rochester, Minn. ASA National Qualifier
                           1st Place- Bowling Green, Kent. ASA National Qualifier
                           1st Place- Elgin ASA National Qualifer
                           1st Place- ASA Chicago Metro Tournament
                           5rd Place- Elgin-Orland Park Invite

Class of 2009 to college:
  Kat Allert (Lowell HS), Indiana University
  Julianne Bartosz (Providence), St. Mary's University-Minnesota
 
Stephanie Becker (West Aurora), Mississippi State University
  Julia Katsaros (Hinsdale South), Western Illinois University
  Alexandra Seplak (Waubonsie Valley), Eastern Illinois University
  Natalie Wunderlick (Naperville Central), Eastern Illinois University

   Notes (2009):
  
The Sparks were one of five organizational teams to qualify for ASA National Tournaments. . . all six Class of 2009 athletes advanced to continue their athletic careers in college. . . eight Class of 2010 athletes have made verbal commitments to accept college scholarships- Caryn Connors (Bucknell), Lexi Southall (St. Francis), Jacki Fletcher (Illinois-Chicago), Ashley Kopp (Northern Illinois), Sarah Benak (Aurora), Emma Jarrell (Western Illinois), Alex Washkowiak (Lewis) and Jenna Mychko (Illinois), as well as two 2011 athletes in Jessica Perkins (Illinois) and Teagan Walsh (Western Illinois). . . the Sparks only lost two winner's bracket contests the entire season. . . With a first-place finish in the ASA Chicago Metro tournament, the Sparks extended their streak of top five finishes to 11 in tournaments in which they've competed (dating to 1991)... The Sparks have qualified for Class A Nationals in the last 17 years they've been eligible to do so... Orland Park played teams from 14 different states and played 52 percent of their schedule (30 games) against teams that qualified for ASA National Tournaments.