The Sports Report

Sandburg Baseball Pitching Ace Farrington Answers Coach's Call

With the conference title on the line, Sandburg left-hander Matt Farrington took the ball and delivered a gutsy performance as the Eagles surged past Homewood-Flossmoor on Tuesday afternoon.

Sandburg baseball coach Jim Morsovillo chalked up the decision as a no-brainer. With two games remaining in the conference race and the Eagles locked in a three-way tie for first in the Southwest Suburban Blue with Lockport and Joliet West, he put the ball—and his trust—in the hands of his ace. Sandburg senior left-hander Matt Farrington rewarded Morsovillo for his faith with another stellar effort. Farrington fired a three-hit shutout in the Eagles’ 10-0 six-inning victory over Homewood-Flossmoor on Tuesday afternoon in Orland Park. The victory pushed his record to 6-2 and reduced the Eagles’ magic number to 1. With a win over H-F in Thursday’s rematch between the two old rivals, Sandburg will clinch at least a tie for the conference …

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Baseball: Rajkovich, Sandburg Score Late-Inning Knockout vs. Homewood-Flossmoor

Sandburg 10, Homewood-Flossmoor 0: Dylan Rajkovich's grand slam homer powered the Eagles one step closer toward clinching at least a share of the Southwest Suburban Blue Conference championship.

Touching All the Bases: With one swing of the bat, Sandburg’s Dylan Rajkovich erased any lingering doubts cast by a couple of squandered scoring opportunities in the early innings. Rajkovich belted his first varsity baseball grand slam as the Eagles pulled away for a 10-0 six-inning victory over Homewood-Flossmoor on Tuesday afternoon in Orland Park. Alec Nelson had three hits in four at-bats, scored two runs and drove in the Eagles’ 10th run in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out single. Matt Farrington (6-2) pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out five as Sandburg reduced its magic number to clinching at least a share of the Southwest Suburban Blue Conference championship to 1. Patch’s MVP: Dylan Rajkovich, senior, left fielder, …

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POLL: Do You Want Your Kids to Play Football?

After the New Orleans Saints bounty program and Junior Seau's suicide captured headlines, former NFL players say they wouldn't encourage their kids to play. What do you think?

The offseason headlines for our nation's most popular sports league, the NFL, have been taken over by the violent nature of football. Junior Seau's suicide has raised questions about a healthy life—both mentally and physically—after football, and the New Orleans Saints' bounty programs in which players were paid to hurt the opposition have highlighted the dangerous aspects of the game. With this in mind, would you let you kid play football? Vote in the poll below.  It's been a question asked in the media frequently this offseason. ESPN football writer Ashley Fox says the answer for her son is a definite "No."  "There is no way I'm letting my beloved boy play the game at any level," Fox wrote in a recent ESPN column. "Football is not an …

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Eagles Players Know 'He Was With Me' in First Game Without Nash

The Sandburg Eagles freshmen boys baseball team beat Joliet Central 20-1 in front of more than 100 spectators Tuesday night, dedicating their victory to Ryan Nash. See video of the game and comments from players and coaches.

When Eagles pitcher David Grimaldo looked down at the mound during Tuesday's nights game against Joliet Central, he knew exactly who he was pitching for. Players on the Carl Sandburg High School boys freshmen baseball team wrote "Ryan" on the mound to honor teammate Ryan Nash, who took his own life on Sunday. The group was told early in the season to stick together, they said, and has recently relied on that camaraderie more than they ever thought they may. On Monday morning, the team met to decide whether they would play the next game. Players, parents and coaches all agreed they should. “The parents have been great through it all,” said Coach Derrick Smith. “They were right there with us in the morning yesterday.” READ: Ryan Nash 'Knew …

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UPDATE: Tinley Park's Gunther Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Tinley Park softball standout Alyssa Gunther is swinging a red hot bat for the Titans. And she's swinging for the fences in Patchland, too. Gunther outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for May Athlete of the Month recognitio

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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Help Us Pick the Golf Course with the Best Greens

Vote in the Patch poll! You love your course for its well-manicured, uniformly brushed, divot-less greens—tell us all about it and brag about your favorite courses in the Southland.

Few things can spoil a round of golf quicker that unkempt greens. Ball divots, uneven green speeds and, not to mention, dead patches can quickly send golfers searching for the 19th hole.  Your favorite courses have mastered the combination of greens speed, undulations, trueness of roll and firmness. Patch wants to know which course's greens keep you shooting for par.  Reviews count for half of the overall score in determining a winner. The reviews and poll votes will be tallied and factor into the naming of "The Course with the Best Greens in the South Suburbs."  Visit a Patch directory to learn about the courses by clicking on the names below:

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Len Miller

10:12 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Well said Thomas C., well said. I would play any of these, and Olympia anytime I was asked. And the great thing about going to a private club, they do not accept cash, (normally). It gets billed to the Host. What great guys!! And great courses!   more ›

Show Jessie Pesavento Some Love by Voting Her MVP of the Week

Sandburg's Jessie Pesavento doubled twice and drove in three runs in the Eagles' 7-3 softball victory over Homewood-Flossmoor, and that's exactly why she deserves your vote this week.

Business Owner Steps up to Plate After Coach Scams Youth Baseball Team

If not for benevolent spirits like that of Tinley business owner James Garner, who grew up in Orland Park, a Hobart, Ind. traveling baseball team may not have a season this year. The team's coach scammed parents for nearly $8,000 before flying the coop.

Ten-year-old Matthew Benton says that when he steps into the batter's box, he knows God wants him to be a Major League Baseball player. But two weeks ago, he wasn't even certain he'd be able to play on his youth traveling team. The baseball-obsessed Hobart, IN, player's world shattered when his coach scammed his team for thousands of dollars, possibly eliminating the season. Then on Sunday, the Deep River Devils played—and won—their first game. It would not be so if not for the generosity of others, like Jim Garner, owner of the Sports Station in Tinley Park. "I heard about it, and I knew I had to do something," said Garner, 32, now of Frankfort and originally from Orland Park. "You just feel bad for the kids. They were left with no …

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UPDATE: Andrew's Lenza Gets the Biggest Roar from the Crowd

Andrew softball standout Jenna Lenza outpolled 10 others in Patch's weekly MVP poll. She is now eligible for April Patch Athlete of the Month recognition.

Your Patch is a place to celebrate local high school athletes. Show your support for these prep sports MVPs—each of whom is Athlete of the Week in his or her local Patch—by cheering them on in the comments thread, sharing your own photos with the Patch community and voting in the poll. Do you think we're missing someone? Tell us in the comments and share his or her photo to the gallery above. (It's easy. Just click the Upload Photos and Videos link — learn more here.) Read more about this week's MVPs in the photo gallery, and show your support for them by: There is one more way for you to become a more interactive fan: Sign up to become a Patch sports blogger. (Learn more about blogging on Patch here).

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