TUESD , JUNE 16 TUESDAY, 16
From the owner
Dear Pistol Shrimp Family,
As we gather for another unforgettable summer at Schweickert Stadium at Veterans Memorial Park, I find myself once again filled with gratitude for what this team, this ballpark, and this community have built together. That energy, that sense of togetherness, is exactly what we want to carry forward into the 2026 season. One of the greatest joys of running a summer collegiate baseball team is watching young players chase their dreams and then seeing those dreams come true. This spring, we were proud and emotional to see Noah Schultz — who pitched for the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in the summer of 2022 — make his Major League Baseball debut after being drafted 26th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2022. Noah’s journey from Schweickert Stadium to a big-league mound is a powerful reminder of what summer baseball can mean in a player’s life and how special it is that fans
here were able to see him up close before the rest of the world did.
Noah isn’t alone. We now have a growing group of former Pistol Shrimp players working their way through Minor League Baseball, grinding through long bus rides, small towns, and big expectations as they continue their pursuit of the majors. Each time one of them gets promoted, earns a new role, or takes the field in a new city, a little piece of the Illinois Valley goes with them. Their progress is a testament not only to their talent and work ethic, but also to the environment our coaches, staff, host families, and fans create here every summer — an environment where players are supported, challenged, and reminded that baseball is meant to be fun.
Our success isn’t just measured in championships or big-league debuts. It lives in the way this ballpark comes alive on a warm night — the kids chasing foul balls, the lines at the Beer Garden, the
fans stopping by Fan Services, the familiar faces of our summer Staff and Claw Crew who make the ballpark feel like a second home, where you feel welcomed, appreciated, and entertained.
As we enter this new season, we remain committed to our core vision: baseball for everyone in the Illinois Valley and beyond — affordable, family-friendly fun; a welcoming environment for casual fans and diehards alike; and a team of players and staff who understand the responsibility and privilege of being positive role models in the community.
To our fans, thank you for showing up — through chilly or rainy early-season nights, blistering heat, for our theme nights, and everything in between. To our sponsors and partners, thank you for believing in what this team and this ballpark mean to the region. To our host families, thank you for opening your homes and hearts to our players and giving them a true homeaway-from-home each summer. And to our
players, past and present, thank you for the effort, character, and joy you bring to the game and to our community.
Because of all of you, a kid from the Illinois Valley can point to a big-league game and say, “I watched that guy play right here,” and another young player can step onto the field at Schweickert Stadium knowing that anything is possible. Noah Schultz’s MLB debut is a milestone we will remember for a long time, but it is also a sign of more great stories to come from the pipeline of Pistol Shrimp alumni working their way up through the minors.
Let’s make Summer 2026 another season of packed stands, loud cheers, and lifelong memories made at the ballpark. Thank you for being part of the Pistol Shrimp family and for helping us continue to build something special here in the Illinois Valley.
With gratitude, John Jakiemiec
WOODHAVEN LAKES
Coaching Staff
John Jakiemiec - Team Owner & Field Manager
Prospect League 2024 Field Manager of the Year
John Jakiemiec has coached travel, high school, and summer collegiate baseball for several years with many of his former players now playing professionally. Born and raised in Birch Run, MI, John played multiple high school sports before going on to play football at Dartmouth College. During his college years, the baseball team’s roster was filled with several players that would go on to play professionally, including Mike Remlinger, the Giants #1 pick in 1987, and Brad Ausmus, 18 year veteran of MLB and current Yankees’ bench coach. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Prospect League as Western Conference Representative.
Coach Jakiemiec is an avid outdoorsman who considers himself to be an elite level educator of white-tailed deer and ducks. For fun, he enjoys a round of golf with friends and is a work in progress when it comes to the guitar picking style of John Prine. He resides in Northern California with his wife Anne and yellow lab Tucker. Anne and John have been blessed with three children: Bryan (former Central Michigan University baseball player), Natalie (University of California Santa Barbara) and Kyle (University of Wisconsin Madison).
Justyn Friday - Assistant Coach
Justyn Friday returns for his 8th summer with the Pistol Shrimp, having started with the team in our inaugural 2019 season. Coach Friday played at Joliet Junior College where he was Captain and a member of the All Region Team. He still holds stolen base records at two different colleges. Formerly a Coach at Aurora Central Catholic High School, he now coaches at Oswego East High School. This past year, he joined the staff at Oswego East High School as a special education teacher, after many years at Hopewell Academy, a school for special needs youth. Coach Friday grew up in Marietta, Georgia but considers Massachusetts his home. He currently resides in Joliet, Illinois with son Justyn Jr, daughter Sydney, and pitbull Zuri.
Jake Ferguson - Assistant Coach
Jake Ferguson returns for his 4th summer with the Pistol Shrimp, having previously spent three seasons with the team and earning a championship in the summer of 2024. Ferguson played collegiately at College of Marin for two years before continuing his career at Eastern Illinois for three seasons.
A Mill Valley, California native, Coach Ferguson begins his first season on the Pistol Shrimp coaching staff after transitioning from his playing career. He looks forward to bringing his experience and competitive mindset to the team this summer.
Pitching Coach Staff
Mark Sheehan - Pitching Coach
Mark Sheehan trained extensively under former MLB pitcher and renowned pitching coach Dr. Tom House, founder of the National Pitching Association (NPA) and the Rod Dedeaux Research Baseball Institute (RDRBI) at USC. He served as National Director of the NPA from 2015 to 2017 before founding Evolution Athletics in Naperville, Illinois. In 2014, Collegiate Baseball News named him Teaching Professional of the Year.
Coach Sheehan has trained pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues. Formerly based in Lisle, Illinois, he now calls Pompano Beach, Florida home. Above all, he is most proud to be the father of his three sons, Connor, Quinn, and Nolan.
Ryan Eiermann - Pitching Coach Prospect League 2021 Pitcher of the Year and 2021 Pro Prospect of the Year
Ryan Eiermann is originally from Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Naperville Central High School in 2017, he went to play college baseball as a left-handed pitcher at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. He then transferred to Kankakee Community College in Kankakee, Illinois, and for his final year of playing, he attended Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. In High School, he broke the school strikeout record with 118 strikeouts and won Pitcher of the Year honors as a sophomore. He then achieved another strikeout record at Kankakee Community College with 113 strikeouts (8-2 W-L, 77.0 IP, 2.34 ERA, 13 BB). The following summer, Ryan broke the Prospect League strikeout record with 109 strikeouts (8-1 W-L, 68.0 IP, 2.12 ERA, 28 BB) and currently holds that record. In his free time, Ryan loves fishing, hiking, listening to music, and hanging out with his dogs. He is the current pitching coach at Kankakee Community College. He is very excited to be back in the Illinois Valley with the Pistol Shrimp for his second season coaching.
Pistol Shrimp Staff
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 26TH JUNE 26TH
Pistol Shrimp Interns
Meet SouthClaw Sam!
• Beloved Pistol Shrimp Mascot
• Happy, Friendly and Kind
WHAT THE HECK IS A PISTOL SHRIMP?
It’s Ferocious. It’s Deadly. It’s roughly the size
The Pistol Shrimp (Alpheidae) is known as one of the deadliest creatures in the sea. What makes the pistol shrimp so special is its massive claw that is almost the size of its entire body. This claw contains a special mechanism that acts like a super-powered bubble gun. The claw is cocked, and when it’s ready, the claw closes so quickly that it creates a cavitation bubble that has the same temperature as the surface of the sun. The pistol shrimp fires this bubble at its prey at 60 miles per hour stunning or killing it.
The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp might not be just as deadly but they are just as dangerous.
#FearTheClaw
POSITIONNUMBERS
Pitcher - 1
Catcher - 2
First Base - 3
Second Base - 4
Third Base - 5
Shortstop - 6
Left Field - 7
Center Field - 8
Right Field - 9
Designated Hitter - DH
BASIC SCORE KEEPING
BATTERSHORTHAND
1B - Single
2B - Double
3B - Triple
HR - Home Run
BB - Walk
K - Strikeout Swinging
K (backward) - Strikeout Called by Umpire
DP - Double Play
FC - Fielder’s Choice
F - Flyout
RBI - Run Batted In
SB - Stolen Base
E - Error
If a batter hits a single write 1B outside the diamond and darken the line from home plate to first. If the runner on first advances to second darken the line from first to second, and so on until the runner gets home, If the runner scores, fill in the diamond with your pencil.
If a batter strikes out, write a “K” in the middle of the diamond. If that batter was the first out, write a “1” with a circle around it. Indicate subsequent outs in similar fashion.
If the batter hits a grounder to the pitcher and the pitcher fields it and throws to first base, the out would be recorded by writing “1-3” across the diamond.
If a batter flys out, write “F” followed by the fielder who caught the ball such as “F8.”
SCORECARD
•
•
•
Owen Anderson
Position: C
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Geneva, IL
College: Eastern Illinois
University Year: Junior
Dominic Battista
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 188 lbs
Hometown: Aurora, IL
College: University of Illinois Chicago Year: Freshman
Griffin Carney
Position: OF Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180 lbs
Hometown: Colleyville, TX
College: North Central Texas College Year: Freshman
Aidan Conners
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: Hinsdale, IL
College: Augustana College Year: Freshman
Position: IF Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: Grand Ledge, MI
College: Indiana University Kokomo Year: Senior
Ximi Baftiri
Position: IF Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: Morris, IL
College: University of Evansville Year: Freshman
Ben Blondino
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Lynchburg, VA
College: Erskine College Year: Junior
Anthony Chavez
Position: IF Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215 lbs
Hometown: Maywood, IL
College: University of Illinois Year: Freshman
Ryan Duncheon Jr
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: East Peoria, IL College: Illinois State University Year: Freshman
Nolan Galla
Position: IF Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 172 lbs
Hometown: Warrenville, IL College: Des Moines Area Community College Year: Freshman
Carson Baker
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-2
Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: Serena, IL
College: Waubonsee
Community College Year: Sophomore
Phoenix Brant
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-5
Weight: 235 lbs
Hometown: San Diego, CA
College: University of San Diego Year: Freshman
Drew Church
Position: IF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-3
Weight: 175 lbs
Hometown: Westchester, IL
College: Eastern Illinois University Year: Freshman
Ben Fawcett
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Long Grove, IL
College: John A. Logan College Year: Freshman
Position: C
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: Aston, PA
College: Penn State University Year: Freshman
Max French
Jimmy Gray
Joey Ireland
Position: IF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Homewood, IL
College: University of Illinois Year: Freshman
Camden Loomis
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 165 lbs
Hometown: Ottawa, IL
College: North Central College Year: Sophomore
Ronan Owens
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Chicago, IL
College: UMass Amherst Year: Freshman
Beau Raikes
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Sheridan, IL
College: Danville Area
Community College Year: Freshman
Position: IF Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: Medford Lakes, NJ
College: Penn State University Year: Freshman
Jarrett Kinder
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: Princeton, IN
College: Eastern Illinois University Year: Freshman
Jackson Natanek
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: Palos Heights, IL
College: Illinois State University Year: Freshman
AJ Putty
Position: IF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220 lbs
Hometown: McHenry, IL
College: University of Illinois Year: Freshman
Tyler Reyburn
Position: C
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: Frederick, CO College: McCook Community College Year: Junior
Tyler Sabodor
Position: RHP Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-2
Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: Frankfort, IL
College: Moraine Valley Community College Year: Sophomore
Carson Kuehne
Position: LHP
Bats/Throws: B/L
Height: 6-6
Weight: 210 lbs
Hometown: Kentfield, CA
College: University of Alabama Year: Freshman
Pambos Nicoloudes
Position: IF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: Naperville, IL
College: Minnesota State University Year: Junior
Andrew Pyszka
Position: IF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Granville, IL
College: University of Illinois Chicago Year: Sophomore
Joe Richardson
Position: LHP
Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: Grayslake, IL
College: University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Year: Junior
Eddie Scaccia
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Oswego, IL
College: Eastern Illinois University Year: Junior
Chase Roberts
Kaeden Schatsiek
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-4
Weight: 220 lbs
Hometown: Brimfield, IL
College: Illinois State University Year: Freshman
Alan Spencer
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 240 lbs
Hometown: Grand Ridge, IL
College: Danville Area
Community College Year: Freshman
Trey Todd
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Lexington, KY
College: Asbury University Year: Sophomore
Hunter Weller
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: L/R
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215 lbs
Hometown: San Diego, CA
College: University of San Diego Year: Freshman
Izzaq Zrust
Position: LHP
Bats/Throws: R/L
Height: 6-2
Weight: 167 lbs
Hometown: Ladd, IL
College: Des Moines Area Community College Year: Freshman
Brody Schulte
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-6
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Kenosha, WI College: Minnesota State University Year: Freshman
Dawson Szymanski
Position: OF
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-0
Weight: 210 lbs
Hometown: Ruston, LA College: Louisiana Tech University Year: Junior
Jordan Walczykowski
Position: OF Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: El Dorado Hills, CA
College: University of San Diego Year: Freshman
Ryan Seddon
Position: OF Bats/Throws: L/L
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Joliet, IL
College: University of Evansville Year: Sophomore
Justin Szymanski
Position: C
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 225 lbs
Hometown: Ruston, LA
College: Northwestern State University Year: Junior
Nick Weaver
Position: C
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6-1
Weight: 196 lbs
Hometown: Streamwood, IL
College: Eastern Michigan University Year: Junior
