This is the story of one of the most successful travel baseball programs in Illinois travel baseball history.  Unlike many programs out there, we are not a business.  That's another thing that makes us "different".  Longshots Baseball is driven by a group of great baseball people who love the game and love helping kids.

We have had twelve 18U teams...  The West Suburban Longshots (1995-2000, 13U-18U) and now, Longshots Baseball (High School graduating classes of 2008-2018)...

All have been State & Regional Champs... multiple times... one team was an AAU National Champ... and the 2008 and 2010 teams earned Connie Mack World Series berths in our first two tries!!!

Our 2009's were the only team to win back to back (year over year) Top Collegiate Championships!!

On the player front, we have had at least 2 MLB draft picks every single year the program has existed, plus a record 8 in 2014...  160+ D1 players and 350+ total collegiate level players.  In 2013, we had our first MLB 1st round draft pick (Eric Jagielo) and in 2014, an early 2nd rounder (Nick Burdi)!

In 2018, Mike Gerber (Tigers) and Nick Burdi (Pirates) became our first two MLB players!! We also had 19 alumni in MLB Spring Training!

Our older teams have served as the foundation and model for building Longshots Baseball, now widely recognized as one of the premier youth travel baseball programs in Illinois (ages 10U-18U).  A few years back, we created the Longshots Baseball Senior Division, which consists of Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior HS class groups.  The Senior Division better structures and prepares our players for opportunities to play in college and beyond.

Our younger teams are focused on development in order to help many of those players make our Senior Division teams.  In 2001, we brought travel baseball to Downers Grove Youth Baseball and have worked with those partners for 18 years.  Where most travel teams still have conflict with "in-town" programs, Longshots Baseball has been able to collaborate with DGYB and the Downers Grove Park District for almost two decades to offer premier travel baseball experience for area players.

While our program is recognized as successful with our Local, State and National titles, the true measure of our success lies in our contribution to the individual development of each of our players.  From off-season workouts to true skill and physical development programs, you will see our players continue to elevate their abilities and knowledge of the game each year.  They become on-field and off-field leaders for those around them.

Our ability to expose our players to great college programs fitting their wants and needs speaks for itself.  College coaches and pro scouts understand what being a "Longshots Baseball player" stands for. They understand the caliber of talent, academic commitment, leadership and character our players bring to their own programs. 

Players and parents understand our commitment to well-rounded development, including academics, leadership and community service.

This past summer, college recruiters were at EVERY game our Junior-class team played.  Many of our Sophomore-class games also hosted college recruiters, as did most of our Senior-class games during the Fall season. Most of the top baseball programs (D1 - D3) in the Midwest and throughout the country spend time assessing and recruiting our players.

ALL of our players graduate the program better off than they came in from development, experience, and exposure aspects.  That's what our players tell us... that's what colleges and pro scouts tell us... that's what kids from other teams tell us!  Top players from other top programs are some of our best references.

We work ALL our players.  We're not just about D1 kids and draft picks (though obviously, we have those).  We're really about helping great kids who are serious about baseball get to their "next level", wherever that is.  There is no star-system in our program.  That's what really makes us different.

We tend to have almost all of our players stay year-over-year.  We are not about adding lots of players to our roster each year to win championships (check it out, though... we do OK winning those, too).  Some programs do that; we don't. We commit to the players who commit to us!  Typically, only 30-34 players in an age group or team get to wear a Longshots Baseball jersey. And they tend to have one from the last couple of years, as well.

We are not a program that annually goes recruiting for "all-stars". Rather, we commit to develop our own and add players who are committed to play in a hard-working, respect-the-game, team-first approach.  We look for kids who come to play seriously every day.  This fosters an environment of teamwork and puts players in a position to commit to each other and push each other form a development perspective.  Our players' success speaks for itself.

Late each summer, our alumni (draft picks, college players and grads) come back to play our HS grad team.  Besides enjoying the opportunity to play together again, they've helped our HS teams, and the rest of our program, understand the true value of the Longshots Baseball experience.  It has been amazing to see the similarities in the groups, as well as the common career outcomes.  We believe we have this figured out.

Now some of our alumni instruct and coach in our program!

Check us out... quality players and quality people, always working to improve... FOCUSED ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT and PLAYER SUCCESS!  Everything else is just a bit less important.

If you want to know about the experience or the value of the program... ask the players - ask their parents - ask our alumni... how it worked for them.

We don't propose that we're better or worse than any of the TOP travel teams. They're all very good and serve an important purpose. We're just a little different than most, as our priorities drive that difference.  We like the fact that we've had to earn everything we've achieved.  We think that is the great lesson for our players - no entitlement.  Just earn it every day of your career.