Frontier League All-Star Week At Ozinga Field: What You Need To Know

CRESTWOOD, IL — It’s all-star week in Chicago’s Southland, when the east and west division teams will face off in the Frontier League All-Star Game at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. This is the first time the Windy City ThunderBolts have played host to the summer classic for the first time since 2001.

The Bolts have a big three days planned to mark the occasion, starting with the skills/competition and home run derby Tuesday, July 11, with the All-Star game being played Wednesday, July 12, at Ozinga Field, 14011 S. Kenton Ave., Crestwood.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Frontier League All-Star Game.

The Details

• Ozinga Field, 14011 S. Kenton Ave., Crestwood
• Skills Competition/Home Run Derby, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.
• Frontier League All-Star Game, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12
• Expect a lot of traffic on the Midlothian Turnpike on both evenings, so play your route accordingly if you take the turnpike to and from work, school, etc.
• The east and west division all-stars will be playing for a good cause. Six local non-profits will benefit from special jerseys for the skills competition/home run derby and All-Star game.
• Tickets for the Skills Competition/Home Run Derby can be purchased online here; All-Star Game tickets can be purchased online here. Ticket sales have been brisk for both evenings, but tickets for both evenings remain.

At a Glance

• The ThunderBolts will be well-represented as hosts of the festivities. Cal Djuraskovic, Junior Martina, Bren Spillane and Micah Yonamine have been added to the West Division roster, along with pitchers Garrett Christman and Henry Omana. The six all-stars are the most for a Windy City team since they had the same number in 2016.
• Bolts manager Richie Sexson and third base coach Chris Coleman have been named to the West Division coaching staff, bringing the final count of Windy City all-stars to eight.
• Bren Spillane is the Bolts’ leading power hitter this year with seven home runs and a .527 slugging percentage.
• Junior Martina and Micah Yonamine have been the top two run producers on the team. They rank first and second in both runs scored and RBIs.
• Cal Djuraskovic has been lights out coming out of the bullpen. He has allowed runs in only one of his 16 appearances and hasn’t given up any since May 30.
• In his first season as ThunderBolts manager, Sexson has the Bolts playing their best baseball of the season heading into the all-star break.

Skills Competition/Home Run Derby

The skills competition features four teams composed of five Frontier League all-stars each, competing against one another in a variety of baseball skills, including hitting, bunting, throwing and home run hitting, starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11.

Fans are invited to come on to the field to play catch and get autographs from the Frontier League all-stars afterwards.

Each of the five-person teams will be representing a local non-profit organization, including:

• Trinity Trolls Athletics has been selected to be one of the four non-profits taking part in the skills competition. Each of the five all-star players on one of the four teams will be wearing special jerseys that feature the Trinity Christian College logo.
• The Oak Lawn Special Recreation Athletic Support Association (SRASA) will be represented by one of the teams in the skills competition. SRASA is a parent organization that raises money and other in-kind donations to enhance the experience of all athletic participants enrolled in the Oak Lawn Special Recreation programs. The program draws children and adults from Bridgeview, Burbank, Evergreen Park, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Crestwood and Hometown.
• The Bremen High School band has been selected to be one of the four non-profits taking part in the skills competition. Each of the five players on one of the four teams will be wearing special jerseys that feature the Bremen High School logo.
• The Do It Stevie’s Way 2 19 Foundation is the fourth non-profit chosen by Frontier League players. Do It Stevei’s Way was founded in 2010 by Mark and Karen Bajenski, the parents of Stevie Bajenski, who died at the age of 17 in 2009 from a congenital heart defect. Stevie had been the starting second baseman at Mount Carmel High School and now, a memorial high school baseball tournament is played in his honor every year. The foundation promotes a variety of causes that capture the spirit of Stevie and the way he lived his life.

Frontier League All-Star Luncheon

The Windy City ThunderBolts will be hosting a special All-Star Luncheon, presented by Watchfire Signs at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 12. The luncheon will be held at Georgio’s Banquets, Quality Inn and Suites Conference Centre, 8800 W. 159th St., Orland Park.

The Frontier League All-Star Luncheon is held every year as part of the league’s all-star festivities and gives the league and the host team a chance to recognize the players and coaches that have been selected as members of the all-star teams.

Special guests from the community will be on hand to help welcome Frontier League players and staff, along with fans from around the Chicago Southland and beyond. That includes White Sox and Fox Sports broadcaster Jason Benetti, who got his start with the ThunderBolts and will be joining the luncheon virtually.

Tickets are $60. They can be purchased over the phone at 708-489-2255.

Frontier League All-Star Game

The Frontier League’s east and west division teams will face off in the summer classic starting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. Fans can expect in-game face-painting and appearances by the world famous ZOOperstars. Stick around afterwards for a special fireworks show.

The Frontier League east and west division all stars will each be playing to raise money for a local non-profit organization. The winning team’s non-profit will receive a $3,000 donation, while the losing team’s will receive a contribution of $1,000,including:

• Christmas Without Cancer, based in Evergreen Park/Chicago, will be represented on east division team jerseys during the July 12 All-Star game that feature the Christmas Without Cancer logo. Founded in 2003 by an oncology nurse, the grassroots organization provides gifts and daily necessities over the past two decades, including gift cards for groceries, medications, gas and other “need” items throughout the year and at Christmastime.
• The west division all stars will be wearing special jerseys representing Crestwood-based Disabled American Veterans Chapter 84. DAV logo.For over 100 years, Disabled American Veterans has been providing support to veterans of all generations and their families. Each year, more than one million veterans receive free professional assistance. That includes connecting vets with the healthcare, disability, employment, education and financial benefits they have earned through military service. DAV also provides care and support during tough times, advocates for the veteran community on Capitol Hill, connects veterans with meaningful employment, and so much more.

Where To Catch The Game

Fans can catch the 2023 Frontier League All-Star Game on WXAV (St. Xavier University) on 88.3 FM. The game will also be streamed on FloBaseball, presented by FloSports. Join here to catch the game.