Two of the area's major baseball and softball organizations are joining forces and will merge as one of the biggest and brigh

A youth baseball and softball movement is happening in the greater Joliet area. Two of the area's major baseball and softball organizations are joining forces and will merge as one of the biggest and brightest organizations Illinois will have to offer. Together they hope to bring players and parents a new level of play

The Illinois Hawks (owned by John Airola, Ben Hewett, and Kelly ash) and the Illinois Edge (owned by Tom Knapczyk and Dave Crowder) will combine for the 2018 season under the name Illinois Hawks.

"The merger allows us to strengthen ties within the community, draw more competition, more opportunities as an organization and ultimately upgrade and create a much stronger coaching staff as a whole and benefit all our families," said Ben Hewett, current president of the Illinois Hawks. The Illinois Hawks has been around only four years but has had great success and comes to the table with 16 teams.

"Joining forces with a quality organization (Illinois Edge) made up of softball and baseball along with two strong founders can only create a stronger and more cohesive organization as a force to be reckoned with in the community," added Hewett.

"We are extremely excited to announce the merger with the IL Hawks," said Tom Knapczyk, president of Illinois Edge, a 13 year old organization comprised of 12 teams. "This was a no brainer on our end as we look to become one of the most competitive organizations in the State and Nation. The opportunity to place kids in the right baseball/softball environment for the proper development was the main driver in this merger and could not be passed up."

Both The Illinois Hawks and The Illinois Edge have had great success and over the last ten in years helped over 50 athletes achieve college scholarships including several D1 commits and a few drafted players. Recent Hawks players Austin Marozas and Konnor Ash were invited to the PBR Super 60 which evaluates the top 60 players in the country in front of 200 plus MLB scouts. And, the Edge just had its own success with their Christian Knapczyk committing as a freshman to Louisville.

The organization's staff will be composed of professional, college, and high school coaches in the area, explained Knapczyk. High school level players will be coached by current high school or college coaches and former collegiate or pro athletes. This includes Hall of Fame high school coach Phil Bodine, a former pro and now collegiate coach Ben Hewett, 2017 high school assistant coach of the year Chet Lines to name just a few.

The organization is also adding a training coordinator position which will be held by former standout player and now high school coach Tony Folino. Folino is a highly respected coach in the Midwest. Other trainers being added on include Ben Hewett (pro catcher), Brendan Holba (D1 Catcher), Rob Biga (pro manager), Brandon Mendoza (college player), Mario Heernandez (college player), Kelly Ash (high school softball coach)

The new Illinois Hawks organization will train at Legacy Athletics in Shorewood. This, 32,500 square foot facility offers players group and individual conditioning with certified trainers and has 16 weight machines and individual coaching options and has two indoor practice fields (120x50 feet each) and 14 batting cages for year round training.

Hewett said that he believes the merger will draw interest from the surrounding communities, towns and teams.

For more information and upcoming announcements, go to www.illinoishawksbaseball. org.