Team News

What is the thing you are most looking forward to for this upcoming season?

Coach Sean Osborne:

I am looking forward to see how I handle managing a talented team with 28 players.  The most challenging thing will be to get guys equal playing time while still successfully winning games.  There will no doubt be some ups and downs but I want to win and develop these players. It will be interesting to see how I can incorporate the ideas I have learned from my previous coaches to develop my own managerial style.

 Most of them are younger junior college guys who will need a place to play next season.  I want to beable to help them get where they want to be because I was in the same boat atone point in my playing career. I have a very diverse team and I am looking forward to seeing how they will work together and realize that it will take work on my part since I am the glue that put them together.  

What has the preparation been so far for the team, future preparations?

I wanted to put together a team ofyoung and driven athletes who are willing to learn and will not have anypersonality issues.  Oftentimes, teamsfall apart because of personality troubles and I do not think we will have thatproblem.  I know or have worked with themajority of this team and think they are all great kids with the potential todo good things in baseball and in life. 

We have a lot of perks for these guys and I hope theyrespect and utilize everything we are doing for them and will do for them in their future athletic careers.   While being in communication with guys throughout their seasons, most are staying free from injury and are putting up quality numbers at the plate and on the mound.  Our plans for numerous days forextra/early work will hopefully drive home the idea that whatever effort you put in will pay off in the end. Hopefully the success of our team this summer will drive fans to come togames and allow us to recruit quality players in the future so we may be ableto expand into a youth organization as well.

            Previous Coaching Experience?

I have played for two of the better known coaches in thecountry at the junior college level and the Division 1 level.  At Mesa CC I learned how to work and I learned discipline.  I credit ‘Skip’ Tony Cirelli to my success on and off the field thus far in my young career.  I hope these players (two of which who haveplayed for Cirelli) will be on board with my teaching and game philosophy.  I have very high expectations and standards for these guys and I think they will rise to the occasion.  At Indiana State I learned how to control the game.  I learned more about baseball than I ever thought and my goal is to continue to learn and teach every day.  As a former catcher, I plan on working close with our catchers so they will be able to control the game efficiently. 

Expectations from the players and expectations for the season?

I kind of touched on this already but I expect to win.  The reason I wantto coach and will continue coaching is because I hate losing.  I want to be better than the team or person Iam going up against at anything I do.  Ihate losing and will do anything (short of jeopardizing the health of an athlete) to win games.  I expect our guys to work hard, get better, and put on a good show for our fans.  Anything less will be a disappointment to me,my staff, and our players. 

The only thing I will not do is put our players in jeopardy of getting injured or setting them back in their careers.  My goal as a summer manager is to make sure all of my guys go back to their respective schools 100% healthy, in shape, and better prepared for their next season of college baseball.  Hopefully they will all have a great experience and be able to give positive feedback to their coaches and teammates. 

Fun Facts

I am from Lemont and have livedhere for over 20 years.  In high school Iplayed for and was on the first Top Tier summer team which is a well-known organization now.  In fact, I have a handful of guys who previously played for Top Tier and I hope to keep that connection alive.  I have an associate’s degree in general studies from Mesa CC, a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Indiana State University and a master’s degree in business management from Robert Morris University(Chicago).  All of which I held above a 3.6 GPA.  My hobby is baseball: I have a batting cage in my back yard, I work at a hitting facility, and just love the game.  Most of my day is based around my baseball schedule and it looks as if my future will be the same.

            What do you think of the town of Lisle and the Lisle Sports Complex, The Home of the Hounds

I played summer ball in college for the DuPage Dragons (2years) who previously played at Benedictine University.  I also coached for the Benedictine University Eagles for one season.  This gives me a big home field advantage as I know the layout of the field and know many of the people involved with our operation.  Itwill be great to see and work with the people who have helped shape me as aplayer and coach.

The previous three summers I was able to coach a team made up of kids from around the Lisle/Naperville area.  The families I have worked with give me high hopes for our fan base and our future in Lisle.