The Hitting Zone
Proudly Introduces an All-Star Line Up of Professional Baseball Instructors
Mark Tortorice - Pitching Private & Group Instruction
Coach Tortorice is a 1982 graduate of Proviso West High School and led his team to a championship as their top left-handed pitcher. He attended Ranger Junior College in Ranger, Texas and Iowa Western Junior College in Clarinda, Iowa. In 1984 he played in the Junior College World Series and finished 2nd in the nation in strikeouts. After finishing at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ in 1985, Mark was drafted by the Oakland A’s. Coach Tortorice pitched in the Northwest and California leagues with the Oakland A’s organization from 1985 to 1987. During the 1988 season Mark pitched in the Midwest League for the Chicago White Sox organization.
Tom Siebert - Catching, Hitting and Pitching Private & Group Instruction
Coach Siebert has spent many years as a professional baseball instructor. He played his collegiate baseball at Mesa Community College and participated in several professional tryout camps. Following his playing days he has maintained a very high profile contact with the sport. He has instructed at numerous camps including San Diego School Baseball, Baseball Factory, Team One and Doyle Baseball Schools and has participated in various professional spring training workouts being used to assist as a bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher. He has been employed in a part-time capacity in the past with the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Seattle Mariners as a professional scout. His exposure to preparing players for improvement continued as the owner/director of player development of Texas Pride Baseball Academy in Houston, Texas.
Juan Acevedo - Pitching Private Instruction * (currently playing in Mexican League and is temporarily unavailable for lessons)
Coach Acevedo was drafted in 1992 by the Colorado Rockies out of Parkalnd Community College in Champaign. Within two years, he became the Rockies' top pitching prospect going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA for the Double-A New Haven Ravens in 1994. He was named the Most Valuable Pitcher in the Eastern League and rated Player of the Year by Baseball America. In 1998, after being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, Acevedo posted an 8-3 record with 15 saves and a 2.56 ERA as a starter, reliever and closer. In 2002, he signed with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent and recorded 28 saves with a 2.65 ERA as their closer. Acevedo earned the coveted Fireman Award, given to the best reliever on a team, with both the Cardinals and Tigers. He joined the New York Yankees in 2003 and was their opening day closer, earning six saves for the Yankees before Mariano Rivera's return from the disabled list.
Coach Acevedo's pitching lessons go beyond just throwing a baseball. He structures his teaching around the proper pitching mechanics as learned throughout his 12 years of professional baseball experience. He helps players learn the mental aspects of the game as well as the strategy of pitch selection. Coach Acevedo understands and can help you learn better ways to prepare for in-season and off-season training workouts.
Len Asquini - Hitting, Fielding and Pitching Private & Group Instruction
Coach Asquini has been a high school baseball coach for 15 years, eight of those years leading the St. Charles East High School varsity team. He accumulated 224 wins to 88 losses including two trips to the Elite 8, winning the 1999 State Championship as well as the 2001 Summer State Championship. He is currently in charge of the St. Charles Boys Baseball Program while continuing to coach his daughter fastpitch softball team and his two son's baseball teams. Len has developed a unique ability to draw the best out of a player's talent and uses his years of experience to help players reach their full potential.
Trevor Huisinga - Hitting & Fielding Private Instruction
Coach Huisinga developed an outstanding reputation as a quality outfielder and hitter in his days at Bartlett High School. After earning All-Conference, All-Area and All-State honors in 2001 and 2002, he continued his playing career as a four-year starter at the University of Illinois and was a key member of the 2005 Big Ten Championship team. Trevor earned Team MVP honors on an international team that toured in Australia.
Corey Ferger - Pitching Private and Group Instruction
Coach Ferger was a 2002 Graduate of Sterling High School where he was a 4-year varsity starter and a 3-time All-Conference Team selection currently holding the record for most strikeouts in a career as a pitcher. He continued his career at Western Illinois University as a full scholarship pitcher where he recorded a 4-2 record as a starting pitcher in his first season. He spent the final two season at Western as the closer, where he recorded seasons with ERA's of 3.88 and 1.89, respectively while earning All-Mid Continent Conference honors as a relief pitcher, as well. The highlight of Coach Ferger's collegiate career came versus #5 LSU, where he threw 5.2 innings allowing 1 hit and 0 earned runs.
Coach Ferger has been a student of the game and the mechanics of the pitching delivery and is proof that you do not need a 95mph fastball to compete at the Division I level. He has been very sucessful at relating to the students he's worked with in a way that is easy to understand helping deliver results. Coach Ferger preaches the importance of understanding your own delivery, so a student is able to make his own adjustments during competition.
Bruce Leighty - Pitching, Hitting and Fielding Private & Group Instruction
Coach Leighty starred as a pitcher playing baseball in Chicago for Senne High School. He later played college ball at Lake Park College and the University of Wisconsin. Following college, he signed and played professionally as a middle infielder for the Kansas City Royals organization. After being released, Bruce continued to play semi-professional baseball throughout Northern Illinois where he returned to the mound. Throughout his playing days he demonstrated a keen desire to become a true student of the game.
Since his playing days, Leighty has been actively involved in coaching and teaching baseball, at a variety of competitive levels, most recently within the Bartlett Little League organization, where he annually heads up the manager training portion of the program. As a Manager in the Majors Division, Coach Leighty won four consecutive championships and appeared in the Bartlett In-House Championship game five straight seasons, winning that crown four times. His teams appeared in the prestigious Hamm’s Tournament of Champions four consecutive years, finishing in the final four three times and winning the tournament championship in 2003. Bruce has been a resident of Bartlett since 1983 and along with his two sons has been active in Bartlett Little League activities for twelve years.
Jason Aspito - Hitting & Fielding Private Instruction
Coach Aspito is a product of Driscoll Catholic High School where he was a four-year starter at shortstop and an integral part of two State Championships teams. Jason was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 45th round of the 1997 draft, but opted to attend the University of Texas where he was named MVP of the 1998 NBC World Series. After a transfer to Loyola Marymount University, he was named to the WCC All-Conference team. Drafted once again by the White Sox (this time in the 9th round), he was traded to the Angels in 2003. He was named to the Texas League All Star team in 2006 and is playing for Anaheim at their AAA level in Salt Lake City.
Tim Lofgren - Hitting Private Instruction
Coach Lofgren was a 2 year All-Des Plaines Valley League centerfielder at Glenbard East High School in Lombard and took a full Baseball Scholarship to Stetson University in Deland Florida. Tim transferred to Cornell College and lettered in Baseball and Basketball before playing 7 years for the semi-pro Waterloo Merchants winning the American Baseball Congress state championship. During his semi-pro years, Coach Lofgren participated in tryouts for the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. While spending 12 years as the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Montini High School in Lombard, he assisted IHSA Hall of Fame Coach Bill Leeberg in Baseball. Coach Lofgren is a 3-time IHSA District 5 Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Lemont High School coaches Hall of Fame. In addition to his coaching experience he has participated in, directed and created a number of instructional programs. Tim brings years of classroom teaching experience to his coaching style and has spent the past 15 years as a school administrator.
Chris Wick - Pitching & Hitting Group Instruction/Clinics
Coach Wick is a 1988 graduate of Waukegan West High School and played for Coach Rick Mowen. He was voted Most Valuable Player in 1987 and was named All-State 2nd Team that same year. Chris played two years with Coach Floyd Adams at Jefferson Davis State Junior College and was named team captain in 1990. He signed a full scholarship at Division I Liberty University. While at Liberty, Chris set the single season school records for pitching appearances and saves (1991) and also led the Big South Conference in saves (1992). He continued on at the university as assistant coach in 1993. Coach Wick is co-founder of Midwest Youth Baseball which organized traveling youth summer baseball teams throughout the Midwest with the ultimate goal of positioning players to earn collegiate baseball scholarships. He has coached in four C.A.B.A. World Series.
* Please note: Special rates apply for working with this instructor, please call for single lesson rates as well as packages.