L-W Central Baseball Coach Sean Bieterman Makes Difficult Decision to Move On

Sean Bieterman is leaving Lincoln-Way Central after three seasons coaching the Knights' baseball team and exhibiting his leadership skills this spring following the untimely death of Tommy Schuman. Bieterman is taking a job at Aurora Central Catholic.

Sean Bieterman, the coach who held his baseball team together following the untimely death of its most popular players, is leaving Lincoln-Way Central High School. Bieterman, who coached and taught at Lincoln-Way Central for three school years, has accepted a position as athletic director, dean of students and baseball coach at Aurora Central Catholic. He will finish coaching the Knights through the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association summer state playoffs. Then, he will dig in at ACC. “Lincoln-Way Central gave me an opportunity when Driscoll closed,” Bieterman said. “I was blessed to work with great people and a great administration. Dr. Wyllie, Steve Provis, Hud Venerable—I can’t say enough about those three people. I think the world …

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Baseball: Duffin Blast Sparks L-W East Comeback Victory Over L-W Central in Regional Semifinal

Lincoln-Way East 10, Lincoln-Way Central 8: Kevin Duffin had four hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in four runs as the Griffins rallied to defeat the Knights Thursday in a semifinal game at the Class 4A Providence Regional.

Touching All the Bases: Just when it looked like Lincoln-Way East was on the verge of falling victim to a surprise small-ball attack by rival Lincoln-Way Central, the Griffins’ offense exploded in a 10-8 victory over the Knights Thursday in semifinal play at the Class 4A Providence Regional. Kevin Duffin turned momentum—and the game—around with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the third. After Central built a 6-1 lead, he belted a two-run homer. Duffin went on to bang out four hits and headed an 11-hit attack for the Griffins. He also drove in four runs as East scored nine runs in its last four at-bats. Tommy Fuessel added two hits, including a two-run single that was the highlight of a five-run fourth-inning uprising for the Griffins…

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The Sports Report

Junior Left-Hander Mikolajczak Closing the Deal for L-W Central Baseball

Lincoln-Way Central junior left-hander Matt Mikolajczak brings a nasty wrong-way look to the Knights' bullpen. He is mowing down hitters and learning a new job on the fly.

Until earlier this week, Lincoln-Way Central pitcher Matt Mikolajczak was one of the Knights’ most trusted starters. Now, he’s adding a bit more responsibility to his repertoire on the mound. He is bringing a fastball and curve to the mix as well as a wrong-way look out of the bullpen. And he is making life tough on Lincoln-Way Central opponents. Call it a 'Miko' lefty look. Or call it nasty. Mikolajczak, a junior left-hander, pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in the Knights’ 5-4 10-inning victory over district rival Lincoln-Way East on Thursday afternoon in New Lenox. He retired 10 of the 11 batters he faced. He was called out of the pen for the second time in a span of two days with two outs in the top of the seventh and the …

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L-W Central Baseball Family Tips Collective Cap to Tommy Schuman

On Senior Day, the Lincoln-Way Central baseball family presented a framed No. 19 jersey to the parents of late-Knight standout Tommy Schuman. All the players autographed the jersey.

The gesture was relatively small. The meaning was deep and impactful. During a pre-game ceremony prior to a 5-4 10-inning victory over district rival Lincoln-Way East on Thursday afternoon, the Lincoln-Way Central baseball family presented a framed No. 19 jersey to the parents of late-Knight standout Tommy Schuman. He died unexpectedly March 31—but remains forever a part of the Knights' coat of arms. His parents, Dan and Lynn Schuman, were on hand to accept the framed jersey and root for the Knights to carry on despite the tragic loss. "Tommy Schuman was a huge part of our program, of our school," Lincoln-Way Central coach Sean Bieterman said. "We miss him every day. He's a part of the Lincoln-Way Central baseball family. It's tough every …

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Knights Get 'Needed' Wins Following Tragedy

Lincoln-Way Central picked up its first wins since losing teammate Tommy Schuman with a double-header sweep of Normal and Richards. The games were won in very different fashions.

Following a tumultuous week, the Lincoln-Way Central baseball team got a fresh start with a double-header sweep. The Knights lost beloved teammate and friend Tommy Schuman on March 31 after he was found unresponsive in his bed from still unknown causes. A clearly emotional team played its first game since the tragedy on Thursday but blew a lead at Andrew, losing 5-4 in the final inning. Saturday was a different story. The team was playing at home, the spirits seemed higher and the outcome was different. A win is a win, and the Knights (9-3) got two in very different ways with an 8-7 comeback over Normal Community and a 10-0 rout of Richards.  "We needed this win, especially with the way the game ended the other night," Central coach Sean …

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Together for Tommy: 'There Are More Important Things Than Just Baseball'

Lincoln-Way Central's baseball lost a heartbreaker, 5-4, to Andrew on Thursday. But the loss of a loved teammate weighed more heavily on the players, who paid tribute to Tommy Schuman.

"We learned a lot about what really matters this week," Lincoln-Way Central coach Sean Bieterman said. "There are more important things than just baseball." That was the message throughout the week for Lincoln-Way Central’s baseball team, which blew a late lead Thursday. The game, at Andrew High School, was about much more than standings and stats or wins and losses. This game was about 27 teenagers coming together to play for the 28th member of their team who is gone now but will never be forgotten. When other members of the Knights baseball team prepared for a doubleheader last Saturday, March 31, they had no idea Tommy Schuman wouldn’t be joining them on the bus ride to Elmhurst. Schuman, 18, was found dead in his bed that morning from …

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L-W East's Zvonar to Appear on IHSA Playoff Pairings Announcement Show

Lincoln-Way East's Rob Zvonar is one of many coaches scheduled to appear on the IHSA's Playoff Pairings Show. The show airs from 8-10 p.m. on Saturday.

Lincoln-Way East football coach Rob Zvonar is one of many coaches scheduled to appear when the Illinois High School Association broadcasts its 2011 Football Playoff Pairings Release Show on Comcast SportsNet Chicago Plus (CSN+) live from Comcast SportsNet’s downtown Chicago studio on Saturday. The show will air from 8 to 10 p.m. In Chicagoland, the show will air on CLTV for Comcast Cable and RCN subscribers. Satellite subscribers (i.e. DirecTV, Dish Network, etc.) in Chicagoland, throughout Illinois, and in surrounding states will access to the show via CSN+ (Click here to view CSN’s channel finder to find out where you can see CSN+ in your area). The show also will be available via live interactive stream on the internet at www.IHSA.tv …

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Gimme 5: Flores Finds a New Baseball Home in Joliet

Former Lincoln-Way Central standout Josh Flores is enjoying a strong season for the Joliet Slammers.

Josh Flores was the first signing this season for the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League. He’s been hitting right around the .300 mark for most of the baseball season and had a key two-run single on Saturday to help the Slammers beat the Southern Illinois Miners and improve to 20-18 on the year. Flores originally was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 24th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. The Houston Astros drafted him in the fourth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. He played professionally for the Astros, advancing as high as Class AA Corpus Christi. In 2007, he hit .279 with 42 RBIs and 39 stolen bases.

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Fourth of July Look at Baseball Through an Umpire's Eyes

New Lenox resident Nick Byerley calls balls and strikes and also makes sure there's someone on the other fields to do so, too.

Grilling, parades and, of course, baseball are all synonymous with the Fourth of July holiday. Backyard celebrations often are filled with friendly Whiffle ball variations of America's pastime. Many towns host all-star tournaments for their youth, and if you flip through the buttons on the television remote you're bound to find a ballgame on TV. While all you need is a ball, bat and players to have a game, if you want to play the game seriously you also need someone to enforce the rules--an umpire. New Lenox resident Nick Byerley is an umpire. When he's not umpiring youth baseball or softball games he's responsible for assigning umpires to the contests. Byerley co-founded the Illinois Independent Umpires and assigns umpires for …

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Michael Sewall

10:31 am on Monday, July 4, 2011

I used to umpire 12- to 14-year-old ball games in Western Springs, and it was a lot of fun. Best summer job I ever had!   more ›