Coaching Staff
Director - Coach Jeff Kapp - Hitting/Defense
Coach Jeff began playing organized baseball in 1975, and has played at just about every level since that time. He was a 3-year starter for his high school team in Munster, IN, at shortstop; making all conference all three years and all-state his senior year in 1986. He went on to play Division 1 baseball at Purdue University for the only team in school history to make it to the College World Series Regional in Starkville, Mississippi.
Coach Jeff played in the Collegiate Prospect Leagues and later played semi-professional baseball with the Royals. He also had two major league try-outs with the Cincinnati Reds and one with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since his playing days, he has coached at every level from t-ball to high school. He has gained years of knowledge from college Division 1 and Major League coaches.
Coach Matt Kuna - Pitching/Hitting/Defense
Coach Matt was a four year letter winner at Griffith High School in northwest Indiana, and was all-conference, all-area and all-state his senior year. He was a finalist for Mr. Baseball in the state of Indiana in 2007. He went on to play Division 1 baseball at the University of Toledo, where he was All-MAC in 2009 and 2012, and All-Region in 2012.
After college, Coach Matt played two years in the Frontier League with the Schaumburg Boomers, where he started 24 games and pitched in 41 games total.
Coach Matt brings 13+ years of coaching experience with youth players in private and group lesson settings, including pitching, fielding, hitting and velocity training.
Coach Connor McCloskey - Pitching/Hitting/Defense
Coach Connor is a Chicago native from the Logan Square area. He began his baseball career at Hamlin Park where he spent most of his early years, as well as a brief stint at Welles Park. Connor graduated from Lane Tech High School in 2016, and was a member of the Lane Tech Baseball City Championship team that same year.
He continued his baseball playing career with the Beloit College Buccaneers, a D3 team in Beloit, Wisconsin. Coach McCloskey began as a reliever, but eventually earned a starting role through his hard work and love for the sport. Coach Connor now pitches for the Black Sox in the Pro Baseball Yinzer League, with the goal of signing with an Independent League team very soon. GOOD LUCK COACH!
Connor graduated from Beloit in 2020, and has returned home to Chicago to continue his affiliation with baseball and is an invaluable asset to our coaching staff.
Coach Jeff Mayes - Defense/Hitting
Jeff Mayes joined the Aurora University baseball program as an assistant coach in the fall of 2019 after a four-year career on the diamond for the Spartans. Through two years of Mayes being on the Spartan staff, AU has amassed a 47-10 overall record.
Mayes' duties include working with infielders, pitcher sequencing, and overseeing the defensive game plan for the Spartans. In his two seasons on the AU coaching staff, the Spartans have been in the Top 15 of Division III in team fielding percentage and defensive double plays.
Mayes had a prestigious four-year career for AU as a shortstop, finishing his career earning the 2018-2019 AU Male Athlete of the Year honor. During his senior season, Mayes earned the CoSIDA / Google Cloud Academic All-America honor along with selections as First-Team All-Conference, and CoSIDA Academic All-District. He finished his illustrious AU career as the Spartans all-time hits leader with 240 hits. His senior season he hit .402 with 78 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, 40 runs scored and 31 runs batted in. He had a .485 slugging percentage, .448 on-base percentage and a .942 fielding percentage.
In his four years as a Spartan, he was named a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and AU Scholar-Athlete four times. He was a first-team All-Conference selection in 2019 and a second-team honoree as a sophomore.
Additionally, Mayes received the Richard Rickey Award. The Richard Rickey Award is given to a senior male student-athlete who exemplifies the characteristics of dedication, determination, sportsmanship and faith throughout the academic year. Mayes was a team captain for three years while also serving on the AU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years.
In his four years on the field, he led AU to a 115-61 record with two Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championships and appearances in the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division III Baseball Regionals.
Coach Jeff began playing organized baseball in 1975, and has played at just about every level since that time. He was a 3-year starter for his high school team in Munster, IN, at shortstop; making all conference all three years and all-state his senior year in 1986. He went on to play Division 1 baseball at Purdue University for the only team in school history to make it to the College World Series Regional in Starkville, Mississippi.
Coach Jeff played in the Collegiate Prospect Leagues and later played semi-professional baseball with the Royals. He also had two major league try-outs with the Cincinnati Reds and one with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since his playing days, he has coached at every level from t-ball to high school. He has gained years of knowledge from college Division 1 and Major League coaches.
Coach Matt Kuna - Pitching/Hitting/Defense
Coach Matt was a four year letter winner at Griffith High School in northwest Indiana, and was all-conference, all-area and all-state his senior year. He was a finalist for Mr. Baseball in the state of Indiana in 2007. He went on to play Division 1 baseball at the University of Toledo, where he was All-MAC in 2009 and 2012, and All-Region in 2012.
After college, Coach Matt played two years in the Frontier League with the Schaumburg Boomers, where he started 24 games and pitched in 41 games total.
Coach Matt brings 13+ years of coaching experience with youth players in private and group lesson settings, including pitching, fielding, hitting and velocity training.
Coach Connor McCloskey - Pitching/Hitting/Defense
Coach Connor is a Chicago native from the Logan Square area. He began his baseball career at Hamlin Park where he spent most of his early years, as well as a brief stint at Welles Park. Connor graduated from Lane Tech High School in 2016, and was a member of the Lane Tech Baseball City Championship team that same year.
He continued his baseball playing career with the Beloit College Buccaneers, a D3 team in Beloit, Wisconsin. Coach McCloskey began as a reliever, but eventually earned a starting role through his hard work and love for the sport. Coach Connor now pitches for the Black Sox in the Pro Baseball Yinzer League, with the goal of signing with an Independent League team very soon. GOOD LUCK COACH!
Connor graduated from Beloit in 2020, and has returned home to Chicago to continue his affiliation with baseball and is an invaluable asset to our coaching staff.
Coach Jeff Mayes - Defense/Hitting
Jeff Mayes joined the Aurora University baseball program as an assistant coach in the fall of 2019 after a four-year career on the diamond for the Spartans. Through two years of Mayes being on the Spartan staff, AU has amassed a 47-10 overall record.
Mayes' duties include working with infielders, pitcher sequencing, and overseeing the defensive game plan for the Spartans. In his two seasons on the AU coaching staff, the Spartans have been in the Top 15 of Division III in team fielding percentage and defensive double plays.
Mayes had a prestigious four-year career for AU as a shortstop, finishing his career earning the 2018-2019 AU Male Athlete of the Year honor. During his senior season, Mayes earned the CoSIDA / Google Cloud Academic All-America honor along with selections as First-Team All-Conference, and CoSIDA Academic All-District. He finished his illustrious AU career as the Spartans all-time hits leader with 240 hits. His senior season he hit .402 with 78 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, 40 runs scored and 31 runs batted in. He had a .485 slugging percentage, .448 on-base percentage and a .942 fielding percentage.
In his four years as a Spartan, he was named a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and AU Scholar-Athlete four times. He was a first-team All-Conference selection in 2019 and a second-team honoree as a sophomore.
Additionally, Mayes received the Richard Rickey Award. The Richard Rickey Award is given to a senior male student-athlete who exemplifies the characteristics of dedication, determination, sportsmanship and faith throughout the academic year. Mayes was a team captain for three years while also serving on the AU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years.
In his four years on the field, he led AU to a 115-61 record with two Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championships and appearances in the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Division III Baseball Regionals.
Contact Us(312) 945 - 1585
info@sluggersbaseballchicago.com
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