Pitching, pitching, pitching… for baseball coaches, there’s no such thing as too much of it.

That’s one big reason Elmhurst Cougars 14U baseball Head Coach Tim Silkaitis is excited and optimistic for his team’s 2022 prospects. His team returns its entire pitching staff from 2021.

“We had a nice season last year and we are hoping to be even more competitive in 2022,” Silkaitis said before the season.

The Cougars are competing in the Western Suburban Baseball League 14U A Division, which will include regular matchups with the Oak Lawn Lightning, Palos Thunder and other rivals. This season will be the 14U team’s final one in this division, so Silkaitis is looking to make it memorable.

The 14U Cougars will play in the following tournaments: Annual Salute to Service, Oak Lawn, Memorial Day weekend; Slug into Summer, West Chicago, June 1-3; Bulldogapalooza, Bloomingdale, June 8-11; and the Jim Christ Memorial, Glenview, July 7-10 (a fundraiser for providing assistance to local families facing financial hardships).

Additionally, the Cougars will play several “friendlies” with non-conference teams to give the players a chance to continue developing their skills while having additional fun on the field, Silkaitis said.

“We provided these ‘friendly’ opportunities to the players each year and they look forward to them, as we have built up some friendly rivalries over the years,” he said.

Silkaitis said he and his fellow coaches look forward to sharpening the players’ skills throughout the year with an aim to help them make the leap to the next level.

“Most of our players will be trying out for their respective high school teams, moving on the next chapter of their baseball careers,” Silkaitis said. “We are hoping we will have them prepared so they can continue playing the great game of baseball for many years to come!”