FALL LEAGUE BENEFITS PREP PLAYERS, WCC - The Beacon News - Aurora (IL)

It's an unusual time of the high school year to hear the call 'Play ball!'But the same October winds that disconnect leaves from trees beyond the outfield fence at Waubonsee Community College are carrying fly balls these unusually balmy fall days.

It's been that way for the last 13 autumns.

It's the Fall Baseball League at WCC, where 140 high school players (17 to 18 on each of eight teams) from 19 area schools compete five days a week -- Monday through Thursday and Saturdays.

Mark Lindo, basketball and baseball coach at Naperville North, came up with the idea 13 years ago when he was coaching the same sports at Aurora Central Catholic.

Lindo wanted to give players not involved in a fall sport an opportunity to hone their skills in baseball.

'I wanted to offer kids an opportunity to play ... to remain involved in baseball,' Lindo said.

'But only if they weren't playing another fall sport.'

Lindo talked to Denny Short (a longtime baseball instructor and coach who is now assistant baseball coach at Waubonsie Valley High School) and the two of them approached Dave Randall, athletic director and baseball coach at WCC, about the possibilities.

They would need a facility for the fall league, and WCC's offers one of the best in the area.

Randall jumped on the idea.

'I liked the idea because it gives a lot of area players a chance to see our facility and our school,' Randall said.

'And I get to see some kids. There have been a lot of times when I've been able to see some players from smaller schools who might be overlooked by recruiters.

'There are some nice college prospects playing out here every fall,' Randall added.

The three men only provide the structure for the eight-team league -- the facility and the scheduling.

The kids are on their own in playing the games.

It's sort of a structured 'sandlot' league.

'The players do all their own umpiring, lineups, everything,' said Short. 'We're just there.

We don't interfere.

The catcher calls the balls and strikes, and the infielders make the base calls.

Sometimes there are little differences of opinion, but they all get along pretty well.'

The league was designed not to interfere with fall sports in high schools, much to the relief of some fall sports coaches in the area.

'This league is for high school players who are not involved in a fall sport at their respective high schools,' Randall said.

'When we started this league we didn't want to infringe on the coaches of fall sports.'

The league began in 1985 with four teams and about 60 kids, Randall recalls.

'Now we've maxed-out,' he said.

'Last year, we had nine teams, but that was too many.

We backed off to eight and will keep it manageable at that number.'

Baseball players from Waubonsie Valley, Geneva, Batavia, St. Charles, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Wheaton-St. Francis, West Aurora, Marmion Academy, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Kaneland, Sycamore, Hinckley-Big Rock, Sandwich, Yorkville, Plano, the Glenbards (North, South and East) and Wheaton North are involved in the program.

And Randall said other high schools have been represented by players in the past.

Players are placed on teams on a regional basis, unless enough players from one school can form a team on its own -- like St. Charles and Waubonsie Valley.

The top two teams in the league standings play a one-game championship Oct. 21.

For Randall, the arrangement has been good for his successful baseball program at WCC.

'Brett Duck (Batavia) played in this fall league three years, so I saw plenty of him,' Randall said.

'He did some mechanical things wrong and needed to learn some things, but he showed a lot of ability.

'I talked him into coming to WCC, and he wound up being our starting shortstop for two years and was our starter at the NJCAA College World Series last year (1996).'