By Patrick McGavin- Photos by Lauren Gray
CAROL STREAM— A comfortable mood hangs over the relaxed and confident air connecting the young players.
Inside the DuPage Training Facility, the next generation of the Illinois Wolves are getting down to the basics. Fittingly, the 12-player roster makes up the newest iteration of the Illinois Wolves 12U program.
Founded by coach Brandin Muniz two years ago, the first version of the 12U program made an instant impact in 2024.
The team finished with a 45-12-2 record playing in two different high caliber leagues, the West Suburban Baseball League (WSBL) and the Greater Chicagoland Baseball League (GCBL).
Working with his top assistant Grant Johnson, Muniz saw that group of players gain confidence and develop their young skills as they progressed into 13U last summer.
The timing was right for another 12U program to feed the pipeline, and introduce a new wave of players to their culture and style of play.
“It all started with our older team,” Muniz said. “How they performed in the past, and just their presence alone, helped spark interest from these younger kids and the younger age groups. We just felt the 12U was a good start, a re-start if you will, for another team.”
Few things are more exciting than a young prospect developing his love affair with a game.
“I started doing multiple sports, basketball and football, when I was younger, and then I did baseball,” catcher and infielder Caliel Varela said.
“I think that’s when everything just clicked for me. I knew I was meant to play the game, and that’s why I started loving it and practicing every day.”
Muniz has cultivated a high-level culture and respect for the game that preaches fundamentals, discipline and fun.
The coaching is serious but never overbearing.
“We ended up pulling in some good kids from other programs because they really liked what we offered,” Muniz said. “They also saw what the 13U team did last year.”
The great appeal, from the coaches to the players, is the almost unlimited opportunities to play and develop organically and be part of a cohesive unit.
“I really like the fact we’re going to play so many games, and I get to play on this new team and make new friends,” Varela said. “Even though a lot of us have just met for the first time recently, we’ve already made some really good connections.”
Working with his pitchers, and being behind the plate is the crucial part of the game for him.
“I love practicing and being the catcher you get to command the entire field when you’re back there,” he said.
Carter Behling is an infielder who saw with the Wolves a unique opportunity. It was too good to pass up.
“I just love the game, and I love playing and meeting new friends and hanging out,” he said. “I’m a really good fielder, and I make good contact with the ball. When I heard about playing in two different leagues and doing it almost every day, I knew this was the right place.”
Muniz has never one to worry or fret about burnout. The roster is deep and skilled enough to move players around.
“I know there are some people who think playing so many different league and weekday games might hinder their development,” Muniz said. “Baseball is a game of repetition and routine, and this is what the kids need. You can’t just turn it on and off.”
Muniz said for the vast majority of the season the 12U and the 14U teams will be playing at the same location at different times. The two leagues allow the teams to set their own home schedules. It’s more bang for the buck.
The two teams not only play side by side, but they watch and learn. It is also invaluable for Muniz and his staff to evaluate and develop the players.
The comparisons are inevitable.
“They’re a step ahead of where the older team was at the same age two years ago,” Muniz said. ”They’re bigger, they’re stronger, and they bring more to the table. It’s easy to say this because we haven’t played a game yet. We just have a better idea of what we’re going to bring in.”
Like any coach, Muniz must navigate two different capacities, learning the proper details, fundamentals and right way to play without losing a competitive edge.
”We like to get the kids to understand why we do things the way we do,” he said. “They’re almost like smaller robots. They might not understand right away what they’re doing certain things, but eventually it all clicks. It becomes second nature.”
Practice, Muniz said, creates the right habits, temperament and ability to see different sides. Games against quality opposition is the only way to truly measure growth and development.
“With the amount of games we play and the schedule we have, there are going to be plenty of little things that are going to help each kid at the next level,” Muniz said. “At the very least it’s going to make the game easier for these kids.”
Jude Dues grew up in Wrigleyville before moving to the suburbs. He identified with the game emotionally at a very young age.
Now playing with the Wolves 12U is a dream come true.
“I’ve been around the game since I was like one-year old,” he marveled. “I’ve been a Cubs fan my whole life. Everything about the game just feels right to me, and I love being out here, meeting new friends and having a chance to play.”
Family and bonds connect the team. Greyson Johnson has been around the program through his father and older brother Graham, who started on the 12U team and is now a fixture on the 14U team.
Greyson Johnson and his friend, Tomasino Urso, also play football together with the Mokena-based Jr Celtics program in the Pop Warner League. Sports are a passion, and now is the time for the team to show what they are capable of.
The Wolves 12U open play against the Express Orange 12U on Wednesday, March 25.
“I can’t wait for the season to start because we’re just going to dominate everybody we play,” Mason Munch said.
Illinois Wolves’ 12U Roster
Caliel Varela, Carter Behling, Cole Wolf, Greyson Johnson, Jackson Donkin, James Burns, JJ Murcio, Johnny Ziroli, Jude Dues, Mason Munch, Riley Robinson and Tomasino Urso. (11 of 12 Players were in attendence to be photographed)
