A passion that began in Little League baseball grew into a historic run for the 2026 Naperville Central Redhawks. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
The state qualifying roster featured a lineup of 17 athletes who played multiple years with Naperville Little League, often squaring off on the field as they developed their skills and love for America’s pastime.
Casey Cooperkawa, Ben Desantis, Ashton Feldott, Ryan Gervase, Max Henson, Tommy Manker, Ryan Marker, Dylan Martin, Jack McCotter, Ryley Orlanes, Cooper Page, Ryan Pall, Jackson Persin, Ryan Ruscitti, Grant Umbright, Lucas Wallace, and Allen Weber all played at least one year of Naperville Little League baseball.
A Redhawk roster full of Naperville Little League
“It was cool that we got to all play against each other when we were younger, and then we all come together as one high school team when we’re older,” said Naperville Central infielder Casey Cooperkawa.
Those early days on the diamond set them up for future success.
“Baseball ran through our whole family. So that was just where we all started out. We had one coach that coached all three of my brothers, including me. And so it just it was just something that ran to the family and it was just an enjoyable experience. And it got us started for kind of the baseline of how baseball worked,” said Naperville Central pitcher Grant Umbright.
“It meant a lot to me. I think I built a lot of my core friendships, and I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends through Naperville Little League baseball, and also just kept building those relationships through high school,” said Cooperkawa.
Little League was just the beginning
Redhawk standout Grant Umbright won five consecutive Little League championship games, several of which were alongside his older brother Michael, with their dad serving as head coach. In his final season in 2019, Grant struck out 14 batters in just six innings to cap off an undefeated season.
This spring, the senior racked up a record of 9-1 on the pitcher’s mound with an ERA of 2.03, while hitting .324 with 30 RBI at the plate. His performance was no surprise to Central utilityman Casey Cooperkawa, who squared off against his future teammate many times during their years in Naperville Little League.
“I remember him pitching against us in Little League. And it was the hardest-to-hit pitcher I’ve ever faced. He was always a stud back in the day and obviously still is. He was our best player this year. So I mean, it shows how Little League can translate to that,” said Cooperkawa.
“I versed Casey Cooperkawa. I versed Max Henson. All those other kids, they were all trying to beat me. So it was a fun competition.”
The Little League experience allows players to learn multiple positions, which helped prepare these future DVC champions for the next level.
“When you’re younger as a kid, you’re playing, they move all the positions around. You get to see which positions you like. And I used to play shortstop, catcher, pitcher, outfield. And now the same thing. I feel like it translated to my high school because I could play any position. I think I played this whole year; I played every position besides shortstop and catcher, so I think that really helped me,” said Cooperkawa.
They taught me a lot that I didn’t know about the game. And I mean, having an older brother look up to that knew how to play the game, and also a dad who knew how to coach. It really developed me as a player and also as a person,” said Umbright.
A chance to keep playing baseball
At the end of an unforgettable year that included a 15-game winning streak and the IHSA 4A fourth-place state trophy, this senior group of Redhawks is ready to spread its wings. For some, like Cooperkawa, their baseball journey is at an end.
“I’m studying engineering at Ole Miss, so we’ll see where that takes me. But I’m hoping to make new connections, meet a lot of new people down there,” said Cooperkawka.
For others like Grant Umbright, chasing their dreams on the diamond is still in the cards, as he will head to John A. Logan to play college baseball.
“I do hope to get drafted and end up playing in the major leagues. Obviously that’s a long way. But you know, many, many steps. So you know it’s looking good,” said Umbright.
Whether celebrating on the mound as 12-year-olds or 18-year-olds, their baseball memories will last a lifetime.
For more prep sports stories and highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page.
