The Steven M. Bajenski Memorial Baseball Tournament kicks into full swing Thursday and concludes Saturday with the championship game at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood at 7 p.m. The tournament features many of the best teams in the state, and serves as an excellent primer for the upcoming state tournament.

More importantly, the tournament memorializes former Mount Carmel player Steven Bajenski, who passed away on August 28, 2009. Bajenski’s indomitable spirit and passion for the game will be taught to participants throughout the tournament. All proceeds from the tournament will go to the Steven Bajenski Memorial Fund. Visit www.doitsteviesway219.com for more information.

One game has already been played in the tournament, with No. 1 Providence defeating New Trier, 5-1, two weeks ago. The rest of the first-round action begins today. A look at the schedule:

Thursday, May 17 at Benedictine University

            4:30pm – Mt. Carmel v Marian Catholic

Thursday, May 17 at Silver Cross Field

            5:00pm – Oak Park-River Forest v St. Laurence

            7:45pm – Oak Lawn v St. Rita

Friday, May 18 at Benedictine University

            5:00pm – Loser of Gm 1 v Loser of Gm 2

            7:45pm – Winner of Gm 1 v Winner of Gm 2

Friday, May 18 at Silver Cross Field

            5:00pm – Loser of Gm 3 v Loser of Gm 4

            7:45pm – Winner of Gm 3 v Winner of Gm 4

Stevie’s Day – Saturday, May 19 Schedule

* All games at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood

10 a.m. - Consolation Game

1:00 p.m. – Fifth-place Game

4:00p.m. – Third-place Game           

7:00 p.m – Championship Game for Stevie’s Cup

Tournament Notes

• Th/Fri games will have no gate charged admission, but donations will be requested/accepted. All reasonable donations will be given Stevie tickets, good for Sat admission. Otherwise, admission will be $5 on Sat.
• Schedule posted on www.doitsteviesway219.com
• All games will be broadcasted live on highschool.cube.com
• Tourney scores will be posted on doitsteviesway219.com & HS Cube
• Do It Stevie Way Awards will be presented @ the culmination of your last tourney game, w/1 player from each team receiving the honor

 

About Stevie Bajenski – Truly One of a Kind

Steven Michael Bajenski was born on May 8^th, 1992, a birthday he would share with his mother Karen.  He came into this world, surrounded with friends and family filled with excitement and joy.  The buzz he generated would set the tone as to how he would lead his life. Steven was destined to make a difference to all he encountered and leave a lasting impact wherever he went. However, few knew at that point what a special gift the son of Mark and Karen  would truly turn out to be. From day one and every single day for the next 17 years, Steven Bajenski was a fighter. He was born w/an abnormal aortic valve, which required open heart surgery at 10 weeks of age. He fought hard & came out of that surgery like a champ and never looked back. Even as an infant he had that “it” factor inside him. Nothing could ever stand in his way.

Steven spent his childhood growing up in Mokena, attending all of the local public grade schools, Mokena Elementary/Intermediate/Jr High. It was during these years that his love for athletics began. Stevie stayed active in baseball, basketball & football. Despite being smaller in physical stature and being born with a heart defect, he never let this deter him from playing sports. In fact, his passion was growing stronger than most young men his age because he had to be more determined and work harder to achieve what came easier to others. It was in 7^th grade that Stevie’s character would be tested once again. He was diagnosed with narrowing of the valve and told he had to give up participating in basketball and football. While this latest set back saddened him to some degree, he took advantage of the situation and saw this an his opportunity to get better in the game he truly loved, baseball. He now would come to realize what his family had seen in him since the age of 4 years old when we would beg his mom to throw pitch after pitch to him, when his dad was @ work & because his older sister Paige threw (as Steve said)…stupid. The family knew Steve was destined to be a ballplayer.

Stevie’s Mokena baseball career was spent playing for his Dad in the Mokena Little League for the Mokena Thunder and The Lincoln-Way Blue Demons. The rules were taught, basic skills were refined, and the right way to play the game was instilled. On the field, they were player and coach. Off the field, they were not only father and son, but best friends as well. The bond was strong and it grew daily because of the game of baseball. They shared wins/losses. Most importantly they shared time together creating memories that will never be forgotten. It was also around this time when Stevie became known as Budgie. While he wasn’t big physically, everyone always knew who he was because he played big. His passion and determination were growing like never before and he loved the game. He was also quick to realize, that the only way to get better was to play against the best competition, and he wanted to be the best.

In the Spring of 2006, Stevie began making the long trek from Mokena to Mount Carmel High School. Many questioned his decision to travel such a long distance to go to school when he was surrounded with many great options much closer to home. The Baseball Program (All About Team), Academics & Tradition were the decision drivers for him choosing MC. He became a 3^rd Generation Bajenski to attend Mt. Carmel (Grandfather Lenny ’57 & his Dad Mark ’79). Stevie loved every minute of his time there. The family atmosphere, the diversity, the challenges presented to him, and the overall experience of molding himself into a man of great character made it the right choice for him. Through his hard work and dedication, Stevie was a standout in the classroom. Going into his senior year, he was ranked #4 in his graduating class with a 4.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale and had just scored a 29 on his ACT. With a resume such as this, Stevie made a name for himself in the classroom, but it would be on the baseball field where he his legend would be made. During his high school years, baseball was split into two areas: The Mount Carmel Caravan and The Illinois Sparks, both proud to call him theirs. 

In the summer of 2007, he joined the Illinois Sparks. He loved everything about being a Spark. The team provided him with a haven worthy enough to serve the biggest baseball enthusiast, which allowed a player with a dream a chance to realize it. It was a perfect match. He loved the facility/dome. Where else would he get the opportunity to put in hours and hours of baseball work each week surrounded by teammates with the same passion as his? What proved to be most valuable was the atmosphere and the friends it afforded him the opportunity to meet. These guys shared his love of the game and his goal to always get better. The fact that all of his teammates were good, drove him to put out his best effort everyday. It provided him with the next challenge he needed. And, he faced it like he always did…with a smile on his face. He had a dream and he wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stand in his way of achieving it. Stevie loved everything about his Sparks experience, especially the coaches. They that were all baseball people and he knew they would make him better. Like Carmel, the Sparks were a perfect fit. Every time out, he looked forward to the fact that they were always playing the best of the best. Stevie knew that to be the best, you had to beat the best. He loved that.

While Stevie played for the Sparks in the summer, the spring was all about the Caravan. During his freshman and sophomore years he became a leader to his teammates and received the admiration of his coaches. As Sophomore Coach Bob Kujawa said, “He was the only player that played the game the right way every time out and was all about the team.” Each of his first two years the name Bajenski was penciled into the lineup card next to 2B day in and day out. Not because he was given preferential treatment, but because any time another player worked at his game enough to get into a position to compete for the spot, Stevie would simply just out work him and get farther ahead. He believed that it was his spot to lose and you were not going to get it. He was chasing his dream and had no intention of being denied.

According to Varsity Head Coach Brian Hurry, “He was an extremely hard working kid, who earned everything he got both academically in the classroom & athletically on the baseball field”. Steve was smart enough to understand that when you’re small in stature, you need to be big on brains. Stevie always was a student of the game, learning the ins and outs of the game of baseball. Always undersized, he knew if he was going to be successful and play at the next level, he would need to be fundamentally sound, do all the little things well and outwork everyone (get better everyday). While he battled each and everyday on the field, throughout high school, he continued to battle off the field as well. After a successful freshman year he was diagnosed with blockage in the valve. Stevie underwent a successful Aortic Valve Ballooning and in 3 weeks, he was back to baseball… better than ever. Yet again, in January 2009, more challenges presented themselves to Steve & his family. They were notified that his Aortic Valve was narrowing & another Ballooning procedure would need to take place. He had the procedure done, but unfortunately this time it didn’t go as planned. The results weren’t desirable.. The doctor’s told the Bajenski family that surgery was required and would need to happen relatively quickly. Stevie had asked if he could put the surgery off until after his Junior high school and his summer Sparks season. The reason, he was on a mission, he had a dream to chase & a job to do.. The surgeon agreed and Stevie went back to work to ensure that he would be the starting 2B for his Caravan baseball team. His unrelenting work ethic paid off and for the third time in three years, when his Caravan team took the field he got the starting nod.

The 2009 Caravan and Sparks seasons were a success. He played these 2 seasons as did his past 12, with heart & passion. His spirited play made an impact on his teammates, coaches, opponents & fans alike. He also realized a dream of his, playing in the World Wood Bat World Series in East Cobb, Ga. In July, he was scheduled to undergo an open heart to replace his valve. While the surgery made him nervous, he was excited by prospects of “feeling like every other kid” (normal for them, but awesome for him) & having the opportunity to continue the pursuit of his dream, Now, they say everything happens for a reason, and while we may never truly understand why God called Stevie to start at second base for his team, all who knew Stevie are left to be far better people for having known him, called him a friend, a brother, a son, a grandson, a teammate, a baseball player, a student, an inspiration, an idol, a hero, or a role model. Steven was a man of integrity and character that could light up the room with his smile. He was an impact player in the game of life. He lived a lifetime in his 17 short years and had a true passion for life, which centered around his love for family, friends, MC and the game of baseball. Although his time with us wasn’t long enough, he touched thousands of lives. We hope he touched yours. It’s not that Stevie’s valve was too big for his heart, but that his heart was too big for his valve.