Canes Illinois – Coaching Staff

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Founder

Mark
Sheehan

Mike Tumpane joined Canes Illinois Baseball in 2021 after his oldest son was recruited to play in the program. What started as a family connection quickly grew into a leadership role as Mike helped build the youth program alongside founder Mark Sheehan. In 2023, Mike and partners Tom Nelson and Kyle purchased Canes Illinois, continuing its growth into one of the Midwest’s premier development-first baseball organizations.

Owner & General Manager

Mike
Tumpane

Tom Nelson is a Naperville Central alum and current Canes Illinois coach who has been leading youth teams since 2016. A former player turned coach, he holds an MBA and a Master of Sports Administration from Ohio University. In 2022, he led the 14U Canes Gold team to a top-10 state ranking. Off the field, Tom works as a Global Team Lead at Randstad Sourceright, supporting hiring efforts for Google.

Owner & President

Tom
Nelson

Screenshot 2024-08-19 at 9.16.05 PM

Owner

Kyle
Kolb

Josh Kay is a former professional pitcher and veteran coach with deep ties to Arlington Heights and St. Viator High School, where he now serves as Varsity Assistant Coach. A Hall of Fame inductee and former University of Cincinnati closer, Josh was drafted by the Oakland A’s in 2005. He later coached at the collegiate level before spending the past seven years developing youth talent. Off the field, he is Managing Director at Kay and Associates, Inc., a private Aerospace & Defense firm.

Director

Josh
Kay

S&C Coordinator

Mike
Settle

Pitching

Kevin Davis is a Canes Illinois pitching instructor with collegiate and professional experience, including time in the Frontier League, Mexico’s Bravos de León, and a stint with the Chicago White Sox organization. A former starter at Olney Central and closer at USC Upstate, Kevin brings a powerful combination of playing experience, physical therapy education, and strength training expertise. Standing at 6'9", he connects effortlessly with players of all ages and is passionate about helping them grow—while continuing to chase his own dream of making it to the big leagues.

Pitching Director

Kevin
Davis

Nate Jendras began his collegiate pitching career at Montreat College before transferring to North Central College. After hanging up his cleats, he shifted his focus to earning his Master’s degree and developing players at Canes Illinois. A longtime student of Coach Mark Sheehan and a former P3 class member, Nate brings energy, technical knowledge, and a passion for helping athletes grow both on and off the field.

Pitching Coordinator

Nate
Jendras

Pitching/S&C Coordinator

Bryce
Hellgeth

Mike Kowalczyk is a Canes Illinois coach and former collegiate player who graduated from Wheaton Warrenville South High School in 2019. He played at Culver-Stockton College and the College of Lake County before training under Coach Mark Sheehan and the Canes staff for a number of years. Mike brings a deep understanding of Canes pitching philosophy and mechanics and is available for private instruction, while also managing teams throughout the season.

Pitching Coach

Mike
Kowalczyk

Nick Sobieszczyk is a pitching instructor for Canes Illinois and a student at the University of St. Francis, where he’s majoring in Entrepreneurship. A former P3 class member and longtime student of Mark Sheehan, Nick is also actively pursuing a career in law enforcement with the Naperville Police Department. His coaching approach blends injury prevention, performance optimization, and long-term development—both on and off the field.

Pitching Coach

Nick
Sobieszczyk

Pitching Coach

Rod
Ramos

Pitching Coach

Tony
Valenza

Pitching Coach

Scott
Anderson

Pitching Coach

John
Herrera

Pitching Coach

Buddie
Pindel

Hitting, Fielding & Catching

Hitting/Catching Director

Anthony
Drago

Hitting/Outfield Coach

James
DeGeorge

Hitting Coach

Ron
Cacini

Zaid Walker is a former standout outfielder drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 2018 out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He went on to play at Michigan State, where he earned All-Big Ten honors and team MVP recognition, before finishing his collegiate career at Georgetown University. Zaid recently played professionally with the Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League. Passionate about player development, he now shares his experience and love for the game by mentoring the next generation of athletes.

Hitting Coach

Zaid
Walker

Hitting/Catching Coach

Carter
Stubitz

Hitting Coach

Jonny
Carrera

Hitting Coach

James
Denton

Hitting Coach

Jeff
Beckert

Hitting Coach

Chris
Heywood

Hitting/Infield Coach

Joe
Stagowski

Hitting/Infield Coach

Christian
Kuzmeka