While the Vipers program has been around for nearly 15 years, our high school training program has evolved significantly over the last several years, and we are proud to share some of our achievements. We have had over 30 local Vipers players go on to play at the collegiate level, with about 15 of them coming in the last two seasons. Of the 26 graduates we had in our 2023 18U program, 11 players went on to play at the collegiate level.
Our players have achieved tremendous success at every college level. Most notably, we witnessed our first Division I player, Randy Seymour, receive a scholarship to play at Michigan State two years ago. Randy, who has been with the Vipers since he was 12, is now the starting shortstop for the Spartans. Additionally, Matt Helwig, a 2018 Lincoln-Way Central graduate and Vipers player, recently signed with the Minnesota Twins organization and is starting his rookie ball in Florida as a pitcher. We definitely want to mention our many vipers who are currently playing JUCO, NAIA and D3 baseball in the Midwest. We also have former Vipers players who have joined rosters with local professional independent summer leagues. Mostly all of these players have been with us for many years believing in our training program and becoming a great ball player.
Our Vipers staff for both baseball and softball, are committed to increasing the number of our athletes who go on to play at the next level. Our staff includes former and current college players, coaches and minor league team members from the Chicagoland area, bringing valuable resources, experience, and contacts.