Top Tier North
Train and compete
with the best.
Who we are
Top Tier North is a premier travel baseball program dedicated to developing young athletes, ages 8U-18U, into successful baseball players and leaders on and off the field. Our mission is to foster skill development, sportsmanship, and a love for the game through elite coaching and high-level competition.
Our History
Since our founding in 2016 we have grown from a local team into a nationally recognized program known for its commitment to player development, teamwork, and excellence.
Top Tier North high school players in the past 5 years alone have been placed in a variety of schools ranging from the academic Division 3 level to large Division 1 level – including Dartmouth, Columbia, NYU, Indiana, Iowa, Purdue, Arizona, Xavier, Ohio State, and many others.
Our Mission
To provide players with the skills, discipline, and opportunities to succeed at the highest levels of baseball. We aim to build confidence and character through hard work, dedication, and a focus on both individual and team success.
Our Mission
To provide players with the skills, discipline, and opportunities to succeed at the highest levels of baseball. We aim to build confidence and character through hard work, dedication, and a focus on both individual and team success.
Follow us
Are you interested in playing for Top Tier North?
High School Players
Brian Duffy – [email protected]
Youth Players (8U-14U)
Paul Kosinski – [email protected]
Our Coaching Philosophy
Our coaching staff is composed of experienced professionals who are passionate about developing athletes in all aspects of the game. We emphasize:
- Skill development
- Game intelligence
- Mental toughness
- Leadership and teamwork
Facilities
Top Tier North is based out of The Performance and Wellness Center (3400 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview), a new 20,000 sq. ft. athletic facility providing athletes with everything tool they need to reach their potential, including:
- Trackman Pitching Lab
- 10 – 65ft Batting/Pitching tunnels
- Full state of the art gym
- Video analysis for player improvement
- Open turf area for functional defensive practices
What We Offer
- High-end training: 2x a week from November-February (High School)/ January-March (Youth) out of PAW
- Professional coaching that provides constant communication and feedback
- College recruitment guidance, promotion, and placement
- National and regional level tournaments and competition to challenge players
- Consistent in season during the week practices in the north suburbs of Chicago.
Top Tier North Alumni
We take pride in the success of our players beyond the program. Over the years, our athletes have committed to top colleges and universities. Many of our alumni have gone on to play collegiate and professional baseball, setting the standard for future generations of players at Top Tier North.
Top Tier North gives youth and high school baseball players the opportunity to take their game to the next level with exposure to colleges across the country. It’s a place where your hard work and dedication will not go unnoticed. If you are serious about playing baseball at the highest level, this is the place to be.
Being a part of Top Tier North was a great opportunity to play against better competition throughout my life. Also, the coaching staff will always support and guide you through every decision made while in your process to the next level. Can’t thank them enough for where I am today.
Top Tier North is going to insure you that you are placed in the best tournament possible to receive the most attention. Being able to wear a Top Tier jersey was special because everyone knows you are the best of the best.
Top Tier North gave me all the opportunities and tools to become a Division 1 baseball player. Top Tier North plays against the best competition in the country. They have some of the best coaches that will help you achieve your goals.
Top Tier put me in the best possible situation as a baseball player to get recruited and play at the next level. I credit the program for developing and preparing me.
Top Tier North brought me in front of the best coaches at tournaments. Without their help I would not have been where I am today.
The coaches often reached out to me about what schools I had interest in and helped me reach out to them while also developing my game.
Top Tier North will provide you with the networking, exposure, and coaching it takes to get to the next level. No matter what, they will do whatever it takes to make you a better player, and be able to play the best of the best.
Being a part of Top Tier North surrounded me with talented coaches and players allowing me to grow and succeed at the highest levels. TTN also unlocked opportunities for me to play beyond high school and allow me to chase my dreams which I am forever grateful for.
The coaches pushed me to be where I’m at right now. They help you succeed. The competition me and my team played against … was unbelievable…talent at all positions on the field. It was great to be able to get in front of many coaches at those high level games.
Our Staff
Brian Duffy
Co-Owner (High School Director)
Brian is a co-owner of Top Tier North and the Performance and Wellness Center. Brian pitched at the Division I collegiate level for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) from 2004-2008. After college, Brian coached at the United States Naval Academy, assisting in on-campus recruiting, on-field coaching, and working camps across the country to promote Navy baseball. He then went on to become the Prep Baseball Report Illinois State Director in 2010 and the High School Director for Top Tier Baseball from 2011-2014.
At Top Tier, he connected with college coaches across the Midwest and built relationships with other travel and high school programs, helping over 100 student-athletes across the country play at the collegiate level.
Brian understands the concept of a “student-athlete” better than most. He holds an MBA with a concentration in Sports Management from the Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business and a Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School.
Tony Gragnani
Co-Owner (Youth Director)
Tony is a co-owner of Top Tier North and the Performance and Wellness Center. Gragnani played high school baseball at Niles West High School where he was named All-State by the Chicago Tribune. He went on to play collegiately as a middle infielder at Carthage University from 2004-2009.
Gragnani began his coaching career at Evanston High School from 2009-2011. Gragnani went on to coach as the varsity assistant at Niles West High School from 2012-2015. During his time coaching at the High School level he managed and ran the 18U Lakeside Cardinals. He went on to coach with Top Tier at the high school level from 2013-2015.