Instructors

Justin Drexler

Coach Justin Drexler has been teaching baseball to kids on the North Shore for 10+ years. He has previously coached at Glenbrook South High School and North Shore Country Day High School. His dedication and commitment to fundamentals and instruction is outstanding. Justin also has coached in the Evanston’s Feeder Program and is a current coach at Top Tier North.

Paul Kosinski

Coach Kosinski, known as “Coach K,” is entering his 12th season as Head Varsity Baseball Coach at North Shore Country Day School (NSCD) in Winnetka, where he also serves as Youth Director for Top Tier North. During his tenure, the NSCD Raiders have achieved remarkable success, winning five Regional Championships and making two Sectional Championship game appearances. His excellence has been recognized with three ISL Coach of the Year honors.

Before leading NSCD, Coach K honed his skills on the staffs of three IHSA Hall of Fame coaches: Mike Napoleon (New Trier), Mike “Duck” Hogan (Notre Dame), and Kirby Smith (Barrington). With over 30 years of high school and travel baseball coaching experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his instruction, lessons, and leadership at Top Tier North.

Coach K’s influence extends far beyond his teams. His former students include four MLB draft picks, two coaches currently working within MLB organizations, and numerous players competing at every level of collegiate baseball.

Gabriel Gage

Gabe is from Broadview, IL . He started his high school career at Proviso East where he started on varsity as a catcher His freshmen and lettered until his Junior season. After his junior year he transferred to Willowbrook High School for his senior season. After high school, Gabe went to play at Jackson State University. Gabe finished his college career at Delaware State University. During his college career he developed a love for coaching. During his 2015 summer he was a catching coach and assistant coach for the Freshmen American Legion Team in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He became Head Coach for the 2016 and 2017 summers, and in 2017 his freshman team won the Wyoming AA State Championship.

In 2019 Gabe moved back to Illinois and started working as the Catchers and Hitting Instructor for Strikes Baseball Academy. In 2020 he started to be in charge of player development for the high school level of the Strikes Baseball Club teams. In 2021, Gabe became strength and conditioning coordinator and bench coach at Fenton High School. In 2022, Gabe became head coach of Walther Christian High School and in Gabe’s first year he won the Chicago Prep Conference Coach of the year. In 2024 he moved to be the Head Coach of Corliss High School. Gabe brings high and infectious energy to coaching, with individual training Gabe’s player development methods have helped players across the country understand their full potential.

Pat Schramm

Pat grew up playing baseball with several local youth programs including Skokie, Edgebrook-Saugansh (ESAA), and the Niles West feeder league. While attending Niles West HS, Pat was named First Team, All-Conference pitcher. He played with the Niles Braves and under the tutelage of the legendary coach Bill Palmer, he played with the national-qualifying 2003 Lakeside Cardinals. Pat continued his baseball career collegiately for three years as a pitcher at Monmouth College.
Pat has coached several youth and amateur programs over the past ten years. His resume includes coaching and training teams such as the Lakeside Cardinals, Evanston, Niles West, Strike Zone, and Top Tier North. Pat has spent eight years with Top Tier North as a pitching/hitting instructor as well as the Youth Coordinator. His successes as a coach include coaching multiple top 10 Perfect Game and TBR ranked teams.

Steven Didich

Steven was a local standout playing Varsity at Maine South HS as Sophomore. Steven hit .586 as a senior, a record that still stands currently. Steven went on to become Captain of the JV team at Valparaiso which led to his acceptance at Robert Morris University in 2001, where he earned Academic ALL American Honors in 2002.

Steven began coaching shortly after college in Park Ridge for teams 18U and below. Steven has phenomenal energy and does a great job connecting with players at all ages. Steven understands more than most what it takes to be a leader on and off the field serving in the United States Marine Corps.

Kevin Plach

Kevin Plach is a former Top Tier North player and has coached with the organization over the past three seasons.

Kevin played collegiately as a pitcher at the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Charlie Tilson

Sports have shaped my life, teaching me lessons far beyond the field.

I played for the Cardinals, White Sox, Pirates, and Phillies over 11 seasons, maintaining a .288 career batting average. Playing in the big leagues was a dream come true, but the path wasn’t without challenges: I faced slumps, injuries, and setbacks along the way. I learned that success comes from perseverance, adaptability, and growth.

My mission is to make professional-level training and insights accessible to young players to help them unlock their fullest potential.

Brian Schlitter

A Chicago-area native and Maine South High School alum, Schlitter began his professional journey after being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007. He played in the MLB for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, and gained international experience with Japan’s Saitama Seibu Lions.

Brian’s vast experience gives him a deep understanding of both the mental and mechanical aspects of pitching, offering insights on everything from pitch sequencing and bullpen routines to handling adversity on the mound.

Anthony Calarco

Anthony holds the single-season home run record at New Trier High School. He played collegiately at Northwestern, where he was a First Team All-Big Ten performer, then transferred to Ole Miss, where he started at first base for the Rebels. He was later signed by the Texas Rangers and currently plays for the Schaumburg Boomers.

Josh Cruz

Josh Cruz has over nine years of experience coaching travel baseball across the Lake County and Chicagoland area. He has coached players from as young as 9u to athletes at the Division 1 level.

With three years of collegiate playing experience at the Division 2, NAIA, and Division 1 levels, Josh brings valuable insight to his coaching. His focus is on player development, emphasizing mechanics and fundamentals, while instilling a mindset of hard work and helping players maximize their talent to its fullest potential.

Marco Ontaneda

Former high school baseball player at Niles West High School. After high school I worked under the good order and discipline of the United States Marine Corps where I had multiple deployments overseas as a non-commissioned officer in the Marine corps infantry. Following my military service I have coached within Top Tier for 10+ years and specialize in hitting/defense instruction.

Jacob Newman

Performance Coach

Jacob is a former Glenbrook South HS standout. He has competed at the collegiate level at Rutgers University and the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Jacob made it to the College World Series with UIS in 2022 and led the team in strikeouts in 2024. He is currently playing professionally in the Frontier League with the Windy City Thunderbolts.

Cristian Gonzalez

Cristian Gonzalez serves as the Youth Pitching Director and Coach for Top Tier North. He brings several years of experience developing athletes at the youth and high school levels, focusing on proper mechanics, arm care, and the mental aspects of pitching. Cristian has learned to apply advanced technology and data analysis to improve player performance. While his primary focus is pitching, Cristian has a background working with hitters and catchers as well. His coaching philosophy centers on providing every athlete — from top teams to developmental levels — with consistent, high-quality instruction and an equal opportunity to grow.

Winnie Tomsheck

I offer softball hitting and catching lessons. I played collegiate softball at Saint Mary’s College. I served as the head coach for Glenview Titans Fastpitch for four years and have been coaching high school softball for the past four years. This season will be my second year coaching at Glenbrook South.