Rhino Baseball moves training to Shorewood with new, larger facility

A new multi-sport facility likely will be open by the end of this year in Shorewood.

The complex will officially be open this upcoming November or December, according to officials from Rhino Baseball, who are in charge of the project. The new facility will be located at 301 Gregory Court in Shorewood, near the intersection of Route 59 and Black Road.

Rhino Sports Academy is a local program created to give growing student-athletes a training program to prepare for their futures in sports, according to the academy.

Rhino Baseball is the group’s Youth Travel Baseball program that trains players ages 6 to 18 in Romeoville and Appleton, Wisconsin. The program currently has 400 players. Rhino Baseball also has eight coaches, who all played professional baseball and train the athletes year-round on speed, pitching and even in the classroom.

“We help them to not only be good baseball people but good people,” said Greg Blaesing, president, owner and director of player development for Rhino Baseball.

The group’s current facility in Romeoville has been home to Rhino Baseball since 2014, but creating and opening their own space has been a dream of Blaesing’s and Andrew Tehakos’ since 2012. Tehako is the organization’s co-owner and recruiting coordinator.

The new building will have three times as much space, with 50,000 square feet, they said. It also will offer a full major-league-size infield, 50-yard straight line track, solidified classroom and bigger weight room.

“It became urgent the last couple years,” Blaesing said. “We simply began running out of space.”

Tehako said the extra space will help take training “to the next level.”

Shorewood officials recently approved the project, and construction has since begun.

Blaesing and Tehako said they likely will rent out the facility for soccer, football, lacrosse, softball and other sporting events in addition to its regular use for young baseball players.

“We want to give athletes everything we can give them. Having that space will take training to the next level,” Tehako said. “We love the kids and the families.”

And the families appreciate Rhino’s intent to strengthen its training programs and existing options for youth athletes.

“The amount of additional space creates more opportunities for the kids,” said Steve Baranowski, a father of a Rhino Baseball player.

Email info@rhinobb.com for more information.