Level Up Baseball and Softball Camps
Level Up Baseball and Softball, 6227 W. Howard St., Niles, IL 60714
About
Level Up Baseball and Softball offers baseball and softball training that includes baseball camps, softball camps, clinics, leagues, and private lessons. Athletes can take part in infield work, pitching practice, hitting practice, and speed and agility training, and can use monthly cage memberships or daily cage rentals for batting cage time.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Open daily with afternoon and evening hours on weekdays and extended morning-to-evening hours on weekends
Level Up Baseball and Softball was founded in 2022 by manager and owner Joe Knudsen. The program’s stated goal is to provide an all-around positive experience that translates to real life success on and off the field, and to challenge players to grow in knowledge of the game and ability while developing character, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
The coaching staff includes Joe Knudsen, who has over 27 years of baseball coaching experience on the North Shore with travel and high school programs, including KWBA, Feeder New Trier, Niles West varsity, and Evanston Township High School varsity, and who serves as Head of Player Development for EBSA travel baseball. He has three years of Division I college baseball experience, including a College World Series qualification in 1996, has trained numerous MLB draft picks and collegiate athletes, and received National Recognition for Coaching Excellence. Coach Dean Sanchez has over six years of experience coaching alongside Knudsen, has trained athletes at Level Up, and has coached three EBSA travel baseball teams, working with players ages 5–14 years. Coach James Gargano played Division I baseball at Butler University in the BIG EAST Conference, starting all five seasons, earning Second Team All-BIG EAST honors in 2021, leading his team in hits and home runs, and serving as team captain in 2021–2022, after a high school career at Neuqua Valley with multiple all-area and all-conference honors and program records. Coach Samantha Meinken has over 10 years of softball coaching experience with travel teams from 8U–16U, private and semi-private lessons, camps and clinics, and high school JV and varsity, is the head varsity softball coach at Lane Tech, earned IHSA 4A-Sectional 5 Coach of the Year in 2022, played at Bethel College (NAIA) as a utility player, was an NFCA and NCCAA Academic All-American, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus in middle school mathematics. Coach Nick Baffa is a Division I pitcher at Valparaiso University entering his junior season, has competed against programs such as Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, and Washington, made 15 appearances with 14 starts in the referenced season, throwing 62 innings with 48 strikeouts, and was previously an all-conference high school pitcher and ESCC Pitcher of the Year as a junior. Coach Jack Anderson has seven years of professional baseball experience, spent the 2022 season with the Kane County Cougars, previously played in the Seattle Mariners organization where he was invited to MLB Spring Training twice, was a Double-A All-Star in 2019, and holds a 2.93 lifetime ERA in MiLB over five seasons, after being drafted in the 23rd round in 2016 out of Penn State University, where he set school records for career saves, single-season saves, and career appearances and earned All-Big Ten honors, and earlier was a two-time Team MVP and Cy Young Award winner at Evanston Township High School. Coach Tyler McHolland was an All-Conference catcher at Evanston Township High School, was the starting catcher as a freshman at Heartland Community College, and later earned a scholarship to play at Central Missouri.
The facility offers a 10,000 square foot indoor space with eight batting cages that can be retracted for infield work and pitching, as well as speed and agility training, and is described as a newly renovated, large facility designed with players in mind. The program notes that it has goal-driven and experienced coaches. The space can also be rented for local baseball, softball, and cricket teams, birthday parties, and corporate events.
Testimonials include statements from professional players who have worked with the staff. Jack Anderson describes Coach Knudsen as a key figure in his baseball development and notes the energy and care he brings, and James Reeves, a 2015 10th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees, describes Joe as a fantastic instructor with a wealth of knowledge about the game and player development.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Open daily with afternoon and evening hours on weekdays and extended morning-to-evening hours on weekends
Level Up Baseball and Softball was founded in 2022 by manager and owner Joe Knudsen. The program’s stated goal is to provide an all-around positive experience that translates to real life success on and off the field, and to challenge players to grow in knowledge of the game and ability while developing character, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
The coaching staff includes Joe Knudsen, who has over 27 years of baseball coaching experience on the North Shore with travel and high school programs, including KWBA, Feeder New Trier, Niles West varsity, and Evanston Township High School varsity, and who serves as Head of Player Development for EBSA travel baseball. He has three years of Division I college baseball experience, including a College World Series qualification in 1996, has trained numerous MLB draft picks and collegiate athletes, and received National Recognition for Coaching Excellence. Coach Dean Sanchez has over six years of experience coaching alongside Knudsen, has trained athletes at Level Up, and has coached three EBSA travel baseball teams, working with players ages 5–14 years. Coach James Gargano played Division I baseball at Butler University in the BIG EAST Conference, starting all five seasons, earning Second Team All-BIG EAST honors in 2021, leading his team in hits and home runs, and serving as team captain in 2021–2022, after a high school career at Neuqua Valley with multiple all-area and all-conference honors and program records. Coach Samantha Meinken has over 10 years of softball coaching experience with travel teams from 8U–16U, private and semi-private lessons, camps and clinics, and high school JV and varsity, is the head varsity softball coach at Lane Tech, earned IHSA 4A-Sectional 5 Coach of the Year in 2022, played at Bethel College (NAIA) as a utility player, was an NFCA and NCCAA Academic All-American, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus in middle school mathematics. Coach Nick Baffa is a Division I pitcher at Valparaiso University entering his junior season, has competed against programs such as Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, and Washington, made 15 appearances with 14 starts in the referenced season, throwing 62 innings with 48 strikeouts, and was previously an all-conference high school pitcher and ESCC Pitcher of the Year as a junior. Coach Jack Anderson has seven years of professional baseball experience, spent the 2022 season with the Kane County Cougars, previously played in the Seattle Mariners organization where he was invited to MLB Spring Training twice, was a Double-A All-Star in 2019, and holds a 2.93 lifetime ERA in MiLB over five seasons, after being drafted in the 23rd round in 2016 out of Penn State University, where he set school records for career saves, single-season saves, and career appearances and earned All-Big Ten honors, and earlier was a two-time Team MVP and Cy Young Award winner at Evanston Township High School. Coach Tyler McHolland was an All-Conference catcher at Evanston Township High School, was the starting catcher as a freshman at Heartland Community College, and later earned a scholarship to play at Central Missouri.
The facility offers a 10,000 square foot indoor space with eight batting cages that can be retracted for infield work and pitching, as well as speed and agility training, and is described as a newly renovated, large facility designed with players in mind. The program notes that it has goal-driven and experienced coaches. The space can also be rented for local baseball, softball, and cricket teams, birthday parties, and corporate events.
Testimonials include statements from professional players who have worked with the staff. Jack Anderson describes Coach Knudsen as a key figure in his baseball development and notes the energy and care he brings, and James Reeves, a 2015 10th-round draft pick of the New York Yankees, describes Joe as a fantastic instructor with a wealth of knowledge about the game and player development.
Last updated May 26, 2026.
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