The Village of Rosemont announced today that it will assume the ownership of the National Pro Fastpitch Chicago Bandits team franchise for the 2017 season.
Under the new ownership, updates will be made to the 2017 team roster and a new head coach will be announced at a later date.
The new ownership also includes the announcement of longtime Village of Rosemont financial analyst, Toni Calmeyn, as the team’s new general manager.
“The ballpark at Rosemont — a stadium that was built for women’s softball — will still be home to the Chicago Bandits,” said Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens. “
Since 2005, the Chicago Bandits have been members of the National Pro Fastpitch league.
The village could not be reached for comment Wednesday about what other changes may be ahead for the team.
According to the Bandits’ website, Bill Sokolis has been the owner of the professional team. He was involved with the team since it started and was a Gorabet co-owner until 2009 when he became sole owner of the franchise.
He is also the founder of Kole Construction in Romeoville, according to the website.
Being involved in baseball while growing up, Sokolis also co-founded a competitive girl’s fastpitch program called the Lemont Rockers. He lives with his wife in Lemont and has three daughters.
Located in Rosemont, the Bandits provide an opportunity for female fastpitch players to further their careers at a professional level, and the roster has included such names as Jennie Finch, Stacy May-Johnson, Monica Abbott and Tammy Williams. The four-time and back-to-back NPF Champions play at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the only stadium in the country built for a women’s professional team. The 2016 season marked the Bandits fourth championship in their 12th season in the NPF.
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