Coaching Staff
SEAN FREEMAN, Varsity Head Coach
Varsity Head Coach Sean Freeman attended Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, Co. where he was a three-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball and baseball. In college, he obtained his Associate’s Degree while playing baseball at Mid-Plains CC in McCook, Neb. He then attended Chicago State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 2008 while playing baseball for the Cougars. While in college, Freeman also played for the Triple Crown Bandits in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League, twice participating in NBC World Series. He also played for the Hornell Dodgers in the NYCBL.
Head Coach, Sean Freeman
Coach Freeman began coaching in 2007 while still in college. He helped coach his high school summer team while in Colorado between terms. He began coaching high school baseball in Chicago in 2010 as the pitching coach at Lake View HS. Coach Freeman then served as the Assistant Head Coach at Lane Tech College Prep for two years (2012-13) before returning to Lake View to serve in the same role for three years (2015-17). In 2017 he was named the Head Coach at Lane Tech College Prep and led the Champions to a Class 4A Regional Championship in his first season. This was followed by Regional titles in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and a Chicago Public League city championship in 2022.
In addition to coaching high school baseball, Coach Freeman has also coached for several top travel programs in the area including the Homestead Ranchers, Hamlin Park, New Trier Feeder, Glenview Patriots, and several stints as the Horner Park LLWS 12U Manager. Besides baseball, he also coached football for 6 years in the New Trier Feeder program and was the Head Coach for Winnetka Travel basketball for an extended period. He served one year as the Assistant Athletic Director at Lake View High School in 2016-17 and currently works at the school in the Diverse Learner program.
HENRY SZUMAL, Varsity Pitching Coach | LTHS Pitching Coordinator
Coach Henry Szumal (Lane Tech Alum 2009) grew up on the Northside of Chicago. He was a standout Varsity pitcher and shortstop under former Head Coach Brian Telles during his high school years before eventually finishing up his playing career at Oakton Community College.
Pitching Coordinator, Henry Szumal
Once Coach Henry’s playing days were over he jumped right into coaching. He began his career with the 13U Niles West feeder baseball team as an assistant coach and pitching coach before joining the Chicago Mudcats and several other area travel programs.
Coach Henry brings a vast knowledge of pitching to our program. He believes pitchers can only be at their best when they physically feel their best, which is why he puts huge emphasis on the strength building and recovery process. Along with helping pitchers become as efficient as possible with their mechanics through videotape and analytics, Coach Henry brings a fiery competitive attitude with him everyday.Away from Baseball, Coach Henry continues to grow his animal care business which he started four years ago.
ELBERT RENIVA, Varsity Assistant Coach
Coach Elbert Reniva attended Lane Tech High School from 1979-1983 during which he played both baseball and football. In college, Coach Reniva played baseball and football at Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, Iowa). Coach Reniva then attended University of Illinois at Chicago where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics. Coach Reniva later on attended the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law where he earned his law degree in 1990.
Assistant Coach, Elbert Reniva
Coach Reniva began coaching baseball in 1991. He has successfully coached playoff and championship teams in the Wheaton Youth baseball league, the Oak Park Pony baseball league (14U-16U), with the Oak Park-River Forest Huskies full time travel summer and fall baseball teams, and with the St. Joseph (MI) High School freshman and sophomore baseball teams.
In addition to coaching baseball, Coach Reniva has coached and still coaches youth, high school and professional football, youth and travel team fast pitch girls softball, and has served on the boards of the Oak Park River Forest baseball and football boards. Coach Reniva is currently the defensive coordinator for a professional indoor arena football team, the Westchester Apaches.
MARCUS MURPHREE, Varsity Assistant Coach
A Chicago transplant, Coach Murphree brings more than 25 years of baseball knowledge and experience to Lane Tech, where he is now in his sixth season. He grew up playing Little League in Beaumont, Texas and spending summers at the Mark Cresse School of Baseball in Irvine, Calif., while tacking on four years in Southeast Asia before returning to Texas and rounding out his career playing collegiate club baseball for Texas Christian University.
Assistant Coach, Marcus Murphree
Following his time as a catcher and outfielder on the diamond, Murphree continued his involvement with competitive baseball from the press box as a sports writer and editor for The Dallas Morning News, covering the 2014 MLB Draft and various interscholastic prep tournaments.In addition to playing and writing about baseball, he has coached Lane Tech's Horner Park fall team, Elite Baseball Training’s 17U and Chicago Mudcats 16U summer programs.
In addition to his coaching duties, he is also the Senior Associate Director for Analytics Strategy with the American Hospital Association.
His coaching mission is to create smarter, more game-aware ballplayers that can transition to higher levels of play in a variety of positions.
RANDY DIXON, Junior Varsity Head Coach
Randy Dixon has coached high school baseball since 2009, first at Von Steuben High School for three years, before accepting a coaching position at Lane Tech in 2012. During Coach Dixon's first year as a coach at Lane Tech, his Freshmen team finished second in the City Conference.
In addition to his years as a high school baseball coach, Coach Dixon has extensive experience coaching baseball, and has served as a coach since 1996. He has coached and won championships at every level he has coached. Coach Dixon also coaches in the Senior Division at Hamlin Park, where his team won both the house and the league championships in 2013.
Junior Varity Head Coach, Randy Dixon
COURI BENZ, Junior Varsity Assistant Coach
Brief professional stint with the Rockford Riverhawks of the Frontier League during the summer of 2010. Two-year letter winner at Division 1 NCAA Long Island University-Brooklyn where led the team in innings pitched both years. Transferred from Oakton Community College where was 12th in the nation in strikeouts per inning during the 2007 season.
A three-year varsity letter winner for the Lane Tech Baseball team and helped lead the team to the 2005 City Championship on the mound and at the plate. Named all-city and all-state honors as a junior and senior… Recognized by the Illinois High School Coaches Association Cream of the Crop.
Also played Quarterback on the Lane Tech varsity football team leading the team to a 12-2 record during the 2004 City Championship season behind 46 Touchdown passes. All-City and All-state football senior year for football. Selected as the 2004-2005 Chicago Public League Male Player of the Year after leading team to city championships in Football and Baseball.
GABE MONTENEGRO, Junior Varsity Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach, Gabe Montenegro
Coach Gabe Montenegro is a 2020 Lane Tech Baseball alumnus who grew up on the north-side of Chicago, starting his baseball career at Hamlin Park. He spent most of his time at third base but played every infield position as well as pitcher and catcher throughout his high school career. He played one full season with varsity as a 3B/DH/SP before his senior season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His junior year, Montenegro was honored to be selected to play with the Chicago All-Star team. The team competed in the Geico City Series where the high school athletes took the field against other programs from New York, Los Angeles, and Miami during a 4-day stay on UIC campus.
JAKE DEMARS, Freshman Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach Jake Demars currently teaches History at Gwendolyn Brooks High School on Chicago’s South Side. He is an alumnus of Palatine High School in the nearby northwest suburbs. While at Palatine, he was a tri-sport athlete, competing in baseball, football and basketball, while earning All-Conference and All-Area accolades in football and baseball. Coach Demars played every position, except pitcher, but his primary focus was behind the plate where he was part the only two regional championships at Palatine.
Demars has been coaching both baseball and football the last five years for schools in the Chicago area including Maine West and Foreman High school. He has a deep passion for developing young student athletes to reach their highest potential both on and off the field.
In addition to coaching, Demars has continued to play for the last eight years through men’s league baseball with a group of former college athletes ranging from Division III to Division I. He likes to stay active so he may stay active with his athletes and teach them with hands-on instruction. He is very excited to join the Lane Tech Indians and has high hopes for this season with the JV squad.
Tim Sonnefeldt, Freshman Coach
Coach Sonnefeldt attended Whitney Young high school from 2008-2012. As a three-year varsity baseball starter, he won a city championship during his sophomore year and was given all-city and all-conference recognition during his junior and senior seasons as a third baseman while playing under Illinois High School Baseball Hall of Fame coach Chris Cassidy.
During the summers of 2011 and 2012, he played for the Chi-Town Cream, under coach Chuck Reeder, playing some of the most competitive 18u baseball in the country.After high school, he went on to earn four varsity letters at the university of Chicago, starting his collegiate career as a catcher, and then moving back to third base after requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery prior to his third season.
He continues playing baseball in a variety of men’s leagues, and has played for the Hyde Park Falcons and San Luis Tuneros in the Washington Park Chicago Azteca League since 2013 under coaches Lalo Puerta and Armando Saleh. Outside of baseball, he is a US History Teacher at Lane Tech, Captain in the US Army Reserve, and avid player of 16’’ softball.
Eric Hal, Varsity Assistant Coach
Eric Hal played baseball for Harper High School in Chicago and for the University of South Carolina, Aiken. In 1990, Hal was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and played for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts for the better part of the decade. Hal has extensive experience coaching travel baseball for the All-Area Giants, Global Scouts and the Illinois Mavericks.
Additionally, he has served as an assistant baseball coach with Chicago Public Schools, provides private hitting lessons and is a college baseball scout and promoter with Athlete Marketers. Hal has been part of the Cubs RBI program since 2015 and has coached Cubs RBI All-Star teams since 2018.