Jim Mihalovich, a New Lenox resident, said Monday night was the first time his two daughters could attend one of his baseball games.
Mihalovich, a player on the 38+ Warriors of the Roy Hobbs Baseball League, said he often drove an hour for weeknight league games at fields far north, which he said took away from family time.
The drive to the Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex, a 31-field complex at the crossroads of Interstates 355 and 80 that opened in late June, was 10 to 15 minutes Monday night, the closest of any field he’s traveled to for games.
New Lenox residents and tournament attendees have mostly praised the $70 million dollar complex since its June 28 opening, but some residents pointed out a few early flaws, such as a playground in the foul ball zone, according to Mihalovich and three other adult league baseball players.
Mihalovich said they would like to see a covering over the playground, but for now they’ve taught their kids to take cover when anyone yelling “heads up” during a game.
Overall, though, Mihalovich said he is proud to have a facility of this caliber in his area, where his daughters can watch him play, and when they get bored they have a playground.
“It’s one of the proudest things I could do, because it’s good to have a passion, and I like them to have something that they’re into too,” said Mihalovich.
He said both his daughters take dance and gymnastics classes.
“It’s just an exciting opportunity to play in the hometown, which you don’t get to do often, and I’m proud to be a New Lenox resident, because this is a Park District facility.”
A few of Mihalovich’s teammates said Monday they have concerns for the field lights, as they mostly point down on the field, which they said makes it hard to see balls when they fly above the lights.
As the sun goes down, the lights come on at the Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex, July 28, 2025, in New Lenox. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
But the most daunting concern for Lou Pinto, a New Lenox resident and 38+ Warriors short stop, is the rental cost. He said it’s $200 for a game, or $100 an hour, compared to $50 an hour or $100 a game at other fields his league uses.
He said as a resident it would be nice to rent an affordable field, and said the field is seven minutes from his house if he catches both green traffic lights. Parent passes for tournament weekends are also pricey, he said.
“Everything is new, and I don’t know if they’re going to work on the prices or not, but everything I’ve seen so far is very expensive,” Pinto said. “It’s nice for the community. It’ll just be interesting to see what else they can do with it next year.”
Players agreed one of the biggest draws is the field’s proximity to Interstates 355 and 80, making longer commutes a bit easier, according to John Conlin, manager of the 48+ Warriors team and a Roy Hobbs board member.
Conlin said its helpful the turf fields don’t need the same level of maintenance, such as putting tarps back on, raking the dirt or other things league teams normally do.
Conlin said the Crossroads’ turf fields are also flatter than the older fields the league uses, which sometimes have uncut grass and eroded dirt that creates dips in the ground.
“As a player, when you play on a flat surface, you’re able to charge a ball in the outfield and you’re able to play true hops better,” Conlin said, referring to the bounce of a batted or thrown ball as it travels across the ground. “So when you come out here and play on a level, flat true surface, it’s really enjoyable.”
Men play in a baseball league at the Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex July 28, 2025, in New Lenox. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
League President Roger Laurella said New Lenox officials made a “handshake promise” in February for the league to rent the fields from July through September, but it was not until April that the renting contract could be finalized.
The league hosts 768 games spread out among 34 teams, and Laurella said having some of the games at the Crossroads complex has been seamless, as the staff is flexible and helps out when the league needs to change game dates.
He said it’s his goal to host a league tournament in the next few years at the Crossroads complex.
“And the guys, whoever has played there, they love it,” Laurella said.
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldarmann said after a few successful first few tournaments, the village is now discussing multiyear contracts with tournament organizer Perfect Game, that would begin next year.
He said several tournament organizers requested multiyear contracts sooner, but the village wanted to have a few tournaments with the companies first to make sure that “it worked and made sense for them and for us.”
“We just wanted to get the first year under our belt,” Baldarmann said. “After dealing with them, that’s something we’re certainly willing to entertain.”
Since opening in late June, the sports complex has held a tournament every weekend with thousands of people spread across bleachers and camping chairs in the grass, Baldermann said. The facility has additional tournaments planned for every weekend, except December through February, until June 30, 2026.
Crossroads general manager Scott Brost said the opening weekend in late June, which included music, bounce houses, face painters, contests, competitions, and a wide variety of food, was a tremendous success.
He said more than 2,000 people attended the first day, and that it’s been neat to see residents attend tournaments when they usually drive at as much as five hours for other tournaments.
The Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex, in New Lenox July 28, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
“They’re experiencing it from the hometown view,” Brost said. “The facility is for everybody, and we really do appreciate the support from local teams as well as from our regional and national teams.”
Overall, the complex is projected to host 30 events annually and attract about 277,000 visitors each year, according to its website. In its first year, it is expected to generate $12 million, with that figure projected to grow to about $20 million by the third year, Baldermann said.
The first tournament, organized by Perfect Game, had 64 teams from 12 states, and Baldarmann said the feedback was mainly positive, besides a few minor tweaks. The concession and beer garden hours and number of staff, overseen by the Park District, have all been adjusted.
“They’re really, really good at making quick adjustments, and they hire great local people to work there so it’s really worked out well for us,” Baldermann said.
A young girl enjoys the play park at the Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex July 28, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
He also said engineers are fixing a turf field that’s had issues with rain drainage, but Balderman said the issues haven’t hampered anything, as there are nine other fields. A June news release stated the fields would include an extensive drainage system to allow the turf fields to be ready for play minutes after a hard rain.
Baldermann also said the multiyear contracts could free up time for village officials to plan more local events, practices and tournaments, which the facility has already started to host.
Local baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer teams can book the space for practices and games on weekdays. The space has been used for birthday parties, youth practices and the Roy Hobbs baseball league.
The facilities can be rented through an online portal. The facility also has a contract with the New Lenox Youth Soccer Association.
Brost said he’s looking to host a couple of football events in November “to gain exposure and for people to understand the opportunities that are available here at the Crossroads.”
“The complex is truthfully built for the future and for the development of the youth,” Brost said.
Baldermann said the area around the complex will be “transformed tremendously” in the next 36 to 48 months.
The village reached an agreement in February for a 147-room dual-brand hotel to be built by the end of this year on the far east side of the Route 6 frontage.
The village also intends to build a 20,000-square-foot food hall using part of the 14 acres in the front of the complex, he said. Those projects are still in the design phase, Baldermann said.
Expected tax revenue will be used to build a 140,000-square-foot indoor fieldhouse, estimated to cost $40 million, to accommodate sports such as basketball, volleyball and wrestling, Baldermann said.
“We’re very conservative with our money,” Baldermann said. “We had the funding to build the outdoor, so that’s why we’re holding off on the indoor because we don’t want to spend money we don’t have.”
The field house is still in the design phase, but the village hopes to start construction in the next 18 to 24 months, he said. The hotel, businesses and food hall should be completed before then, he said.
A bar and restaurant is part of the Wintrust Crossroads Sports Complex in New Lenox. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
Baldermann said about 77 of the 300 acres near the complex, north of Route 6, have a developer building additional hotels and restaurants. While these acres are not owned by the village, he said, the developments and complex will both help draw people to the area.
“If it weren’t for that, it was going to be warehouses out there, and we didn’t want that,” Baldermann said.
He also hopes the beer garden, which has food, drinks, an outdoor patio and Cornhole games, could operate seven days a week, instead of just during tournaments.
“It’ll be a nice community asset well beyond just a sports complex,” Baldermann said.
awright@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/30/crossroads-sports-facility-new-lenox/