WEST SPRINGFIELD – A Westfield baseball team has entered the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The Futures is a summer league that is made up of seven teams, five from Massachusetts, one from Connecticut and one from New Hampshire. The league was founded in 2011 and features college students from around the country. The Westfield team recently revealed that their team name will be The Westfield Starfires. Local entrepreneurs Christopher Thompson and Don Moorhouse own the team.

Managing the Starfires is a well-known name, not only just in New England but also across the country, Bill Sandillo. Sandillo grew up in the Westfield area and is anticipating moving back for the summer.

“Bill checks off a lot of the boxes for us as our first coaching hire,” said Donnie Moorhouse, co-owner of the Westfield Starfires. “He is local, a fellow AIC alum, and he has a wealth of experience coaching players at all levels.”

Sadillo was introduced to the world of baseball through his father, who was a player in the service. Baseball became a love for Sadillo, he played all through his childhood, in college then continued on to be a coach and recruiter, Sandillo was a three-time All-Western Mass selection as an infielder at West Springfield High, an All Northeast 10 player and team captain at American International College, and has an impressive coaching resume that includes a stint with the U.S. Military All-Star traveling team, and a year abroad as the Field Manager for Padova in the Series A - Italian Professional Baseball League. Sandillo has also coached summer collegiate ball in both the Northwoods League and the Cape Cod League. In 2010, he served as the hitting and first base coach as well as the defensive specialist for the Orleans Firebirds, working with the likes of current St. Louis Cardinals infielder Kolten Wong and current Toronto Blue Jays hurler Marcus Stroman. In 1996 Sadillo started a new chapter of his life, moving to Arizona with his family. There, he founded the Predator Performance Sports Management and Stars & Stripes Baseball Academy.

“It’s going to be great to see old friends and family who are still in the area. Westfield has always been kind to me and everything I’ve done with baseball. I’m excited to be back,” Sandillo said.

Sadillo shared with Reminder Publishing that although he misses living in Western Mass., that his career and his baseball academy would not be as successful without making the move to Arizona.

“There are two places in the country where baseball is played year round and those two places are Florida and Arizona,” said Sadillo.

In 2011 Sadillo was diagnosed with stage four skin cancer and was given six months to live. Now, eight years later, Sadillo is proud to say he lives each day like his last and not to take any moments for granted. He brings the lessons he has learned through overcoming cancer to coaching and to his players.

“As an Italian American, I tan very well. I never thought twice about sunscreen growing up. I want to spread the message of safety and to raise more awareness,” Said Sadillo.

Coaching the Italian Professional team was an important job offer for Sadillo and being given the opportunity to live in Italy for six months was what Sadillo described as not only a spiritual trip but also the trip of a lifetime. Sadillo’s family was from Naples. This coaching job was not just an incredible opportunity for his baseball career but also it gave him the opportunity to feel closer to his family and his ancestry at an important time for him. His two children were also able to come spend two months in Italy with him, creating a more special bond Sadillo felt to his family and his heritage.

Sadillo shared with Reminder Publishing that he is anticipating a similar experience of getting back to his roots this summer with moving back to Western Mass.

“This is another important opportunity to reconnect with family and old friends, I’m really looking forward to it,” Sadillo shared.