About STING

• Beginning in January (November for high school age teams), STING teams will begin winter workouts twice a week at Medina Sports Training Center. The STING program pays for the field time from registration proceeds. There are no additional costs to the teams unless they choose to do something above and beyond what STING pays for.
• STING Trainers – STING has independent paid professional trainers to work with the teams and players individually. The program will pay the trainers to work with the teams during the preseason. Each team or parent can individually utilize the program trainers at their own expense if they choose.
• ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL OPTIONS
• Fall Instructional Program is an outdoor training program (only available for STING players) focusing on teaching situational play and working on fundamental positional responsibilities.
• Fall Classes are offered through our partnership with Medina Sports Trainig Center (only available for STING players). These classes run October through December and focus on pitching, hitting, fielding and catching.
• Private & Group Lessons are available in hitting, pitching, catching and fieldingfor STING players with the same coahces who run the winter training programs.

• On average a Sting team plays a 20-25 game regular season, not including any scrimmages that might be played before league games start or during the season.
• Most Sting teams play between 4-7 tournaments in a season. Most tournaments are 3-5 games.
• Most tournaments will be played in Northern Ohio. Some teams will choose to travel out of state for tournaments. Each coach decides on what the tournament schedule will be.

• There can be multiple teams per each age group.
• Approximately 10-14 players will be on each team’s roster.
• Tryouts will be run by the program trainer and there will be 3-5 evaluators for each age group.
• Invitations will be extended during or after the tryouts.

There will be 1 program-wide fundraiser in the fall in partnership with the Medina HS baseball program to help offset team expenses. All other fundraising will be independent to each team as needed.

Director of Player Development

Mark Thomas 

The 2026-2027 season will be Coach Mark's 9th year in the program. He is responsible for organizing the winter workout program for ALL STING teams. He also conducts yearly STING Coaches Clinics and provides guidance to Head Coaches during the summer season in practices and games.

Drafted 1999 - Montreal Expos 

4 year professional carreer 1999-2002

Youngstown State University -Player 1997-1999, Outfielders Coach 2002-2004

Catching Coordinator

Ryan Stassinis 

The 2026-2027 seson will be Coach Ryan's 5th year in the porgram. He is responsible for the skill development of all catchers in the organization. He is one of Medina county's best catching instructors and has been coaching baseball for over ten years. 

2005-2007 - Independent Pioneer Scout League

2004-2005 - Baldwin Wallace University

2001-2003 - Mount Union University

Instructor 

Mark Kelly 

Medina HS Head Coach

The 2025 Ohio DI Coach of the Year, Mark Kelly has established himself as a respected leader in high school baseball through his commitment to player development, competitive excellence, and strong character leadership at Medina High School. As head coach, Kelly has built a program rooted in fundamentals, discipline, and teamwork, helping student-athletes grow both on the field and in the classroom.

A passionate student of the game, Kelly brings a deep understanding of baseball strategy and player development. His coaching philosophy emphasizes pitching fundamentals, situational awareness, and consistent defensive execution, while fostering an aggressive but intelligent approach at the plate. Under his guidance, Medina’s teams have become known for their preparation, resilience, and ability to compete against top programs.

Coach Kelly places a strong emphasis on developing the whole athlete. He is committed not only to improving players’ skills, but also to mentoring young men into responsible, confident individuals. His program prioritizes accountability, work ethic, and sportsmanship—values that extend beyond baseball and into everyday life.

In addition to his on-field success, Kelly is widely respected for his positive impact on the Medina baseball community. He works closely with youth and feeder programs to help build continuity and a strong foundation for the future of Medina baseball, ensuring that players are introduced to the program’s expectations and culture early in their development.

Coach Kelly’s leadership continues to shape Medina High School Baseball into a program defined by tradition, pride, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Instructor 

Tom Kindall 

Medina HS Pitching Coach

Tom Kindall is the highly successful pitching coach for the Medina High School baseball team in Ohio. Working alongside Head Coach Mark Kelly, he was named the Northeast District Assistant Coach of the Year in 2025 and has been a cornerstone of the Bees' program.

Instructor 

Andrew Czech 

Medina HS Hitting Coach

A Reminderville, Ohio native Coach Czech signed with the Washington Wild Things in 2021 following a stellar collegiate career at Walsh University. In 2018, he appeared in 49 games and slashed .368/.493/.737 (1.230) with 15 home runs, 52 RBI and 18 doubles before playing for Chillicothe in a summer league and hitting nine bombs and knocking home 56. In 2019 he played in the Valley Baseball League after another great year at Walsh. He hit 17 HR and knocked in 63 with 18 2B and a triple and a slash line of .417/.538/.823 (1.361). He'd hit nine HR and drive in 47 for Staunton that summer. Then in 2021, he had nine doubles and 17 home runs with 47 RBI in 188 plate appearances over 41 games. He walked 51 times and only punched out 17 times, while slashing .374/.559/.832 (1.391). Czech was G-Mac 2nd Team in 2018, 1st Team and Player of the Year as well as All-Region 1st Team (D2CCA) in 2019 and G-MAC Player of the Year in 2021.

He left Walsh the career program leader in homers, RBI, runs and led all Division II players with 51 walks in 2021. He was also selected as a Division II Gold Glove Award winner by Rawlings in 2021. 

The Washington Wild Things are a professional baseball team that plays in the MLB-partnered Frontier League.