Bill Fratto, who played at Oakton Community College for two seasons before graduating in 1981, boasts a 511-256 record in 13 seasons as head baseball coach for the Owls.
At the start of the 2018 season, Oakton's baseball squad sought to "return to conquer" with a goal of winning 40 games. The Oakton Owls surpassed all expectations by earning their first-ever national championship in dramatic fashion, dethroning the five-time defending champion Tyler Junior College, in the 2018 NJCAA Division III World Series.
Oakton established a school record with 44 wins in a single season, surpassing the previous record of 43 in 2012. The Owls also set single season records for innings pitched (459), besting the previous record of 454 set in 2012, and at-bats (1,887), eclipsing the previous best of 1,847 also in 2012.
Offensively, the Owls clicked on all cylinders in 2018, finishing second in the nation in runs scored (503), walks (289) and sacrifice flies (31) and third in hits (632), extra base hits (187), at-bats (1,887) and total bases (932). Oakton players tallied 425 RBI and 45 home runs while amassing a .335 team batting average.
Postseason accolades poured in for the Wheeling resident, as Fratto was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Diamond Sports National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III National Coach of the Year. He also was named World Series Coach of the Year after the Owl's performance.
Under his seasoned leadership, Oakton has built a winning tradition and gained national prominence. Coach Fratto prides himself on seeing his players develop personally, athletically and academically. Under his tutelage, dozens of Oakton players have advanced to compete at NCAA Division I, II and III institutions, as well as NAIA schools. His players have even advanced to the professional level, signing contracts with Major League Baseball teams including the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Coach Fratto led the Owls to Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference titles in 2006 (his first year as head coach), 2012, 2015 and 2016. He also guided the Owls to NJCAA Region IV Championship appearances in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015, and to two Region IV Championships in 2018 and 2019.
Fratto also coaches for the Schaumburg Boomers, the 2013, 2014 and 2017 Frontier League champions.
He played baseball at Maine East High School and then for Oakton for two seasons. He continued his playing career at the University of Georgia and served as the bullpen catcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1985-1989.
