Senior catcher Colin Quinn has a long list of family members who were athletes at St. Rita.
Look no further than his father, Kevin, a standout baseball player. Or his great uncle, Billy Marek, who will always be one of the best football players to ever suit up for the Mustangs.
Late grandfather Bob Quinn was a legendary football coach for St. Rita. Robert Cummings, a cousin, is an international crosschecker for the New York Mets.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“I’ve been born to come to St. Rita,” Colin said. “It’s in my blood.”
Quinn got that blood boiling on a chilly Monday, powering a two-run homer over the left-center fence to spark the host Mustangs to a 9-4 nonconference win in a game that was moved to Chicago because of wet conditions at Oak Forest.
St. Rita catcher Colin Quinn (27) keeps his eyes on a pop-up against Oak Forest during a nonconference game in Chicago on Monday, April 6, 2026. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Ryan Jones notched two hits and Jayden Hawkins scored two runs for St. Rita (6-2), while Will Rewers (2-0) and Gregory Zaber combined to pitch the win.
Michael Peck hit a home run for Oak Forest (4-4). Gage Tokarz added an RBI double.
Quinn, meanwhile, is continuing the family legacy at St. Rita by mashing the ball in the early going. The Heartland recruit is hitting .543 with two home runs and a team-high 14 RBIs.
On March 28, he came through with the game-winning hit in the eighth inning of a 7-6 victory over Marist that helped the Mustangs get on the right track.
St. Rita’s Colin Quinn (27) hits the ball out to center field for a single against Oak Forest during a nonconference game in Chicago on Monday, April 6, 2026. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
“He really is making his mark,” St. Rita coach John Nee said of Quinn. “He’s been our best hitter by far. He’s got both of our home runs.”
Nee confirmed that success has come because of hard work over the years.
“He’s a baseball junkie,” Nee said of Quinn. “He’s a throwback. He’s one of those guys who brings his glove to every family party. We don’t have those guys anymore.
“Those guys were baseball junkies or ‘gym rats’ as we call them. He’s the guy in the offseason who will hit every day. He loves the game and it shows.”
St. Rita’s Will Rewers (35) delivers a pitch against Oak Forest during a nonconference game in Chicago on Monday, April 6, 2026. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
Rewers, a St. Ambrose recruit, enjoys working with his talented batterymate.
“He has a great bat,” Rewers said of Quinn. “He’s good defensively. If you make a bad pitch, he will block it. And if you have the bases loaded, he’s the guy you want batting.
“He’ll drive in those runs.”
Last week, the Mustangs took a long trip for spring break and played four games in the All Faiths Classic in Las Vegas. They finished 2-2.
St. Rita opened with two losses that were time-shortened — an 11-10 setback to Paul VI of Virginia and a 12-11 loss to Arrowhead Christian of California.
But the Mustangs recovered and beat two Florida teams — 13-1 over Miami Christian and 3-2 over Neumann — that allowed them to come home happy.
St. Rita catcher Colin Quinn (27) tries to frame a pitch against Oak Forest during a nonconference game in Chicago on Monday, April 6, 2026. (James C. Svehla / Daily Southtown)
“We played some good teams with some good talent,” Quinn said. “It’s going to get us ready for Catholic League Blue play. It was a great experience, especially getting to bond with the guys.
“I think our team is really gritty and we have guys who want to win.”
With legendary uncles, cousins and a grandfather who were winners at St. Rita, Colin and his brother Braden, a junior, are helping to bring a new generation of the Quinn family to the forefront.
The other generations have helped pass down a love for the game. Even though he tried other sports, Colin can’t get enough of baseball.
“You can learn a lot about life from it,” he said. “It’s a game of failure. But the good thing about it is that there are always going to be more games to try to get better and succeed.
“That’s what makes baseball great.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.