The Saints sixteen-inch softball team first played in the Darien Park District League in the late 1970s. They were sponsored by Our Lady of Peace Church. Its pastor, Reverend Alphonse Mika, served as their first general manager. Father Al later joined forces with softball veteran Mike Paulo to take a group of neighborhood players and turn them into a premier nationally ranked softball team.
After winning local championships in Darien, Downers Grove, and Westmont and winning several tournaments, Paulo and the Saints made their move to national competition. In 1989 they won the LaGrange Metro, beating the powerful 45s. They then took second
place (losing to Aces) at the ASA “A” Nationals in Indianapolis. In 1992 they repeated their second place finish, losing to Ice at the “A” Nationals. They also earned three other “A” National trophies over their history for top-six finishes.
In the early 1990s, the Saints won ASA and USSSA “A” state tournaments and were a fixture in premier leagues and tournaments across Chicagoland. In 1994, the Super League, featuring many of the top “A” teams in softball, was formed at Clyde Park. The Saints won the inaugural championship. They were invited to play in the Pro League at Forest Park, a league that pitted
the Saints against the best teams in Major softball. After defeating several of the top teams in softball in the Grant Park Tournament, the Saints finished second to the powerful Lettuce team. In 1995 hey finished fifth in the ASA Major National Tournament at Mt. Prospect.
By the end of their two-decade run, the Saints had earned a reputation as a hard-hitting team that always sought out the best competition at the toughest tournaments. Their victories at the local, state, and national levels make them one of the top teams of their era.