Former two-time All-American baseball player Jim Spagna '14 is chasing a new dream. On Monday, May 8, Spagna begins his quest to qualify for the 2017 United States Open Championship. The 117th U.S. Open will be held at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc. from Jun. 12-18, 2017.

After his storied baseball career ended with an Ohio Athletic Conference Championship at John Carroll, Spagna looked for other ways to compete. He played golf at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois and decided to take the game more seriously after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Finance in 2014.

"Golf is great because you can play with anyone at any skill level," Spagna said. "It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, an amateur or playing professionally, golf is great for anyone who is interested in playing."

Spagna currently resides in McHenry, Illinois and works as a dental assistant at an endodontist office in his hometown of Libertyville. He intends to begin dental school in the fall at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. after recently completing a two-year Post-Baccalaureate Professional Health program at Loyola University Chicago.

"I have always loved the game and playing in the U.S. Open would be a dream come true," he continued. "I feel that my game is in a really good place to take a shot at qualifying. I can't wait to compete next week."

The path to Erin Hills will undoubtedly be challenging. Spagna will tee off on the 10th hole at 8:10 a.m. on Monday at Midlane Country Club in Wadsworth, Ill. His competition is one of 114 U.S. Open Local Qualifying rounds. The tournament is a one-day, 18-hole event. Spagna must place among the top four players in the 72-man field. All registered players have a USGA certified handicap index of -1.4 or better. While Spagna currently plays with a +1.2 index, the tournament only uses that marker to validate a player's entry into the field – the handicap system will not be used in scoring the competition.

Midlane C.C. will play as a par-70, 6,798 yard track during Monday's tournament. The course has also served as a host site for the Illinois Open and the Illinois Senior Open, and will be played as a 2017 U.S. Amateur Open Qualifier as well. It is open to the public and sports a 30,000-square foot practice facility.

Should he place among the top four at Midlane C.C. next week, Spagna would then have to compete in one of 12 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers against other players who fared well in their respective local qualifying tournaments. His sectional round would be held in either Columbus or Springfield, Ohio, or Memphis, Tenn.

For more info on the local qualifying tournaments, click here

Last year, only 27 of the roughly 10,000 local qualifying competitors competed at Oakmont Country Club during the 116th U.S. Open. But that has not deterred Spagna's confidence.

"I realize that this is an incredibly deep field, but I want to see how my game stands up against the best players in the country," he said. "I have nothing to lose and I can't wait to just go out there and have some fun."

Spagna's baseball career for the Blue Streaks concluded with the program's first ever OAC title as he earned All-American honors for the second straight year. Despite pitching 38 times during his first three years for the Blue Streaks, it's his offensive numbers that rank among the best in program history. He graduated with the third most runs batted in (127), third most home runs (13), fourth most doubles (34) and seventh most hits (146) in John Carroll history. In 41 games as a senior, he hit .395 with 21 doubles, five homers and 53 RBI's – each are among the all-time best single-season performances.