Tuesday, 6-27-2006  -  68 degrees and cloudy at Teagle Field, Crown Point, IN

WP -   Adam Farag (2-1)    CG, 9K, 1 walk , 65 pitches
LP -   Kenny Tipman (1-1)   3K, 2 walks (4.7 innings)

Cedar Lake (5-4-1)
Brian Jager (C) Single
Kenny Tipman (P) walk

CROWN POINT (9-1)
Adam Kennedy (C) Double, 2 walks
Chris Saroff (3B) 2 singles
Andrew Stalbaum (1B) 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Jon Sertich (CF) Triple, single, 4 RBIs
Adam Farag (P) 3 singles

CROWN POINT (6-27-2006)   When Cedar Lake showed up to play Crown Point in a First District American Legion matchup late Tuesday, Cedar Lake manager Al Myszkowski didn't expect to see a certain Crown Point Post 20 left-hander.

"When I saw who was pitching," said Myszkowski later of Merrillville high southpaw Adam Farag, "I told my kids, 'Okay,  you see who's out there.  Take your cuts.  That kid's the MVP of their conference."

Some of the Hanover Central players on Cedar Lake Post 261 had never seen Farag, who was 10-2 for the Pirates and the Most Valuable Player of the big school Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC).  While some say there's no difference between the leagues, actually there is, as the young Cedar Lake squad found out.

"The thing tonight was that so many of our boys swung and missed," said Myszkowski. "They couldn't even make contact."

Farag was the reason. He struck out nine, allowing one walk and one single as Crown Point Post 20 (9-1) coasted to their ninth consecutive win, 10-0 in five innings over the out manned Cedar Lake squad.

"It just happened to be his turn to pitch," said CP's manager Tony Samano to Myszkowski.  "I really didn't do anything to have him pitch against you.  It just worked out that way.  I told him, 'They aren't touching it. Go with the fast ball.'"

Hanover Central sophomore Brian Jager singled to center in the  fourth inning for Post 261's only hit.

Despite perfect weather and a small, but lively crowd, Tuesday's game lacked drama.  Crown Point scored five unearned runs in the first inning after two infield errors opened up a rally where Post 20's Andrew Stalbaum sliced a two-run single to right.  Cedar Lake lefty Kenny Tipman, a Lake Central student from St. John, held Post 20 for three innings but Jon Sertich's three-run triple to the right field fence made it 8-0 on the fifth inning.  

Farag throws a fast ball that acts like a screwball, breaking away from right-handed hitters.

"That's a  two-season fastball," he said.  "Two-seam fastball from a three-quarter (arm) slot.  On the four seamer, I come over the top a little more."

Farag appears to throw a curve ball that compliments the two-seam pitch by diving in on right-handers.

"Actually, I don't have a curve," he says.  "It's actually a cutter (cut fastball) that just moves in a lot.  Instead of holding a fastball, I just move it over in my hand and it runs inside.  Any left-handed pitcher who can bury a two-seamer on the outside corner and then throw a slider that breaks in on the right-hander. He can get by with that.  I have better location with my slider than I do with the fastball. I throw that on 3-2 a lot."

The irony of the Post 20 roster this season is that it combines some of the players from arch-rivals Crown Point and Merrillville.  Merrillville won the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) title this spring, but CP beat them 2-out of 3 and won the sectional title.

"The way the high school season ended," Farag admitted,  "I didn't know if I wanted to come play in Crown Point.  (CP's Jon) Sertich and I talk about it.  Sertich said in the paper something like 'You hang 'em, we bang 'em' (after the playoff game where CP beat Farag 5-2).  We did have a little discussion about that.  We've had our discussion. But it helps that I'm not the only Merrillville guy on the team."

Crown Point played without leadoff man Nick Ullman who was out of town on vacation.  Chris Saroff led off and was 2-for-4.  Adam Kennedy batted cleanup and had two walks and a double.  Hebron's Andy Stalbaum was 2-for-3 for Post 20 in the fifth slot.

Post 20 has a rematch with Cedar Lake Sunday (1:00 p.m.) and one pitcher you won't see is right-hander Joe Angone, Hanover Central's top right-hander during the spring.

"I'm not going to throw him against Post 20 until the sectional," said Myszkowski.  "There's no reason to.  I want him to gain some more confidence.  He can throw 84-86 (miles and hour)  and he's the best we've got.  I didn't want them to beat him up tonight and I didn't want them to see him pitching well.  There was no reason to throw him tonight."

LEGION NOTES:  In the early game Tuesday night, Jon Velasco of Highland Post 180 (6-3) shut out Crown Point 12-0, allowing just one hit.  Velasco also was 4-for-4 at the plate.

Al Myszkowski still has not been confirmed as the varsity coach of Hanover Central high school baseball, a position he held for most of last year after long time coach Ron Szayni resigned.  Some parents are reportedly working against Myszkowski being hired, but there are no other apparent candidates.  Myszkowski, a 2000 graduate of Hanover Central,  also filled in as head coach in 2005 after coach Greg Ford resigned.  Szayni came out of retirement to start the 2006 season.  The coaching changes and the struggle with the new high school field, now completed, have made it a tough two seasons for Hanover Central baseball.

"I know my age (23) works against me," Myszkowski said Tuesday.  "But I would hope they'd give me consideration because I helped the program out.  I filled in twice when they needed someone."

Post 261's Andrew DeYoung batted .521 for Hanover Central (12-10) this season, a school record.  Post 20's Caleb Douglas was 7-1 as a junior at Merrillville with a 1.31 ERA and eight complete games.

Post 20's game in Kokomo Sunday (6-25-2006) was rained out after three innings and it will not be rescheduled.  Kokomo Post 6 defeated CP's 'B' team (2-6) 1-0 in the first game of the long distance double-header.  Post 20 hits the road Monday night (7-3-2006) to Bill Nixon Field in Plymouth for a rematch with Post 27, a 5-4 loser at Crown Point on June 19.  Crown Point plays the Steel City Giants Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and they'll face Crown Point at Teagle Field again Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  CP Post 20 second baseman Nick Ullman is on vacation this week but he should be back for the Plymouth game.  CPHS junior Tim Mummery played second base in Ullman's absence.

CP plays a double-header at Lafayette Post 11 (9-0) on July 10.  Post 11 swept three games to win an American Legion tournament at Purdue North Central in Westville, defeating Valparaiso 9-4 in the title game.

Post 20's Adam Farag says that his team shouldn't get shut down offensively.

"I've never seen this many guys hit the ball hard.  At Merrillville, we played a lot of small ball.  We don't have to here.  Ullman is unbelievable.  He must have been hurt during the (high school) year.  He reminds me of (LaPorte grad and Purdue recruit Nick ) Overmeyer."

Farag may go to the University of Indianapolis, but there are other offers.

"It depends on how much of one (college scholarship) I can get," said Farag.  "I haven't seen things on paper yet.  If I do, I'll go there.  There's a really big junior college. Lincoln Land Community College in Peoria, Ill.  They play South Suburban and teams like that.  I have that offer on paper waiting for me to sign it.  I feel a little more comfortable knowing I have something.  The IU coach told me I could be on the team, but I wouldn't be on scholarship and I don't know if I'd play at all."

Farag was easily the top pitcher in NW Indiana during the prep regular season in Northwest Indiana with a 10-2 record, a 1.92 ERA, and 12 complete games.  The lefty, who is young enough to play for Post 20 next year,  is a late bloomer and admits he didn't have any type of training game plan until this year.

"I never took care of my arm.  I never did that until this year.  I pitched and I iced it a little bit.  Now, every morning I get up and run a mile and a half.  Now, I not only ice my arm after a game.  I ice it the next morning and the next day.  That way I can come back faster.  I think I'm going to get taller, bigger and throw harder.  That's what the doctors said."

CROWN POINT POST 20-A  (16-3)
Updated: 7-17-2006

Manager: Tony Samano - 26th year
Coaches Artie Samano, Rich Hands, Jimmy Wilson

All games 7 innings unless otherwise indicated
*** opponents home games to be played at night at CP

6-13 (Tu)   Hammond Post 168  L, 5-10
6-14 (W) Whiting Post 80 W, 9-0
6-14 (W) Whiting Post 80 W, 15-0
6-17 (Sat) Leo Post 409  (Game 1) W, 12-2 (5-innings)
6-17 (Sat) Leo Post 409  (Game 2) W, 12-2 (5-innings)
6-19 (M) at Hobart Post 54  W, 17-3 (5-innings)
6-20 (Tu) Plymouth Post 27 W, 5-4 (9-innings)
6-21 (W) Cal City Post 330  W, 16-0
6-22 (Th) Highland Post 180  W, 4-3
6-23 (F) Valparaiso Post 94  - (To be rescheduled for a later date)
6-25 (Sun) at Kokomo Post 6 (rained out after 3-innings)
6-27 (Tu)  Cedar Lake Post 261 W, 10-0 (5-innings)
6-28 (W) East Chicago Post 369 Game 1, W, 4-0
6-28 (W) East Chicago Post 369 Game 2, W, 9-6
6-29 (Th) Steel City Giants  L, 14-18 (9 innings)

7-2 (Su) Cedar Lake Post 261  W, 10-2
7-3 (M) at Plymouth Post 27  W, 2-0 
7-5 (W) Lowell Post 101  W, 9-2 
7-8 (Sat) at Lowell Post 101 (at CP) W, 16-2 (5-innings) 
7-9 (Sun) at Lafayette Post 11  L, 2-10  (9-innings)
7-10 (M) Hobart Post 54  W, 13-1
7-12 (W) at Highland Post 180  (rained out)
7-13 (Th) Hammond Post 168  W, 3-2
7-14 (F) at Valparaiso Post 94  (rained out)
7-15 (Sat) at Muncie Post 19 - 9 innings - 1 p.m.
7-16 (Sun) at Anderson Post 127 - 9 innings - 1 p.m.

2006 “A” TEAM SECTIONAL 2 TOURNAMENT (age 19 & under)
&
2006 JR. "B" LEGION REGIONAL TOURNAMENT (age 17 & under)

(1B) Tue, 7-18 South Bend #50B vs. Crown Point #20B - 5:30 p.m.
(1A) Tue, 7-18 Hammond #168A vs. Crown Point #20A - 8:00 p.m. 

(2B) Wed, 7-19 Hammond #168B vs. Loser Game #1B - 5:30 p.m. 
(2A) Wed, 7-19 Cedar Lake #261A vs. Loser Game #1A - 8:00 p.m. 

(3B) Thur, 7-20 B Game TBA - 5:30 p.m. 
(3A) Thur, 7-20 A Game TBA - 8:00 p.m. 

(4B) Fri, 7-21 B Game TBA - 5:30 p.m. 
(4A) Fri, 7-21 A Game TBA - 8:00 p.m. 

(5B) Sat, 7-22 B Game if necessary - 5:30 p.m. 
(5A) Sat, 7-22 A Game if necessary - 8:00 p.m. 


Crown Point Regional (dates are tentative)
7-27 (Th) vs. sectional winners from EC, Valpo and South Bend
7-28 (F) vs. sectional winners from EC, Valpo and South Bend
7-29 (Sat) CP Regional championship game one
7-30 (Sun) CP Regional championship game two

American Legion State Finals (dates are tentative)
8-3 (Th) 1st round double-header
8-4 (F) 1st round double-header
8-5 (Sat) championship round game one
8-6 (Sun) championship round game two