American Legion Baseball: Crown Point Regional Preview
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 7-22-2010

Post 20 third baseman Colin Casey holds Highland's Billy Gertsner (9) on base in the Sectional tournament championship round last week at Teagle Field. There were a lot of runner to hold as both CP Post 20 and Highland Post 180 averaged over 10 runs per game.  (All Photos by Mark Smith)

Colin Casey watches as CP's Mike Manion throws out a runner on a bunt play. There were few bunts last week as Highland scored 66 runs in five games. Crown Point won three of four games to take the sectional crown and they'll be back on Teagle Field this weekend to take on Plymouth Post 27 Friday (7/23) afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

CP Post 20 fans tried to be patient as the games ran deep into the night. CP scored 44 runs in four playoff games and Sunday's dramatic championship round ran seven hours. There's plenty of room in the stands at Teagle Field for this weekend's Crown Point Regional in American Legion Baseball (age 19-and under). Tickets are $5 per day to watch teams from Crown Point, Plymouth, Bristol (Elkhart) and South Bend.

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American Legion Regional Baseball Playoffs

at Teagle Field - Crown Point double-elimination - all games - 9 innings - $5 per day - 19 and under

Friday, July 23 - 4:00 p.m.
CP Post 20 (20-6) vs. Plymouth Post 27 (21-9)
Bristol Post 143 (20-8) vs. South Bend Post 50 (23-5)

Saturday, July 24
Friday's winners meet - 12:00 noon
Friday's losers meet - 3:30 p.m.
Elimination game - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 25
Championship game one - 1:00 p.m.
Championship game two - 4:00 p.m.*

* winner goes to the four-team Indiana state finals beginning July 29 at Bill Nixon Field in Plymouth.

CROWN POINT (07-22-2010) Usually the level of play rises from the sectional to regional play in American Legion baseball but Crown Point Post 20 will just have to see about that.

CP had to turn back two very strong foes in defending state champ Hammond Post 168 and highly regarded Highland Post 180 at the sectional level, so they figure to be more than ready to take on Plymouth Post 27 in the opening game of the double-elimination Crown Point Regional late Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

While most of the Post 27 players play for (or played for) Plymouth High School, a gang of four (Even Jurjevic, Ben Irons, Sean Rogers and Jake McMahan) are from LaPorte High School, one of Crown Point's arch-rivals during the high school season.

McMahan batted .404 with five homers and 34 RBIs for LaPorte and was an anchor at third base. He's the cleanup hitter for Post 27.  Jurjevic batted .431 for LaPorte with 44 hits and 29 RBIs.  He'll probably bat third and play second base.  Rochester's Marc Bowers and Tippecanoe Valley's James Hackworth are both two-time all-conference high school players in the Three Rivers Conference.  Bowers did not play against Post 20 in the July 3 game.  Plymouth pitcher Tyler Shook has been clocked in the 85-90 mph range.

Crown Point has split two games with Plymouth Post 27 this season.  CP won 16-3 in Crown Point and Plymouth won 6-4 two nights later back in Marshall County.  In the CP win, Mike Schroeder was 3-for-3 and drove in six runs.  Post 20 will certainly go with ace left-hander Josh Negele, who picked off four Plymouth base-runners in that game.  Post 27 is not without their own inspiration.

Not only did CP embarrass Plymouth 16-3 on July 3 in Crown Point but Plymouth wants to play next week.  You ask for the American Legion state finals.  It isn't an assignment.  And you don't ask to host the state finals unless you plan on playing in them.

Post 20 attempted to play Bristol Post 143 this season, but the date was rained out.  Bristol, which is based in Elkhart, scored six in the seventh inning to eliminate Osceola Post 308 by a 10-3 score last Saturday.

Right-hander Seth Huxford of Concord High School struck out none and allowed seven hits in eight innings.  Logan Draus, who had six homers for Concord High School this season, drove in three runs against Osceola Sunday.  Cameron Nord of Northridge, who is Post 143's catcher, also hit six homers during the high school season.

Clay High School's Conner Hudnall is an offensive leader for Post 50.  Hudnall, an outfielder, drove in four runs in the 23-7 win over Mishawaka Saturday.  Post 50's Mike Cass was the leadoff man for state rated South Bend St. Joseph's (21-8) this spring.  Post 50 had 19 base hits against Mishawaka.

The weather will certainly be a factor Friday as temperatures in the mid-90s are predicted with a chance of rain.  It's going to be virtually impossible for the team that loses Friday to win the double-elimination tournament.  Each pitcher is limited to 12 innings in three days so any team that falls into the loser's bracket is going to have find the pitching to win four nine inning games in two days.  And that means four pitchers who can stop state-class offensive teams.

Also, the winner's bracket game is set for 12:00 noon Saturday.  Friday's loser would have to win at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in 90-dgeree heat and then win again at 7 p.m. to reach Sunday's final round.

CP, with Crown Point high school stars Josh Negele (7-2, 1.36 ERA), Mike Manion (7-2, 1.77 ERA), Brian Holloway (6-0, 3.07 ERA), Scott Donley (40-97, .412), Jeff Limbaugh (40-95, .432. 12 HRs, 51 RBIs) and Jose Andrade (51-108, .472, 3 HRs, 37 RBIs) is the favorite at home with South Bend Post 50, another high-scoring squad, being the No.1 challenger.  But Post 20 may be without Holloway and Mike Kessler, their two best center fielders, both of whom will be out of town until Sunday, at least.  Merillville's Xavier Ponce will play center field when Josh Negele (a 3rd CPHS centerfielder) is not pitching.  Left and center field, which maxes out at 410 feet from home plate, are crucial at Teagle Field, which has an especially difficult outfield during late afternoon games in the sun.

Holloway might not have pitched until Sunday anyway, but it is a major factor that CP is short of outfielders Friday and Saturday for potentially sun-lit, wind swept day games.  American Legion Regional games are usually high-scoring slugfests and there seems no way this weekend's matchups won't fall into that category.  Nobody's going to shut anybody out.  Those of you who like to see the boys 'hit 'em high and watch 'em fly', this weekend is most definitely for you.  Bring the kids.  Not because they love baseball.  But because they'll be needed to chase hard-hit baseballs all over the Teagle Field neighborhood.

The two biggest favorites this weekend are: 1.) Crown Point Post 20, playing at home and 2.) The odds that all games will last three hours in length.

2010 American Legion State Finals
[4 regional champions and host- double-elimination at Plymouth (27)]
7-30 (F) 1st round double-header
7-31 (Sat) 3 games
8-1 (Sun) final round (TBA)

2010 American Legion Midwest Regional
[7 state champs and host - double-elimination at Mattoon, Illinois (88)]
8-5 (Th) 1st round games
8-6 (F) elimination games
8-7 (Sat) elimination games
8-8 (Sun) final round (TBA)
8-9 Mon) final round (if necessary)