Lake County American Legion Season Preview 7-5-2004
	A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

GARY -  In the last three years, Crown Point Post 20 has been the region's dominant team in American Legion baseball. Manager Tony Samano's team has been the standard bearer for Legion ball and no one in Lake County seriously challenged them. That is not to be the case in 2004 and it's not a bad thing. It's not because Post 20 has declined. Not at all.

The 2004 summer squad should be improved over last season's team, which advanced to the championship round of the regional finals in Lafayette. But there are a lot of new teams in the Legion this year. And one of the returning teams, Hammond Post 168, has bulked up with top players to the point where they are a tower of power. Matchups between Hammond (Munster) and Highland are spirited as are the games between Lowell and Crown Point. The showdowns will be with Post 20 (largely CP and Andrean) against Hammond (largely Munster and LC). These are prime time games. The good news overall is that far more of the games will be competitive. And that may be reflected in the people in the stands.

Lowell Post 101

LOWELL - Here's a program that's on the rise. Manager Greg Ford had to scrape for players the last two years but his job as junior varsity coach at Hanover Central has given him a pipeline to his summer team. The 19-and-under Post 101 squad, which was under .500 last year and 9-9 after Friday's play, will not be a losing team this summer. Post 101, as it should always have been, is now a joint production of sister schools (Cedar Lake is the old Lowell school district) Lowell and Hanover Central. Lowell multi-position players Nate Oaf, Mike Beier and Ed Overdorf anchor the squad but they will have help. Hanover's Larry Pempek was the Most valuable Player of the Porter County Conference (PCC) and he'll be a formidable pitcher and catcher. HC's Luke Besse is another experienced pitcher/catcher combo back in the 101 dugout and Danny Kozlowski is an experienced pitcher and infielder. HC's 2003 MVP Jon Radosevich did not play Legion ball last summer but he's on the mound for 101 this year. Hebron grad Scott Denton adds speed at the top of the lineup and Adam Suarez brings a good bat from the 2003 HC varsity.

Young HC players Todd Sheehy and Mark Myszkowski could blossom into all-area players this summer and, when you add Rob Christensen, Santiago Torres and Dave Oxley, possibly the best three players on that team. Throw in versatile KV senior Jon Cusack, who threw over 150 pitches in a win over Remington last week, and there is a sectional title contender here. But even if they lose out to Crown Point, what was especially gratifying to see is the 19 players in the dugout for manager Tom Stoner's Post 101 'B' (17 and under) team. Some of them have left for Senior Little League but they are playing. That level of participation virtually ensures that 101 will be an American Legion power. It's only a matter of time. It also hints that eventually, Lowell and Cedar Lake could both have teams.

Hammond Post 168

MUNSTER - Here's the new power in the American Legion. Post 1689 is Hammond in name only. Manager Dave Toth's team was 14-4 after a double-header split Friday. New to the team this year are Munster left-hander Brian Bokowy (8-1), who beat powerful Terre Haute Post 346 in his debut game, and Lake Central right-hander John Babinski (11-1, 1.13 ERA at LC). This is the best 1-2 punch in the American Legion in this area and this team has all of the best Munster varsity players off a team that went 23-6 this season. With Scott Starewicz, Pat Winterhaler and Brian Hayes in the house with Munster's Russ and Ross Peterson and Matt Jillson. Munster has beaten a solid Plymouth Post 27 (11-4) three times this year. Starewicz (.478) has been injured and his availability in July is in question. LC's Mike Couwenhoven (.462, 8 HRs, 40 RBIS) has also been injured.

This team is a big favorite in a sectional with Whiting, Highland and East Chicago. They also have the 1-2 pitchers, if healthy, to win a four-team regional, even if CP or the powerful Bristol Post 143 (already 13-4) are the foes. Hammond also is fielding a Munster-flavored 'B' team but the word is they miscalculated the age requirements and won't be attending the 17-and-under regional (Hammond, CP, Lowell and Bristol) at Crown Point next month leading to the 'B' team state finals.

The rise of Hammond, (aka Munster) is great for American Legion baseball. Munster has a natural rivalry with Highland Post 180 and they could duel Crown Point for a high-profile regional title. More Munster players are coming. At the Little League level, Munster has two 10-and-under all-star teams and two 11-and-under all star teams. Some feel baseball is dying but not here. And let's be honest. The Times newspaper doesn't give a lot of coverage to American Legion baseball and the Post Tribune gives it none. But they both cater to Munster (Just look at the prep all-star teams) because of the town's affluence. If Munster boys win games and championships, they will be in the newspaper and on the radio. That can only be good for American Legion baseball.

Whiting Post 80

WHITING - This team is a combined effort of Clark and Whiting high schools, but while Clark was ranked No. 1 in Class 3A late in the season, they were not that strong. Steve Polak (12-1, 0.86) was dominant at Clark but American Legion ball is a step up in competition from Clark's schedule. Polak gave up nine runs against Post 168 in a 9-1 loss in the American Legion season opener. Clark infielder Chris Revis had three hits in Post 80's 9-8 win over Valpo Post 94 last Friday.

Former Whiting football QB Vinnie Donovan is back as a pitcher and shortstop. This team did not do as well as I thought they would with players from state champion Bishop Noll. Most went to play for the Senior Babe Ruth Hammond Chiefs. This team doesn't have the pitching to get out of the sectional. In Legion ball, everybody has a big offense.

Valparaiso Post 94

VALPARAISO - This is a new team for this year but Crown Point's players will recognize the boys in the Post 94 uniforms. Catcher Doug Lang, infielder Ryan Nuppnau and pitcher Clint Krysa (7-3) were all regulars on Valparaiso's 16-13 high school team. The word is that this will be Valparaiso high school's summer squad with a few friends of the program thrown in. Post 94 might not be able to compete at the start of the year, but if they have young players like Chooch Sizemore and Nate Windsor, they may be formidable by the end of the summer.

I only have them as having played six games as of last week, the last one an 18-11 loss to Crown point on July 3. But that pace may pick up now that the high school summer season (which ended on July 2) is over. Just the addition of Valparaiso to the scene gives American Legion baseball a Porter County presence that they lacked since South Haven stopped competing three years ago. Many of the same assets that Munster brings to the Legion are duplicated by Valparaiso. They could sneak up on Crown Point Post 20 and

CP Post 20

CROWN POINT - Manager Tony Samano's team was 9-6 after last week, despite an 0-4 road trip to Terre Haute. CPHS grad Mike Schultz, who pitched a three-hitter in an 11-2 win over Lowell last week, leads the staff. Kouts grad Joel Oezer (9-1), the PCC's top pitcher last spring, won the biggest game of the year when he beat Hammond 8-7 in relief on June 27. Oezer had four wins and two saves after last week's play. CPHS speedsters Jake Pierce and Matt Long will cause trouble on the bases with big Boone graduate Steve Georgian giving them left-handed power in the clean-up slot. Nick Bodinet is a good defensive catcher and Walsh (.436, 37 RBIs) is also a good catcher, even though he played first base at Andrean and will probably do so for Post 20. Finn batted .440 (26 RBIs) this season as the No. 3 hitter for Andrean. The 59er three-sport star has had major problems defensively (10 errors) in the early going at short after reportedly committing just four errors ALL YEAR at Andrean.

But no 17-year-old in this area is more experienced than Finn. He is an elite player and will make an impact for CP Post 20 before the season ends. Ryan Pishkur, son Andrean coach Dave Pishkur, was the designated hitter at Andrean and he has been surprisingly effective, batting almost .500 in his first 10 games for Post 20. Pierce and right fielder Dave Dickerson are solid but Post 20 needs a left fielder and Andrean's Robb Barbauld or CP's Matt Long will share time out there. Hebron's Sean Brummet is a stereotypical American Legion player. He isn't a great defender at any position but he can play several and pitch. He's also a strong hitter with speed and a lot of spirit.

At full strength, Post 20 might be a pitcher short of reaching the state finals. Schultz, Oezer and Highland's Sean Adam, who pitcher a nine-inning complete-game 6-1 win over Mishawaka Post 161 two weeks ago, are 3/5s of a good rotation. They need Jimmy Wilson to dominate like teammates say he can. In four-team double-elimination legion tournaments (like the sectional and the regional), you need five starting pitchers so you can survive a loss. Post 20 will go as far as Schultz, Oezer, Adam and Wilson can carry them. With the Andrean boys, the position players are good enough to reach the American Legion state finals but the pitching staff is thin compared to Hammond.

AMERICAN LEGION SECTIONALS

REGIONAL PAIRINGS - July 30, August 1, 2004 at Crown Point

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