Wildcats advance to 2A Sectional Baseball finals with 13-8 win over Wheeler before shutout loss to Bishop Noll, 10-0

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

6-7-2004

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E	LOB
HANOVER CENTRAL (18-9)	3	6	0	2	0	0	2	13	11	1	11
Wheeler (12-18)	0	1	7	0	0	0	0	8	3	5	8

Tuesday, June 2, 2004 - 66 degrees at Boone 2A Sectional Semifinals

WP - Zac Wajvoda (3-2) 4K, 6 walks (4 1/3 innings)
LP - Doug Arambula (3-4) 3K, 4 walks (1 1/3 inn.)

Todd Sheehy (HC) Double, 3 singles, 3 RBIs
Luke Besse (HC) triple, 2 walks
Adam Suarez (HC) Triple, single, 2 walks, 2 RBIs
Danny Kozlowski (HC) Double, 2 RBIs
Cory McLanahan (W) Triple, 2 walks, 3 RBIs
Matt McLanahan (W) 2 walks, 2 RBIs
Noah Schluter (W) 2 singles, stolen base

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Bishop Noll (17-11)	3	0	2	5	0	-	-	10	9	1
HANOVER CENTRAL (18-10)	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	0	2	3

Wednesday, June 3, 2004 - 75 degrees at Boone 2A Championship

WP - Ryan Bobos (9-1) 12K, 1 walk
LP - Danny Kozlowski (3-5) 1k, 1 walk

Todd Sheehy (HC) Double, 3 singles, 3 RBIs
Luke Besse (HC) triple, 2 walks
Adam Suarez (HC) Triple, single, 2 walks, 2 RBIs
Danny Kozlowski (HC) Double, 2 RBIs
Ryan Bobos (Noll) HR, single, 2 RBIs

PORTER TOWNSHIP (6-3-2004) - Okay, so Hanover got bombed by Bishop Noll 10-0 in Friday's Boone Grove 2A sectional championship game. We all knew that might happen. Truthfully, there seems little except three games in four days, from stopping Noll from reaching the 2A state baseball finals.

But for Hanover Central (18-10), it was a good season. The Cats followed up a 17-11-1 campaign in 2003 with an almost identical winning season. That might not mean much to many programs, especially with no league or sectional championships attached to those numbers. But 18 victories is the most ever in the 25-year history of varsity baseball at Hanover. And 35 wins in a two years span is also the most in the history of the Cedar Lake high school.

"We wanted to get the school record," said seventh year coach Ron Szayni, after the 13-8 semifinal victory over Wheeler. "We got a big lead and then we gave it up."

Szayni has said that this will almost certainly be his last season as Hanover's coach. The long time coach was to retire after last year but many of the nine seniors asked him to return for this season. Greg Ford, who has managed Lowell's American Legion all-star team for five years, came on board this year as the Wildcats junior varsity coach. Hanover has 10 freshmen and sophomores on the playoff roster including Todd Sheehy, who was 4-for-5 against Wheeler.

Who ever the coach is, the future is bright for Hanover.

PITCHING: Hanover returns Larry Pempek (8-1), the Most Valuable Player of the Porter County Conference. As a senior, Pempek will be counted on to lead the staff next year in a season where they will be one of the PCC favorites. When he is not pitching, he is a quick and strong-armed catcher.

Zac Wajvoda (3-2) can be a perfect left-handed compliment to Pempek. The 6-1 left-hander doesn't throw that hard yet, but a summer of play and instruction could line him up as a senior starting pitcher with future small college possibilities. Joe Angone only pitched once on the varsity but he is a right-hander with a sound delivery and some velocity. With a full summer of pitching, Angone could be a regular for Hanover for the next three years. He needs to pitch a lot.

INFIELD: Pempek is a solid hitter and a base stealer. Sheehy, at shortstop, has the potential to be just as good. Mark Myszkowski (2B) and Jake Huppenthal (3B) fill out the infield with one of several possibilities at first base. The Cats will need a solid catcher to replace Luke Besse because HC's best catcher (Pempek) will be on the mound in big games.

OUTFIELD: Hanover's got to find a centerfielder and some sure hands for the flanks. Billy Rickey's speed will be missed, but it's safer to say that all three outfield positions are probably open at Hanover. There are a lot of young players on Hanover's roster who have played multiple positions. But CF will be tough to fill.

INTANGIBLES: There are a lot of them. I sense a feeling that Hanover baseball is on the rise. The girls softball two-time state finalist squad is somewhat of an inspiration at a school where baseball had 25 losing seasons in a row. The boys needed to see that winning was an option and the last two years have proven that. Hanover athletic director Dave Seils says that, while there will be no home field at Hanover next spring, the Wildcats may play league home games at Wheeler in 2005.

The expansion of Lowell Post 101's summer team will create more numbers and experience for Hanover in 2005, but as Bishop Noll proved, Hanover has a long way to go. The 10-0 loss may be a blessing because there can be no illusions about how good Hanover Central baseball is right now.

CAT NOTES: The all-time varsity baseball record of Hanover Central is 245-467, which is why 35-21-1 over the last two years stands out. HC had suffered through 25 consecutive losing seasons before last year.

Noll (17-11) played a regular season which includes 14 Class 4A teams and five games against Andrean (24-7) and Griffith (20-12). Realistically, for Hanover to compete with Bishop Noll in sectional play the Wildcats are going to have to seek out a half dozen more games against 3A and 4A schools. There's no way they can play Kouts and Morgan Township during the year and defeat Noll in the playoffs.

2004 Hanover Central (18-10)
Coach Ron Szayni (6 years) 60-84, 17-11 in 2003
all games at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated

4-6 (L) 2-7 at Lowell (11-18)
4-9 (L) 0-3 at Gary Roosevelt (3-7)
4-10 (L) 2-13 at Gavit (18-11)
4-12 (L) 5-7 Clark (22-5)
4-15 (W) 14-3 at Whiting (12-16)
4-19 (L) 2-3 at WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (14-14)
4-21 (W) 9-3 at MORGAN TOWNSHIP (7-7)
4-24 (L) 0-10 (5) at Beecher, Ill
4-24 (W) 7-4 at Beecher, Ill.
4-26 (W) 9-3 BOONE GROVE (15-13)

4-27 (W) 11-9 at Hammond (4-22)
4-29 (W) 5-3 at Gary West Side (4-12) at the US Steelyard
5-3-4 (W) 6-1 South Newton
5-4-4 (W) 5-3 Wirt
5-6-4 (W) 12-1 East Chicago (6-16)
5-7 (W) 7-6 at KOUTS (17-5-1)
5-10 (L) 0-12 HEBRON (7-15-1)

5-11 (W) 6-2 (12 inn.) at Calumet (10-18)
5-12 (W) 15-5 at LaCROSSE (8-15)
5-13 (Th) Morton (20-8) canceled
5-15 (W) 4-0 SOUTH CENTRAL
5-17 (L) 1-5 North Newton (9-3)
5-18 (W) 10-0 (6 inn.) Lew Wallace
5-21 (W) 16-5 at River Forest

PCC Championship - at Boone Grove
5-22 (L) 8-13 Kouts (17-5-1) quarterfinals

5-27 (W) 9-1 Lake Station (9-21)
5-28 (W) 6-2 Gary West Side

Boone Grove (2A) Regional
6-2-4 (W) 13-8 Wheeler (12-18) semifinals
6-3-4 (L) 0-10 Bishop Noll (17-11) championship