Crown Point Bulldogs
Baseball Varsity Preview 2012

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

3-29-2012

2012 CROWN POINT Baseball
Coach Steve Strayer (10th season)
21-12 (2011), 27-5 (2010), 30-3 (2009), 29-6-2 (2008), 29-3 (2007)
all games begin at 4:30 p.m. except when indicated, DAC games in CAPS

3/27 (Tues) at Warsaw
3/31 (Sat) Elkhart Memorial 12 Noon
4/2 (M) at Hanover Central (NWI Challenge)
4/3 (Tues) at Lowell (NWI Challenge)
4/5 (Thu) Munster (NWI Challenge)
4/6 (Fri.) Griffith (NWI Challenge)

4/10 (Tues.) Chesterton
4/12 (Thu) Lake Central
4/14 (Sat) at (SB) Clay - 10:00 AM
4/14 (Sat) at Mishawaka - 3:00 PM
4/16 (M) at Portage
4/18 (W) MERRILLVILLE
4/20 (F) LaPORTE
4/21 (Sat) Bishop Noll 10:00 AM
4/24 (Tues) at MICHIGAN CITY 4:30 PM
4/26 (Th) VALPARAISO 4:30 PM

4/28 (Sat) Indianapolis Cathedral (2 games) 12 Noon
4/30 (M) at CHESTERTON
5/2 (W) LAKE CENTRAL
5/3 (Thu) PORTAGE

Plymouth Invitational
5/5 (Sat) semifinal (a.m.)
5/5 (Sat) 3rd place or title game (p.m.)

5/ 8 (Tues) at MERRILLVILLE
5/10 (Thurs) at LaPORTE

County Line Classic
5/11 (Fri.) Boone Grove - 7:00 PM

5/15 (Tues.) MICHIGAN CITY
5/17 (Thurs) at VALPARAISO

Benton Central Invitational
5-19 (Sat) semifinal (a.m.)
5-19 (Sat) 3rd place or final game (p.m.)
5/21 (Mon) Kankakee Valley - 7:00 PM

MERRILLVILLE (4A) Sectional
5-23 (W) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-24 (Thu) quarterfinals - 5 p.m.
5-26 (Sat) semifinals (TBA)
5-28 (M) championship game (TBA)

CROWN POINT (3-24-2012) Hopefully, neither Crown Point or Andrean needed a pre-season scrimmage against each other. Despite nine consecutive 80-degree March days, last Friday's pre-season baseball scrimmage between 3A No. 2 Andrean and 4A No. 8 Crown Point was rained out Friday and called again Saturday due to wet grounds. Wet grounds can be loosely translated as 'real world' spring conditions for Northwest Indiana.

"Next year we're going to have maybe a three-day span where we can scrimmage on any of those days," said coach Steve Strayer, after his team practiced on the artificial turf football field Saturday. "Because this was ridiculous. We had great weather all week and then it rained Friday."

"It was very frustrating. We thought we had a good enough day today."

CP and Andrean are neighbors but they aren't really rivals and they do not meet during the regular season. So Bulldog thoughts quickly turned to the start of the 2012 regular season including the home opener Saturday against Elkhart Memorial at 12 noon. Any pre-season predictions are just wild guesses until some games are played against strangers.

"We're going to run into the season and find out what our issues are," said Strayer. "And then we'll see if we can handle those issues. We'll see if our guys can handle those roles. I don't know if they can or not. Defenses will come around and hitting will be okay. But pitching. There will be some games where we won't do well, but we'll see if we can't do this or that better."

"We have ability, but we'll have to locate, hit spots and throw multiple pitches over for strikes. If we can't do that, we're not going to beat teams like Lake Central."

Strayer said that's pretty much the case every year. You can hit all year indoors if you want to. And you can work defensively in the fieldhouse, especially in the infield. Defense is also something you can correct on the fly.

But teams go all winter without knowing if the pitchers they have can get enough people out to win games. You have to play somebody other than yourself in all game situations to find out the truth. And it may take a while like it did last season when the Bulldogs lost seven of their first 12 games, but finished 21-12 as sectional and regional champions.

"Exactly," said Strayer. "How do they handle themselves? Do you get all worked up? Can you come back from adversity? We don't know. We'll see."

DOG NOTES: Crown Point actually practices fairly normally on the Bulldog football field. They roll a batting cage into the north end zone and use a turf covered ramp as the pitching mound. While the ball travels faster on the fake grass, it's almost no different than the turf at Covaleski Stadium in South Bend where CP played Carroll in the 4A semistate last June.

The boys get to hit some 'feel good' homeruns into the visitors grandstand, less than 300 feet from the artificial turf setup 'home plate.'

The Bulldogs hope to have sophomore pitcher Jake Jatis available early next month. Jatis has had arm problems but coach Steve Strayer says he thinks the right hander will be back soon.

Jatis, who is almost 6-foot-5 now, will share first base with Ronnie Plesac, who had 'Tommy John' reconstructive surgery and cannot pitch this season.

Bulldog watchers expect Jake Lindeman (2-2, 3.09, 25 Ks in 23 innings), Zach Plesac, Johnny Lynk and others to fill out a pitching staff that graduated four seniors. But Strayer expects to miss junior left-hander Ronnie Plesac (5-1, 0.75 ERA, 47 Ks, 13 walks, 38 innings) pitching at the start of the season.

"It would have been different if we'd have had Ronnie," said Strayer, who will limit Pleasc to first base and designated-hitter duties only in 2012. "Because he's pitched in these circumstances before. It's hard for the team and our seniors, but he should be fine."

Crown Point Bulldogs Baseball Varsity Preview 2012

Crown Point Bulldogs
Baseball Varsity Preview 2012