CP Coach Strayer pushes Bulldogs expectations after 12-2 win over Michigan City at USS Steelyard

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-24-2004

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Michigan City (1-10, 0-5)	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	4	6
CROWN POINT (7-5, 1-4)	4	4	3	0	0	1	-	12	8	2

Friday, 4-23-2004 - 54 degrees, sunny in Gary

WP - Mike Schultz (2-2) CG No. 4, 7K, 2 walks
LP - Mike Pytynia (0-2) 0 Ks 1 walk (0 inn.)

Luke Siegmund (MC) 2 singles
Matt Cowan (CP) Double, 2 walks, RBI
Jake Pierce (CP) Single, walk, HBP
Matt Jansen (CP) Double, single, 2 RBIs
Matt Long (CP) Double, single

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
CROWN POINT (6-5, 0-4)	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	9	1
Chesterton (8-2, 4-0)	3	3	0	1	0	0	-	7	10	2

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 58 degrees, sunny in Chesterton

WP - Matt Jansen (1-2) (5 inn.) 4K, 3 walks
LP - Kevin Scott (2-0) CG, 5K, 0 walks

Josh Malone (C) HR, 3 RBIs
Casey Martin (C) 3 singles, 2 RBIs
Jim Bard (C) 2 singles, run scored
Jake Pierce (CP) 3 doubles, 2 runs scored

GARY (4-23-2004) - After two Duneland Athletic Conference games this week, coach Steve Strayer was not in the mood to sit back and enjoy Crown Point's annual game in the multimillion dollar 'Steelyard', downtown Gary's pro baseball park.

After the game, a 12-2 victory over Michigan City, most players happily lingered on the field while Strayer did a post-game radio interview on WEFM. But on the way to the bus, Strayer made it clear that play time's over.

"We expect to win against Lake Central on Tuesday night," he said with emphasis. "We're going over there planning on winning. We intend to win. I think the difference between us and them is expectations. Their expectations are very high. Ours have not been."

Crown Point (7-5, 1-4) expected to be better than 1-4 in Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) play this season so they came in expecting to beat the last place Wolves. Michigan City started the game like they just hoped to win. Starting pitcher Mike Pytynia may have been a little overwhelmed by the situation. The MC right-hander walked CP's new leadoff man Matt Cowan and Cowan scored on a two-base hit by second baseman Matt Long. Senior Jake Pierce was hit by a pitch and sophomore Matt Jansen doubled for two runs, making it 4-0.

In the second inning against relief pitcher Luke Siegmund, Matt Ernest singled and Cowan barely missed a home run with a line drive off the left field wall. Long sacrificed and Siegmund threw the ball past first base for an error, scoring the 6-0 run. Pierce's single made it 7-0 after two innings. A walk, a hit batter, two errors and an RBI single by Jansen made it 10-1 after three innings.

Senior Mike Schultz (2-2) pitched his fourth complete game of the season, allowing four hits and two walks. Strayer is very demanding where Schultz, his only senior pitcher, is concerned. The 6-2 righty has not allowed more than three runs in any game this season but Strayer has been emphasizing pitch location in different count situations.

"He made some mistakes tonight," said the coach. "Mike was much better Monday at LaPorte. "He was very good there."

Strayer, who had 10 20-win seasons as coach of his former school, 2A Boone Grove, plus a 23-10-1 debut in Crown Point last year, hints that this team is underachieving.

"We're pretty much out the DAC race, he said last week. "We've just got to work on being more consistent and getting better. We're losing games we shouldn't be losing."

Coach Steve Strayer was aware that everybody on his team did not get to play, even though the game was lopsided.

"I probably have some folks mad at me," he admits. "I just wanted to make sure we won. We had a JV game turn around against Michigan City the other night because we thought it was over and we pulled the regulars. We really needed this win. The ones who didn't get in (all four seniors did get in, but many subs and JV didn't) will hopefully get to play when we come back next year."

BULLDOG NOTES: A small crowd watched the Bulldogs' second annual game at the Steelyard. There is every indication that the Railcats Prep baseball Challenge will continue next season and all Lake and Porter teams will be asked back, although there was no announcement to that affect. Temperatures in the low 50s made conditions pleasant for fans until the sun set behind the grandstand.

A scout from NAIA Wabash College watched the game and talked to seniors Mike Schultz and Nick Bodinet afterwards. Schultz (2-2) has also attracted significant attention from DePauw University in Greencastle. Schultz has 28 strikeouts and eight walks in 26 innings.

Strayer played senior third baseman Doug Ricard, who had been benched in favor of freshman third baseman Chris Sarhoff. "Doug had a base hit the other night at Chesterton. He looked a little better up there."

Assistant coach Rick Florkiewicz praised Ricard for accepting the change.

"He admitted his head wasn't in it," Florkiewicz said. "You don't often get a kid who's willing to admit that. Sometimes the kids surprise you. You would hope a senior would act like that. "

CP right-fielder Dave Dickerson made four catches including one diving grab. After Matt Cowan's second inning line drive hit the fence, Dickerson was one of the CP players who appeared to be trying to hit CP's first home run in the Steelyard.

"It says 320 feet," he noted of the left field distance marking," but its further away than it looks."

Matt Jansen won a wooden bat from WEFM's sponsors as a reward for being the radio player-of-the Game, although he got advice not to actually use it in a game. "That's what everybody keeps telling me," he said.

Nick Bodinet echoed the feelings of his teammates. "I wish there was some way we could play here again," he said.

Lake Central defeated Michigan City 10-0 on Wednesday behind John Babinski (4-0) and the Indians (11-1, 4-0) turned back Chesterton 4-3 Friday behind right-hander Brett Summers. CP believed they would see Babinski in the CP-LC DAC match Tuesday.

LaPorte dropped two games out of first place, losing 7-6 to Portage (7-5, 4-1). LaPorte still has two league games to play with LC.

2004 CROWN POINT (7-4, 1-4)
Coach Steve Strayer 23-10-1 in 2003
all games at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated

4-3 (W) 35-0 (5) at Hammond (1-10)
4-4 (W) 4-3 Gavit (7-6)
4-6 (W) 4-2 Highland (8-5)

Kankakee Valley Invitational

4-10 (W) 13-1 Knox (2-8)
4-10 (L) 4-5 Kankakee Valley (8-4) title

4-13 (L) 2-3 PORTAGE (7-5)
4-14 (W) 20-6 at Hebron (2-8)
4-15 (L) 11-13 at VALPARAISO (5-3)
4-17 (W) 8-4 at Griffith (7-3)
4-19 (L) 0-1 at 4A No. 5 LaPORTE (8-2)

4-21 (L) 4-7 CHESTERTON (9-3)

4-23 (W) 12-2 (6) MICHIGAN CITY (1-10)
at RailCats Stadium - Gary - WEFM (95.9) FM

4-26 (M) Rensselaer (6-4)
4-27 (Tu) 4A No. 3 LAKE CENTRAL (11-1)
4-29 (Th) at MERRILLVILLE (7-5)

5-3 (M) at PORTAGE (7-5)
5-5 (W) VALPARAISO (6-5)
5-7 (F) 4A No. 5 LaPORTE (8-2) 7 p.m.
5-11 (Tu) CHESTERTON (8-3)
5-13 (Th) at MICHIGAN CITY (1-10)
5-14 (F) (Lafayette) Jefferson (6-5) 7 p.m.
5-18 (Tu) at 4A No. 3 LAKE CENTRAL (11-1)
5-20 (Th) MERRILLVILLE (7-5)

Terre Haute North Invitational
5-22 (S) 4A No. 9 Castle (7-1)
5-22 (S) 4A No. 7 Terre Haute North (9-2)
5-25 (Tu) at Lowell (6-6)
5-27 (Th) at 3A No. 3 Clark (10-1)
5-29 (S) Washington Township (7-5) 11 a.m.

MERRILLVILLE 4A Sectional
5-31-4 (M) quarterfinal
6-2-4 (W) semifinals
6-4-4 (F) Championship

4A Regional
6-8-4 (Tu) one game

Lafayette 4A Semi-State
6-12-4 (S) semifinals
6-12-4 (S) championship

4A State Championship (at Victory Field - Indianapolis)
6-19-4 (S) 7 p.m.