Boys H.S. Baseball: Hanover 14, Hebron 7</font> </font>

Hanover Central opens new home field with 14-7 win over rival Hebron

A USA-365 special report by Mark Smith

5-9-2006

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Hebron (5-9)	0	1	0	0	5	0	1	7	7	3
HANOVER CENTRAL (9-6)	5	1	4	3	1	0	-	14	14	1

Monday, May 8, 2006 - 72 degrees partly cloudy, PCC at Cedar Lake

WP - Joe Angone (3-3) 6K, 4 walks (6.3 inn.)
LP - Rob Bramlet (2-2) 0K, 1 walk (2.7 inn.)

HEBRON (5-10, 2-3 PCC)
Steve Owen (RF) HR, double, 5 RBIs
Henry Hamman (P) Double, single walk
Ryan Langbehn (SS) Triple double, 2 RBIs
Andrew Stalbaum (3B) Double, walk

HANOVER CENTRAL (9-6, 3-2 PCC)
Brent DeMateo (LF) HR, walk, RBI
Michael Wendlinger (RF) Double, single, RBI
Todd Sheehy (SS) HR, 2 RBIs
Mark Myszkowski (2B) Triple, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs
Brian Jager (C) 2 singles, RBI
Andrew DeYoung (CF) Single, RBI
Jake Huppenthal (PH) HR, RBI

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
HANOVER CENTRAL (8-6)	1	6	0	0	0	1	1	9	11	3
Kouts (4-8)	0	1	0	3	0	1	0	5	8	4

Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 65 degrees, sunny, PCC at Kouts

WP - Jake Kint (2-2) 4K, 1 walk
LP - Matt Morris (2-3) 5K, 4 walks

HANOVER CENTRAL (8-6, 2-2 PCC)
Jordan Rizo (3B) HR, double, RBI
Michael Wendlinger (RF) 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Joe Angone (RF) 2 singles, 3 RBIs
Andrew DeYoung (CF) 2 singles, 3 runs scored

KOUTS (4-8, 0-3 PCC)
Andy Rasala (OF) HR, RBI
Matt Morris (P) 2 singles, RBI

CEDAR LAKE (5-8-2006) It didn't have to turn out this way. Believe me, it didn't have to be anything like this. But Hanover Central's first home baseball game since the end of the 2004 season was a success and then some. Under partly cloudy skies and in 72 degree temperatures, Hanover posted one of their best offensive showings of the season roaring to a 13-1 lead and coasting to a 14-7 victory over arch-rival Hebron on the brand new Hanover high baseball field northeast of the school.

The new field was a revelation and there are many details that are unfinished. It is in many ways still under construction and, in truth, work was being done on the field as the Hebron bus pulled into the HC parking lot. But the field is large and open, with room for whatever friends of the program can assemble in future years. The new turf is understandably a little brown, but smooth, while the mound and infield dirt seem near perfect. The infield grass is a little slow and the outfield is fast. And even though the totally fenced-in field has almost pro dimensions, 330 feet down each line and an estimated 380 feet to center, the ball, at least on this day, carried very well.

Jake Huppenthal, Todd Sheehy and Brent DeMateo go down in Hanover history for hitting home runs in the very first game on the new diamond, which will be dedicated at a game later this season. Junior right-hander Joe Angone (2-2) took a 13-1 lead into the fifth inning and hung on with senior Matt Kozlowski recording the last two outs. Hanover led all the way, winning for the fifth game in a row.

"It's exciting," said new coach Al Myszkowski, himself a Hanover players just seven years ago. "I'm happy just to be here right now. I'm still a little young just to be in this position. This team is really starting to play well and the Legion team should be good. We'll have a lot of these same guys."

Hanover scored five runs in the first inning against right-hander Henry Hamman, who is normally an outfielder. Andrew DeYoung led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk and he scored on a wild pitch and a single by sophomore Brian Jager. Mark Myszkowski then lined an RBI triple to left center to make it 2-0. Three more runs scored on Joe Angone's ground out, and RBI first inning singles from Michael Wendlinger and Jon Kint.

Myszkowski's slicing RBI double to right made it 6-1 in the second inning, and run-scoring hits from DeYoung and Myszkowski sparked a four-run third inning to make it 10-1. Hebron awoke on a 400-foot grand slam homer by Steve Owen in the fifth inning, but there was never a time late in the game when you seriously thought that Hanover would not win the first game ever in their new baseball home.

The event was not so much the game, but the fact that the new field, Hanover's home for potentially decades to come, was playable in time for the baseball class of 2006 to play its final games there. The homers by seniors Sheehy and DeMateo were fitting since construction of the field was rushed so HC's six seniors would be able to play the final six or seven home games in the shadow of the renovated Hanover school building.

"It really does mean something," said Sheehy, HC's senior shortstop. "I really didn't think we'd play here this year. Can we go undefeated at home? That would be nice."

"The bounces on this infield are amazing," said Mark Myszkowski, who had three extra base hits. "If it hits the dirt, it's going to rocket. But if it's on the grass, there's no reason it should not be an out."

"That's DeMateo's first home run. He's really been mad because he couldn't get one. I even hit two before him. He was furious. Now that he hit one, he kinda rubbed it in in my face."

Hanover's principal Joe Fetty, who attends many home athletic events was on hand along with superintendent George Lilivich. Many who worked on the field also showed up to see the home team play on this site for the first time. Athletic director Dave Seils said that eventually the field area will be surrounded by a second fence for security and eventually admission will be charged to home games. But for now, everybody gets in free. The field will be dedicated at a 'Senior Day' ceremony later this month.

"We've got the foul poles going up," said Al Myszkowski. "The scoreboard's going up. And hopefully, we'll be putting a PCC championship banner up very soon. Maybe a sectional championship banner, too."

CAT NOTES: Hanover Central starts a four-game home stand against Morton Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and they host South Central Saturday (5-13-2006) morning at 11:00 a.m. North Newton visits Cedar Lake Monday afternoon, May 15 at 4:30 p.m., while Lew Wallace is scheduled to be at Hanover Central on Tuesday, May 16. The final home game is Thursday, May 25.

HC drew first place Washington Township (12-2) in the 11:00 a.m. quarterfinal game on opening day of the PCC tournament at Boone Grove on May 20. Washington improved to 5-0 in round robin play with a 7-3 eight-inning victory over Class 2A No. 5 Boone Grove last Thursday. Hanover Central has never won the PCC baseball tournament.

The scoreboard for the new field has arrived at Hanover. It simply had not been installed in time for the first game. The fence behind home plate is unusually high, nearly 30 feet tall, preventing anything but a pop up from leaving the field behind home late. There is no designated parking lot as of yet.

This field will have none of the drainage problems of the old field, which was built in the late 1960s northwest of the school. It is visibly crowned, meaning it is noticeably higher in the center than along the baselines. Water will run off into large drainage ditches north and west of the field. The home and visitors stands, which seat about 75-100 each, were completed during the day Monday and the Hanover side was almost full. There is room for another set of stands which could increase the capacity to over 500. Athletic director Dave Seils didn't totally dismiss the possibility of putting stands up against the outfield fence to creates bleacher seating.

There is talk that NIPSCO will donate light poles if Hanover can raise money for lights. There will be an adult under-40 summer team playing at the new Hanover field which tentatively will also be the home of the Cedar Lake Post 261 all-stars, which will be largely Hanover players and graduates. All of Hanover's seniors played for Post 261 last summer.

Hanover has been sparked by the 1-2 batting order combo of sophomore Andrew DeYoung and sophomore Brian Jager. Coach Myskowski also believes he may have the dominant type of middle of the order power hitter that graduated Larry Pempek (Ball State U.) was for the last three years. Freshman Jordan Rizo, a starter on HC's varsity basketball team, will be one of the replacements next year when the four man perimeter of HC's infield graduates.

"He's big and he's been coming on," said Myszkowski. "Third base is his natural position. He had six home runs on the JV. It doesn't make any sense to leave him down there. He hit one at Kouts last week (in a 9-5 win) and it carried 400 feet. It was a no doubter. He's 6-2 and very strong."