LaPorte's Weeks records 11 Ks enroute to 2-hit, 1-0 shutout over Crown Point

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-20-2004

Team (Record) / Inning	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E	LOB
CROWN POINT (6-4, 0-3)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	2
LaPorte (7-1, 2-1)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	0	3

4-19-2004 - 68 degrees, sunny in LaPorte

WP - Andy Weeks (3-0) CG No. 3, 11K, 1 walk
LP - Mike Schultz (1-2) CG No. 3, 8K, 2 walks

Nick Overmeyer (L) Double
Kyle Scroggin (L) Single, stolen base, run scored
Blake Hindsley (L) Single, RBI
Dave Dickerson (CP) Single
Chris Sarhoff (CP) Single
Matt Long (CP) Single, stolen base

LaPORTE (4-19-2004) - You saw quite a few things in LaPorte's quick 1-0 win over Crown Point late Monday in the chilly late afternoon sunshine in LaPorte County. You saw Crown Point unveil a new all-freshman left side of the infield with shortstop Matt Ernest and third baseman Chris Sarhoff.

To be fair, the pair was playing on a the near perfect LaPorte infield and behind CP's top pitcher senior Mike Schultz. But the Bulldogs, who had made 13 errors in their previous three games, were almost flawless, with just one harmless throwing error from Ernest.

You also saw LaPorte's star left-hander Andy Weeks dominate Crown Point's offense, striking out 11 and pitching a two-hit seven inning shutout with only 89 pitches. CP had scored 26 runs against Hammond, 20 against Hebron, 11 against Valparaiso and eight just Saturday against Griffith but they didn't get a base runner to second base against Weeks, who shut out a much more experienced Crown Point team for 10 innings in the South Bend Regional last year.

But what you saw in the end was a crisply played 100-minute game, very fitting of Indiana's greatest prep baseball stage, the home field of the eight-time state champions.

"We didn't play badly," said Crown Point coach Steve Strayer. "We just cant hit. How many strikeouts did we have. Eleven? I just told the kids I wish we had battled them in the first three innings the way we did in the last three."

"We were overwhelmed in the first three innings. He's a good pitcher. A very good pitcher. I don't want to say we were intimidated, but we were overwhelmed because we hadn't seen anyone like Andy this year."

Weeks retired the first eight Bulldog batters before Sarhoff lined an 0-2 pitch into right field for a single. Weeks, who has a very deceptive pickoff move, picked Sarhoff off of first base to end the top of the third inning.

Schultz gave up a double and two walks in the first inning but retired Kyle Scroggin on a ground ball double play started by Sarhoff at third. Scroggin singled with one out in the fourth inning and stole second on a 1-0 pitch. On a 2-2 pitch, LaPorte catcher Blake Hindsley smacked a ground ball single to center to make it 1-0.

"Schultz pitched well," said Strayer. "I don't think the base hit that scored the run came on a bad pitch. "

The Bulldogs have scored a lot of runs against bad pitching with the wind blowing out but there is evidence they are not a strong hitting team. There is also evidence that CP's coaches know that. The latest reincarnation of their batting order had Matt Cowan in the third spot and Dave Dickerson, who hit third most of the season, batting fifth. Other than the 1-2 slots with senior Jake Pierce and junior Matt Long, who moved from shortstop to second base last weekend, the changes will probably keep coming.

"Matt (Long) is really a second baseman. We knew that and I think he knew that. He was pretty happy with the change." It isn't certain how much Ernest and Surhoff will play because it isn't possible to gauge how two 15-year-olds will hit in the Duneland Athletic Conference against 18 and 19 year olds.

"They're good ballplayers," said Strayer. "We knew they had a possibility of getting to the varsity this year. We didn't know if we'd use them. But we're getting them some experience now and we're just taking it one game at a time. Anything can happen."

In April, you'd rather play well and lose than play badly and win. Later on, that changes.

BULLDOG NOTES: Matt Ernest played shortstop on the Crown Point Little League (12-and-under) all-star team, that won 10 of 12 playoff games and reached the 2001 state finals in Jasper. Ernest hit five home runs in seven games to help the CP all-stars reach the final level. CP was 3-2 at the finals, losing twice to Brownsburg, which advanced to the 2001 Little League World Series.

LaPorte is not at all solid in the pitching department even though Weeks can be unhittable. "No. 2 has been a huge problem," said coach Scott Upp, who noted that his team had five games this week including two against Plymouth (April 24) on Saturday.

"If we could only get someone to step up and be consistent. We'll see what happens. We may just keep throwing everybody out there until we find somebody who can get people out. We've had to do that for a couple of years now. " Bet on that happening. Not only has Upp's Slicers won at least 20 games (129-29) in his previous five years, but LaPorte has won at least 20 games in each of the last 37 seasons. No school in Indiana is anywhere near that record.

Friday's Crown Point game vs. Michigan City at the Gary RailCats 'SteelYard' Stadium Stadium will be carried live on WEFM (95.9) FM.
The CP rematch against LaPorte next month is officially a night game beginning at 7 p.m. It will be the the first-ever home night game at Crown Point night school.

LaPorte catcher Blake Hindsley played 33 games last year and did not commit an error. He threw out 40 percent of all potential base stealers.

Junior Adam Quinn (2-0) pitched the win and sophomore Tommy Wise got the final eight outs for the save as Crown Point beat Griffith 8-4 Saturday. The CP right-hander allowed one hit, no walks and no runs.

The insanity of polls was showcased again when No.1 LaPorte lost 5-4 to Chesterton (7-2) on a neutral site and dropped to fifth place in this week's 4A poll.

2004 CROWN POINT (6-4, 0-3)
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 (1-8)
4-4 (W) 4-3 Gavit (4-2)
4-6 (W) 4-2 Highland (5-3)

Kankakee Valley Invitational
4-10 (W) 13-1 Knox (1-6)
4-10 (L) 4-5 Kankakee Valley (8-1) title

4-13 (L) 2-3 PORTAGE (3-4)
4-14 (W) 20-6 at Hebron (1-7)
4-15 (L) 11-13 at VALPARAISO (5-3)
4-17 (W) 8-4 at Griffith (7-3)
4-19 (L) 0-1 at LaPORTE (7-1)

4-21 (W) CHESTERTON (7-2)

4-23 (W) MICHIGAN CITY (1-7) 5 p.m.
at RailCats Stadium - Gary - WEFM (95.9) FM

4-26 (M) Rensselaer (4-4)
4-27 (Tu) LAKE CENTRAL (7-1)
4-29 (Th) at MERRILLVILLE (6-3)

5-3 (M) at PORTAGE (3-3)
5-5 (W) VALPARAISO (5-3)
5-7 (F) LaPORTE (7-1) 7 p.m.
5-11 (Tu) CHESTERTON (7-2)
5-13 (Th) at MICHIGAN CITY (1-7)
5-14 (F) (Lafayette) Jefferson (3-2) 7 p.m.
5-18 (Tu) at LAKE CENTRAL (7-1)
5-20 (Th) MERRILLVILLE (6-3)

Terre Haute North Invitational
5-22 (S) Castle
5-22 (S) Terre Haute North

5-25 (Tu) at Lowell (4-4)
5-27 (Th) at Clark (8-1)
5-29 (S) Washington Township (5-3) 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.