Hard-throwing Pembek's 13 Ks leads Wildcats to 9-3 upset of Boone Grove in Porter County Conference baseball

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

4-27-2004

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

(4-26-2003) - 54 degrees, sunny, windy in Cedar Lake

WP - Larry Pempek (1-1) CG No. 2, 13Ks, 8 walks
LP - Elliott Schultz (3-3) 1K, 3 walks ( 3 inn.)

Shawn Bishop (Boone) Triple, single, RBI
Kyle Markese (Boone) Double, single, RBI
Jake Huppenthal (HC) HR, single, 3 RBIs
Michael Wendlinger (HC) Single, 2 RBIs
Todd Sheehy (HC) Double, HBP, RBI
Adam Suarez (HC) Triple, 2 walks, RBI

CEDAR LAKE (4-26-2004) - I don't think that Hanover Central has suddenly surpassed Boone Grove as a team. One game, in baseball, truly means nothing. But those who gathered around the old Hanover Central baseball field in the sun and the wind Monday saw something they almost certainly have never seen. A decisive Hanover baseball win over Boone, 9-3 in Porter County Conference play.

"I don't know when the last time was we beat them," smiled HC coach Ron Szayni. "Not since I've been here."

"In our league," said Boone coach Rollie Thill. "One win over us makes everybody's year. We could go 0-7 in the league if we play like this."

Boone Grove has won the last six PCC baseball titles but they were poor on this day. In the second inning, Casey Clemens and Danny Prochno walked with one out against hard-throwing Hanover junior Larry Pempek but Pempek hooked up with shortstop Todd Sheehy to pick Clemens off second base. Jeremy Wright then struck out to end the threat.

Hanover scored five times in the second inning when Luke Besse and Jake Huppenthal singled with one out. After a wild pitch by Boone starting pitcher Elliot Schultz moved the runners to second and third, Dave Ploetz' safety squeeze bunt was successfully played by Schultz with the runners holding. In the key play of the game, HC sophomore Mike Wendlinger bounced a 2-1 pitch into left field for a two-run single. Pempek singled and Wendlinger scored on a close play after a Schultz wild pitch. Two walks later, Danny Kozlowski's two-run single made it 5-0 after two innings.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jake Huppenthal hit a line drive homerun to left to make it 7-0. When Todd Sheehy's RBI double in the bottom of the fourth negated a run Boone scratched across on a wild pitch in the top of the inning, Hanover led 8-1 and the issue was not truly in doubt.

Pempek is a revelation as a pitcher. He was a catcher most of last season. Only about 5-10, the right-hander threw very hard and, at least on Monday, has the stamina to maintain his velocity through 100 pitches.

"If we could get the pitch count down with some better pitch selection," said Szayni, "he'd be much better. And he has been better about that. He's got guys 1-2 and he takes them to a full count. He throws so hard he kind of mesmerizes himself sometimes. And his two seamer (two-seam fastball) runs in on right hand hitters. Once he gets total command of what he's got going, he will win."

Pempek struck out 13 and walked eight, throwing 137 pitches.

" He doesn't even know what he's got.''

Boone certainly doesn't know what they've got. The Wolves (5-7, 0-1 PCC) are a Class 2A team that has defeated four Class 4A foes.
"We've beaten four of the five Class 4A teams we've faced," said Thill. "These guys don't understand that they've got a target on their backs. Anybody in our league who beats us, it makes their season. Our kids don't get it. they think they can throw the gloves on the field and, because they're Boone Grove, the other team is going to roll over."

Boone can't be overlooked because of the caliber of schedule they play. But it's true. HC's win over Boone was easily their biggest victory of the season.

"This is a good win," said Szayni. "I'll take it. We've still got a lot to work on but that's high school baseball.

WILDCAT NOTES: The two largest crowds at the Gary Steelyard so far reportedly have been the crowds drawn by LaPorte for their game against Chesterton and by Kouts for their game against River Forest.

"I think the smaller schools appreciate this more," said HC coach Ron Szayni. "I wasn't happy we didn't get invited last year. I sent in our information as fast as I could. I don't know what happened. I've been there a couple of times already. It's great. Our guys are looking forward to it."

Boone Grove basketball star Danny Borys struck out four times but he did a solid job in relief with four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. The 6-4 right-hander has some potential as a hurler.

"He's always going to do a good job pitching," said Thill. The Boone coach has installed freshman Joe Johnson as his new shortstop. Johnson stroked a three-run double to beat Michigan City 5-4 last Saturday.

Hanover Central split a double-header in Beecher, Ill. Saturday, losing 10-0 in five inning and winning 7-4 on two-run homers by Larry Pempek and Adam Suarez. Danny Kozlowski hit a two-run homer in HC's 9-3 win over Morgan Township last Thursday. Pempek also pitched a complete game on that day, striking out seven and walking six.

How hard does Hanover junior right-hander Larry Pempek throw? "Mid-80s," said Szayni, who has been a pro scout during his time at Hanover. "About 85. He hit 82 on the gun at the Sox camp last year. Larry's got a very live arm."

Boone's Rollie Thill noted that. "I saw his arm when he was catching last year. He's got a college arm for a catcher."

Pempek's 13 strikeouts is not a season high. The HC junior struck out 14 on April 15 in a 14-3 victory at Whiting.

This is the final season for the present Hanover Central baseball diamond, which dates back to the opening of the school in 1967. The present baseball field, which will be the new site of the Hanover Central fieldhouse, will begin construction this summer. Not everyone is certain that the new baseball diamond, proposed to be east of the school, will be ready for next year. There is also a chance that the school could simply help renovate a field at the Cedar Lake Little League Complex as the Hanover varsity field.

The only necessity would be a practice field at the highs school. To have the practice field at the Little League Complex would require that players be bussed to practice and that's not a good option for anyone.

Other renovation plans still include expanding the running track to eight lanes, construction of a pool and a new softball field at the school.

Athletic director Dave Seils says that a proposed 2,500-seat basketball gym is now somewhat in limbo and being debated due to a rise in steel costs. With enrollment expected to rise over the next 10 years at Hanover, Seils feels the 'performance gym,' which will be used in tandem with the present 1,500-seat gym that was constructed with the school in the late 60s, is a necessity. Hanover has severe space problems with their athletic teams on winter nights.

2004 Hanover Central (4-6, 2-0)
Coach Ron Szayni (6 years) 60-84, 17-11 in 2003
All games at 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated; PCC games in CAPS

4-6 (L) 2-7 at Lowell (7-6)
4-9 (L) 0-3 at Gary Roosevelt (3-7)
4-10 (L) 2-13 at Gavit (7-7)
4-12 (L) 5-7 Clark (13-1)
4-15 (W) 14-3 at Whiting (7-7)
4-19 (L) 2-3 at WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (6-5)
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 (5-8)

4-27 (Tu) at Hammond (1-10)
4-29 (Th) at Gary West Side (2-6) at the US Steelyard - 5 p.m.
5-3-4 (M) South Newton
5-4-4 (Tu) Wirt
5-6-4 (Th) East Chicago
5-7 (F) at KOUTS (9-2-1)
5-10 (M) HEBRON
5-11 (Tu) at Calumet
5-12 (W) at LaCROSSE
5-13 (Th) Morton
5-15 (S) SOUTH CENTRAL
5-17 (M) North Newton (9-3)
5-18 (Tu) Lew Wallace
5-21 (F) at River Forest

PCC Championship - at Boone Grove
5-22 (S) PCC quarterfinals (all day)
5-24 (M) PCC semifinals - 4:30 p.m.
5-26 (W) PCC Championship - 4:30 p.m.

5-27 (Th) Lake Station

Boone Grove (2A) Regional
5-31-4 (M) quarterfinal
6-2-4 (W) semifinals
6-4-4 (F) Championship

2A Regional (home site)
6-8-4 (Tu) one game

2A Jimtown Semistate
6-12-4 (S) semifinals
6-12-4 (S) championship

2A State Championship (at Victory Field) - Indianapolis
6-19-4 (S) 12 noon.