2007, Week-2 NWI's BASEBALL Top-10 Poll

CROWN POINT (4-05-2007) - The weather hit hard this week as 35-degree afternoon temperatures and sub-freezing wind chills sent everybody indoors for a couple of days. Squads like Munster got a jump on everybody and played four games in the first 10 days while teams like Crown Point only got one game on the board. In the early going of the high school baseball season, the big winner is the team that plays and the big losers are the boys who get postponed.

But high schools need to show respect for the players and postpone games when the weather is extreme. Coaches like to test the 'toughness' of their players by forcing them to play in 35-degree weather and 20 mile-an-hour winds. Athletic directors look the other way because they don't want to bother to reschedule dates and umpires. The players suffer and the program suffers because you drive away anyone who might think about watching or caring when you do things that are obviously insane. Playing baseball in 35-degree weather is obviously insane.

The rankings are odd. Crown Point, rated fifth in Class 4A in the preseason poll, was not included in the second poll. Strange thing is, they dropped before they even played a game. Pre-season Class 2A, No. 3 Boone Grove didn't play a game in the first week and they remained ranked third in Class 2A. I can't explain that.

The 'RailCat Challenge' begins at Gary's US Steelyard this week, weather permitting. The first day games match Hanover Central against Lowell (11:30 a.m.) Saturday in game one of a double-header that also matches South Central and Washington Township. If you watched the White Sox play Cleveland Wednesday in between the snow flurries, you now know that pro baseball parks play the game if the weather is dry. They don't care how cold it is. The thermometer may never hit 40 degrees Saturday, but if the sun comes out, expect those prep games to be played. And while I admit, you have to have lost your mind to sit out in 35 degree weather to watch baseball. I know some of you are just that crazy. So, if you go, and you do not take at least two winter coats, you will freeze to death and your funeral will be postponed due to cold weather.

1.) 4A CROWN POINT (1-0)
22-9 (2006), 21-12 (2005), 17-11 (2004), 22-10 (2003)

CROWN POINT - Crown Point opened the season with a 14-0 walkover over an out-manned Hebron squad. Truthfully, Crown Point shouldn't be playing Hebron and they probably won't much longer. There is a school of thought that real high school shutouts and no-hitters require that you pitch a seven-inning complete game, but senior Chris Saroff gave up no hits in the five innings, striking out eight and walking two. CP had 12 hits including a home run from Tim Mummery and two hits each from Saroff, Vince Dawson and Matt Ernest. Crown Point plays in the Kankakee Valley Tournament this weekend. CP will play Kouts at 10 a.m. Saturday morning if everybody doesn't come to their senses and call it all off because of the cold.

2.) 3A Griffith (1-1)
23-8 (2006), 19-15 (2005), 19-14 (2004), 17-12 (2003)

GRIFFITH - Griffith lost in extra innings to Merrillville 4-2 after beating Portage 5-0. The pitching was strong and, early on, that's all that matters. Matt Kuna and Tim Cooper both tossed complete games and both pitched the first six innings without allowing a run. It was a good start for Griffith. Baseball games played in March have absolutely no lingering value. The value is almost totally in simply getting on the field. Note that 3A Griffith began the season with two 4A schools. Four errors in two games is a cause to worry, but it's too early to say anything that wasn't said in the preseason. I still think they're better than Andrean, but not by much.

3.) 3A ANDREAN (2-0)
25-8 (2006), 33-2 (2005), 26-8 (2004), 27-7 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean blasted Clark 7-0 after a 10-0 win over Gavit. Chris DiGiulio and Washington Township left-handed transfer Carl Chambers split six innings and allowed just two Gavit singles in the six-inning win on March 29 and sophomore right-hander Adam Norton allowed only Mike Carpen's double in Monday's 7-0 win. No errors in 14 innings is a good start. I don't know how many runs this team will score against good pitching, but 19 strikeouts in two games for the pitching staff is very strong. The offense is what you want to watch. Eddie Reardon (.439, 30 RBIs) last year is a key. I believe he missed the 2006 playoffs. They need to be able to blow half the teams out and create runs in close games and they should be able to do both.

4.) 4A Chesterton (0-0)
15-13 (2006),12-12 (2005), 19-9 (2004), 8-20 (2003)

CHESTERTON - I don't believe Chesterton has played as of yet. The scheduled Wednesday opener against East Chicago got lost in 31 degree weather. 2007 will be a big year for the Trojans, who will have to hear and read about a lot of teams that aren't as good as they are. This team returns 13 varsity players, including 6-foot-6 pitcher Sean Green (5-3, 2.53 ERA), who throws in the low 90s. Basketball star Zack Novak (.361 in 2006 returns in center field and catcher Jeff Gaston (.414) will be an all-area player. Even with Steve Peterson (3-2, 2.61 ERA), the Trojans might be a little short on pitching. But Chesterton will score runs and they will finish in the top half of the DAC as many will overlook them. Chesterton plays LaPorte (3-0) in a key DAC game at the US Steelyard on April 24 and they are in the tough Carmel Greyhound Invitational.

5.) 2A Boone Grove (1-0)
26-4 (2006), 24-7 (2005), 17-12 (2004), 21-7 (2003)

PORTER TOWNSHIP - Here's another team that's going to hear a lot about other teams that they can probably beat. Boone shut down Kankakee Valley 5-0 in a five-inning game cut short by darkness Monday (4-2-2007). Senior Joe Johnson gave up three hits and two walks and I didn't think he was the No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher on the Wolves. The 2007 team projects to be one of Boone's best. Hard-throwing Kyle Ferber (7-1) leads a quality pitching staff that includes Jim Kulchar (3-0) and David Diaz (5-1) and, apparently Johnson, who was the starting shortstop in 2006. Boone faces Merrillville, Portage, Michigan City, Valparaiso and Crown Point. They'll host 3A powerhouse West Lafayette (28-5 last year) and KV. There is a four-team Boone Grove tournament with Lowell and Boone travels to Kokomo for the Northwestern Classic. Add 4A Munster and 3A Knox and this is as touch a schedule as any 2A team plays. Last year Boone beat Munster and lost to Bishop Noll. You can't control the outcome of one baseball game. You can only play top foes and hope you get lucky in the postseason.

6.) 4A LaPORTE (3-0)
25-6 (2006), 30-5 (2005), 25-7 (2004), 22-10 (2003), 20-9 (2002), 28-2 (2001)

LaPORTE - LaPorte started very well, as they usually do, whipping Penn 6-2, smoking New Prairie 20-4 and rejecting South Bend Washington 12-2. Only the weather stopped LaPorte when the Slicers' game with Hobart was postponed Wednesday (4-4-2007). Tyler Overmeyer, the younger brother of 2006 all-stater Nick Overmeyer, is the LaPorte designated hitter and he had five hits and six RBIs in his first three games. New center fielder Kyle Rosenbaum was 5-for-10 in the first three games while senior shortstop Brad Phillips had six hits in three games. Mike Walls, who missed all last season with injuries, pitched the complete game against Penn. Junior Ian Nielson, who batted over .400 at first base last season, struck out eight in four innings against Washington. Lefty Neil Hackett struck out six in four shutout innings against New Prairie. We need to see more from this new Slicer crew, but I'm not going to lie to you. LaPorte has won at least 20 games for 40 years in a row and I do not expect that string to be broken this season, despite a tough schedule. If the weather is more reasonable, LaPorte plays Jefferson, Harrison and McCutcheon in the Joe Heath Classic in Lafayette this weekend.

7.) 4A LAKE CENTRAL (1-1)
19-10 (2006), 28-3 (2005), 24-7 (2004), 23-6-1 (2003)

ST. JOHN - Lake Central lost 6-5 to Morton in a game where they used six pitchers to get work. Give Morton credit, but LC didn't play that game to win. LC played Game Two to win with lefty Scott Handley pitching a seven inning complete game in a 2-1 win over Bishop Noll Tuesday (4-3-2007) night. This is a big physical squad with 6-foot-5 Danny Mannick, 6-foot-4 right-hander Matt Murphy and 6-foot-7 Eric Summers. LC's roster shows only four seniors and six juniors, but the sophomore class has had great success in youth leagues. AJ Doyle and Troy Russell are a solid, returning DP combination. LC heads south to find warm weather this weekend, and they'll invade North Posey to play Mt. Vernon (Illinois), Mt. Carmel and 2A, No. 1 North Posey (2-1)... IF the weatherman just lightens up.

8.) 4A Munster (2-2)
23-11 (2006), 19-14 (2005), 23-6 (2004), 20-10 (2003)

MUNSTER - Munster played as predicted in the first four games, scoring 35 runs and allowing 27. The Mustangs beat New Haven 9-2 on a trip to Terre Haute, but Munster then lost 4-3 to Terre Haute South and 12-11 to Mt. Vernon (2-1). Bret Keil was 4-for-5 against Mt. Vernon, but the pitching obviously must improve. Brandon Miller struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings against New Haven. But this is a good hit, no pitching team. At least, that's the way it is right now. Check back in eight weeks. I again say, who cares about wins and losses in March and April? If you got to play, you have a good day.

9.) 4A Valparaiso (2-1-1)
15-13 (2006), 8-21 (2005), 16-13 (2004), 25-5 (2003), 27-5 (2002)

VALPARAISO - Valparaiso bombed Knox 15-5 Tuesday (4-3-2007) as SS Sean Funes went 3-for-3 with a home run. That takes some of the stink out of Valpo's 11-1 loss to St. Joseph's Monday. Suspicions the Vikings are a little short on pitching grow louder. Valpo played a 2-2 tie with Elkhart Memorial as Chooch Sizemore struck out five and walked none in five innings. But you won't know until the weather warms up and everybody can pitch regularly.

10.) 3A Merrillville (3-0)
23-8 (2006), 12-15 (2005), 16-11 (2004), 7-20 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE - The Pirates are off a better start than anyone in NW Indiana except LaPorte. Merrillville beat Hobart 4-3, Gavit 12-2 and Griffith 4-2 in nine innings. Veteran Caleb Douglas, who was 7-1 last season, pitched a complete game against Gavit. Desmond Nunnery was a little lucky against Griffith because he walked nine batters and left the game with a 2-2 tie. This Pirate team will try to roll Douglas out to the mound as many times as they can. He started two of the first three games. Any real evaluation here will have to wait until we see the third and fourth pitchers on the staff.

On the outside looking in ...

3A Clark (2-2)
25-6 (2006), 22-7 (2005), 24-5 (2004), 21-8 (2003), 20-5 (2002)

HAMMOND - Clark was blanked 7-0 by Andrean Tuesday (4-3-2007) after a 15-4 win over St. Francis DeSales. Albert Carpen hit a grand slam homer and Jon Carpen got the pitching victory. I'm still not sure about Clark against good teams. They did beat Andrean and Griffith last year, but they were then no-hit by Norwell. The Pioneers have made 10 errors in three games, but that's always going to be the case as long as they play on that cow pasture they call a ballfield. The saving grace here is always the LAC Blue Division schedule. Clark can't possibly lose too many games in a row with the schedule they play. They are a good offensive team, but they're going to have to outscore people this year.

4A LOWELL (0-0)
9-20 (2006), 11-19-1 (2005), 11-18 (2004), 25-9 (2003), 20-11 (2002)

LOWELL - I don't know when Lowell's going to start playing. They lost last Friday's game (3-30-2007) due to wet ground and they lost Wednesday's game with Wheeler because of cold weather. I doubt the Thursday, April 5 game with Rensselaer will be played either. There are some problems with Lowell's field due to construction on the athletic complex. The Devils should have a big bounce back year with nine seniors including pitchers Jon Cap, Nick Bolda and Brian Gerlach. Despite the limited team success, Cap (4-5, 2.94 ERA) struck out 10 in a 3-0 win over Portage last year. Gerlach won a complete-game 2-1 at Highland. Nate Korth (.340) and Jon Stoner (.329) are a good double-play combination and Eric Roadruck takes over in CF. Catcher Josh Kuiper (.325), a three-sport standout and the Devils' sectional championship QB is the key to the team. But send their mail to the fieldhouse right now, because they can't get outdoors. Look for Lowell to get going in the US Steelyard on Saturday, April 7 at 11:20 a.m. against neighbor Hanover Central. If that game is postponed. Try Monday, April 9 against Kankakee Valley.

The Out-of-Towners ...

4A Jefferson (0-0)
20-10 (2006), 18-14 (2005), 19-13 (2004), 23-8 (2003), 21-8 (2002)

LAFAYETTE - Jefferson will take on LaPorte at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Joe Heath Classic in Lafayette and Eric Githens (6-1, 2.13 ERA in 2006) may be the starting pitcher. Githens has accepted a scholarship to Western Kentucky. Shortstop Brent McNeil (.412, 31 RBIs in 2006), another future college player, should anchor the defense. Jeff is one of the vaunted 'Lafayette 5', the five Tippecanoe County schools (McCutcheon, West Lafayette, Lafayette Catholic and Harrison are the others) who have won more state titles than everyone in Lake and Porter County combined. Jeff was 13-3 in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in 2006. McNeil (2-1, 1.38 ERA in 32 Ks in 26 innings) is the No. 2 pitcher, but it will be newcomers after that. Jeff is 180-95 in the last 10 years so they win two out of every three games. Jeff cold not see anyone from NW Indiana until the semistate, but the Saturday game with LaPorte will give a hint of whether they'd even be there.

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2007, Week-2, Top-10

High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana