2007, Week-5 NWI's BASEBALL Top-10 Poll

CROWN POINT (5-03-2007) - In the first of the major show down involving a NW Indiana power and one from another region, 3A No. 1 Norwell handed 3A No. 7 Andrean its worst defeat of the season, a 9-2 whipping at the Brebeuf Classic in Indianapolis. The Niners felt the heat from Jarrod Parker, who is one of the top-30 high school players in the nation. Parker (6-1, 175), a right-handed pitcher who, by multiple reports, throws at elite major league speed (in the mid 90s) regularly, may end up as the No. 1 draft choice of the Chicago Cubs or White Sox.

Norwell not only beat Andrean 9-2, they scored a dominating 17-0 victory over 4A No. 4 Anderson (10-2), a game in which they collected 11 extra base hits. Note to Andrean, Griffith and Clark (and Andrean no longer needs the memo)? Somebody in Class 3A is going to have to jack their game up to a level where they can beat a team which has a future major league pitcher and four or five other small college players.

Here comes the second big time match up where 4A No. 2 Crown Point (14-0) shoots for the No. 1 ranking when they go head-to-head with 4A No. 3 Carroll (13-1) at 2:30 p.m. (CST) in the semifinals of the Plymouth Invitational at Bill Nixon Field. This is the kind of high-profile game that will excite local fans. But unless someone makes an effort, nobody's ever going to know about it. How everyone locally ignored Andrean-Norwell last week is beyond me. I can only assume that no one locally had a clue that the 2003 state champ, rated No. 1 was facing the 2005 state champ, rated No. 3 in a prime time Friday match up.

As of now, no radio, no TV, no nothing for CP-Carroll. Maybe it's too late. Maybe nobody wants to do a broadcast on a warm spring afternoon. Maybe the newspapers don't want to send somebody 60 miles to Plymouth. If it was football, there'd be all kinds of coverage. The four teams at Plymouth -- Carroll, Penn, Plymouth and Crown Point -- are all big-winning programs. The title game is set for 7:30 p.m. (CST) Saturday night.

The next NW Indiana vs. 'someplace else' match up sends 3A No. 5 West Lafayette up to Porter County to face 2A No. 6 Boone Grove (10-1-1) the night of Friday, May 18.

One of the major criticisms of NW Indiana media is they channel George Bush and play on the 'us against the world' theme, as if all of NW Indiana is united against evil outsiders, who all hate us. As simple-minded as that may be, when there is a NW Indiana vs. 'someplace else' match up, nobody covers it. I know a lot of local media old-timers could not care less about anything that is not basketball or football. But this is an area of baseball prominence and I'd like to read about the big match ups.

Locally, Crown Point (14-0) takes on Boone Grove (10-1-1) Friday night, May 11 at Crown Point and Clark (9-5) takes their annual trip to DAC powerhouse LaPorte (10-5) on May 22 and that game is listed as a 7:00 p.m. start.

Morton improved to 12-1 with a 13-3 win over Lake Station Tuesday, but you can't seriously rank a team that is playing JV level foes. When they play LaPorte, call me. LaPorte is in the process of installing lights at the school's ball field, so Clark at LaPorte apparently is scheduled to be the first ever LaPorte night game. It's time to install our mid-term grades for the baseball Top-10.

1.) 4A CROWN POINT (14-0)
22-9 (2006), 21-12 (2005), 17-11 (2004), 22-10 (2003)

CROWN POINT - The Bulldogs stomped Highland 16-2 and Lake Central 10-0, sandwiched between a 3-2 win over Kankakee Valley and a 4-1 win at Portage Tuesday (5-01-2007). CP's depth in pitching is impressive. They have starting pitching they haven't even used yet. Lead starting pitchers Matt Ernest, Chris Saroff and Blake Mascarello are backed up by junior Eric Clayton and center fielder Jon Sertich, who was 5-0 last season, has not started one game yet. This is a big, strong team with at least five seniors who will play college football or baseball. Halfway through the season, there's not much negative to say here. You have to nit-pick to find flaws, but the Bulldogs are not a great offensive team. They do not have a conventional leadoff hitter or a true clean-up hitter. And Mascarello is not only the only quality left-handed hitter, he's the only left-handed hitter period. Since no Northwest Indiana team has ever gone unbeaten, it wouldn't be the worst thing for the Bulldogs if a loss took that 'undefeated' weight off their backs. But it can't happen Friday in the DAC showdown against Chesterton (8-4, 5-2). The Bulldogs need that game to win the DAC.

The GRADE: (A+) Nobody should be undefeated and they are.
The FUTURE: Uncertain. They have the pitching to win the six playoff games in 12 days required to get to the state finals, but there are pro caliber ace pitchers in their way.

2.) 3A ANDREAN (13-3)
25-8 (2006), 33-2 (2005), 26-8 (2004), 27-7 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE - The Niners got no love in Indianapolis, losing 5-2 to 4A No. 4 Anderson (12-0) and 9-2 to 3A No. 1 Norwell (12-0), but grabbing a 5-2 win over host Brebeuf. But Andean came back with a 12-1 beat down of Lowell Monday with big Eddie Reardon pitching. In this poll, you get more credit for a loss to a state-ranked team than you do for beating a .500 league rival. Beyond that, no one questions the offensive talent Andrean has collected to back up pitchers Chris DeGuilio (4-1), Adam Norton (4-0) and Carl Chambers (3-1). The Niners begin the final 16-team Lake Athletic Conference tournament Monday, May 14 and they will be one of the top seeds. The Niners will want another shot at resurgent Griffith (11-7), a team which beat the Niner 7-6 on April 18.

The GRADE: (A-) The pitching staff has not been quite as good as hoped for with the addition of Chambers, but they haven't lost to a bad team.
The FUTURE: Good. They are a solid sectional favorite and, it would seem, only Griffith could stop them at the regional level.

3.) 4A Chesterton (9-4)
15-13 (2006),12-12 (2005), 19-9 (2004), 8-20 (2003)

CHESTERTON - The Trojans have followed an 8-7, eight-inning loss to Lake Central on April 18 with five consecutive wins. In the first 13 games, Chesterton has outscored the opposition 109-49 and 6-foot-5 RHP Sean Green is 5-1 on the season after an 11-0, five-inning shutout of Valparaiso on Monday (4-30-2007). Pro scouts are watching the tall right-hander, the top pitcher in NW Indiana, who had 57 strikeouts in his first 36 innings. The Trojans blasted Merrillville 9-2 Tuesday with Matt Bailey collecting three hits. Green's only loss was 2-1 at Crown Point and there's no doubt he'll get a chance to even that score Friday (May 4) when the Bulldogs head to Chesterton for a 4:30 p.m. (CDT) game.

The GRADE: (B) A quality team, but they should be better than 9-4.
The FUTURE: Fair. Sean Green can beat anyone, but they need a sectional bye.

4.) 2A Boone Grove (10-1-1)
26-4 (2006), 24-7 (2005), 17-12 (2004), 21-7 (2003)

PORTER TOWNSHIP - Boone Grove's winning streak ran to seven games with Porter County Conference (PCC) wins 7-4 over Hanover Central and 7-1 over LaCrosse. The Wolves won the first-ever Wolf Invitational with a 2-1 win over Lowell, the third win for Class 2A No. 6 Boone over a Class 4A school this year. While they are virtually anonymous in NW Indiana, Boone now has 36 wins in their last 42 games. Coach Rollie Thill uses right-hander Jim Kulchar exclusively in relief where he has picked up four saves. After 12 games, Boone pitching had allowed only 26 runs all year and they've faced good 3A hitting teams like Griffith and Kankakee Valley. The question here is the same as it is with Crown Point. Do the Wolves have the offense to compensate when their pitchers get hit in the warmer weather?

The GRADE: (A) Not a dominant team, but pitching and defense are good.
The FUTURE: Very good. Lots of pitching. No big-time offense. They'll win the PCC. Then, they'll go until they get shut out.

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

LaPORTE - The Slicers bounced back from DAC losses to Crown Point and Chesterton to blank Merrillville 5-0 behind junior lefty Neal Hackett (4-1), who struck out 13. Center fielder Kyle Rosebaum, who is batting over .400, had two more base hits. Ian Nielsen drove in seven runs in a 13-7 win over Plymouth on April 21. LaPorte ran out of pitching in an 11-1 loss at Valpo Tuesday. Hackett has been strong, but he's a rookie lefty and Crown Point saw him in relief when the Bulldogs beat LaPorte three weeks ago. It's likely that the right-handed Nielsen (4-0), one of the region's most valuable players, is being lined up to face the right-hand hitting dominated lineup of Crown Point (14-0) next Thursday, May 10.

The GRADE: (B+) Again, LaPorte has moved quality players up to the varsity and had them do well. The offense is good.
The FUTURE: Shaky. They do not have the pitchers they've had in past years.

6.) 4A Munster (9-5)
23-11 (2006), 19-14 (2005), 23-6 (2004), 20-10 (2003)

MUNSTER - Munster has benefited from the return of senior pitcher Chris Winterhaler (1-1), who with two postponements, was able to pitch back-to-back games, beating Highland 6-0 and losing to Griffith 5-2. Winterhaler will help the Mustangs significantly as an anchor in an inexperienced pitching staff. Bret Keil was 3-for-4 against Highland and Pat Kozlowski was 3-for-3. Munster stomped on Bishop Noll 14-2 Tuesday (5-1-2007) night as Adam Enbright had three hits. Thank goodness for fields with lights. Munster will try to make up two postponements the night of May 8 when they host Hobart at 4:30 p.m. and Boone Grove at 7:30 p.m. Munster has quality games remaining with Chesterton, Merrillville and Boone. The Mustangs have to remember that their LAC record doesn't matter once the sectional starts, because it's highly unlikely they can see more than one LAC team in the post-season. Munster will benefit by the breakup of the LAC more than most, because they are usually willing and able to travel.

The GRADE: (B) I think 9-5 is better than what they should be.
The FUTURE: Good. LC is young and Highland isn't as good. Munster should win the sectional.

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

ST. JOHN - Lake Central is wildly inconsistent as should be expected with a team that starts five sophomores. LC lost two of their first three and then won three in a row. After a 12-2 stomping by LaPorte, the Indians came back to win three more. Then, they were stomped again 10-0 by CP. The Indians have shown their offensive ability in high scoring wins 13-11 over Harrison, 8-7 over Chesterton, 8-7 over Valparasio and 13-3 over Thornwood. But they've also had several breakdowns like the awful seven error game Monday in a 10-0 loss at Crown Point. This team has more talent than Munster and Boone and possibly LaPorte and Chesterton as well. The postponements have hurt this team. They need to play regularly. This team is overwhelming or over-and-out, depending on what day you see them.

The GRADE: (C) I had hoped for some less crushing losses.
The FUTURE: Very questionable. They are the most talented team in their sectional, but they are also the most inexperienced. At this level, it's better to be the other way around.

8.) 3A Griffith (11-7)
23-8 (2006), 19-15 (2005), 19-14 (2004), 17-12 (2003)

GRIFFITH - The Panthers came to life with a five-game winning streak, including an 8-1 win over Lowell, a 6-5 win over Kankakee Valley and a 5-2 win over Munster. Admittedly, there was a double-header sweep of North Judson in there, but we'll let that one go. Griffith played three games on Saturday, April 28 and won all three, a big turnaround in the season. It was also a big gamble because you can go 0-3, too. Senior right-hander Matt Kuna pitched a complete game win over KV and Will Frets did the same in the 5-2 win at Munster, arguably the Panthers biggest win of the season. The Panthers got the whipping stick out on Hobart 12-6 Tuesday (5-1-2007) behnd two homeruns from Ryan Bridges. Griffith's rise should continue in the upcoming LAC tournament, which is arriving, for them, at the right time.

The GRADE: (C) Like with the Cubs, I expected more in April. I thought they'd be better than 11-7 at this point.
The FUTURE: Very promising. Unlike most teams, they have a No. 1 pitcher and a true clean up hitter. They are on the rise and the sectional favorite again.

9.) 4A Valparaiso (8-7-1)
15-13 (2006), 8-21 (2005), 16-13 (2004), 25-5 (2003), 27-5 (2002)

VALPARAISO - The Vikings swept a double-header from Warsaw 6-5 and 9-5 Saturday (4-28-2007) with a 13-hit attack in the second game. They did the roller-coaster, losing 11-0 to Chesterton Monday (4-30-2007) and beating LaPorte by the same score Tuesday (5-1-2007). I sense this team hasn't played consistently and does not know where they are. Lefty Chooch Sizemore gives them hope for one playoff upset. But in the long run 14-game DAC, what they are now is what they will be. A .500 team.

The GRADE: (C) .500 and very inconsistent, which is the definition of a 'C'.
The FUTURE: Not good. There are two significantly better teams in their league and sectional.

10.) 4A Merrillville (7-7)
23-8 (2006), 12-15 (2005), 16-11 (2004), 7-20 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE - The Pirates got shut down 5-0 by LaPorte Monday (4-30-2007) and took a spanking 9-2 from Chesterton Tuesday (5-1-2007). They've had a worse two weeks than Alberto Gonzales. With Caleb Douglas as the lead pitcher, the Pirates still will compete as they did on April 18 when the right-hander tossed a six hit shutout at Portage. But this team didn't have much offense last year when they were DAC champs. What's happening to the Pirates is not surprising, playing in a big school league with top programs. Merrillville still has that early season win over Boone (10-1-1) and they are better than Morton (11-1) which has excelled against bad teams.

The GRADE: (C+) Don't hate. .500 is where they should be in a rebuilding year.
The FUTURE: Not good. They do not have the offense or pitching to win the sectional this year.

On the outside looking in ...

3A Clark (9-5)
25-6 (2006), 22-7 (2005), 24-5 (2004), 21-8 (2003), 20-5 (2002)

HAMMOND - The Pioneers tuned back Wheeler 2-0 behind right-hander Trent Howard, who struck out 12. Howard struck out 14 in a 10-0 win over Whiting on April 24 and he fanned 14 against Morton on April 16. The junior has four games of 10 strikeouts or more, but he needs better competition. I would hope they pitch him at LaPorte in the final week of the season. I give them credit for playing Mt. Carmel (12-4), a team they lost to 5-4 after going down 4-0 in the first inning. The Pioneers also head out to LaPorte on the 22nd and hopefully, they'd let Howard pitch that game to face some real bats.

The GRADE: (C) Better than average, but they lost to Morton. What's up with that?
The FUTURE: Fair. There's still maximum offense here, but only one pitcher.

3A Kankakee Valley (8-7)
16-15 (2006), 22-9 (2005), 0-0 (2004), 0-0 (2003), 0-0 (2002)

DeMOTTE - The Kougars beat down Highland 12-6 and Lowell 17-4 this week to get back over the .500 mark. They have been bothered by injuries and suspensions, but KV is on the rise. Matt Dobin pitched a complete game and hit a homer against Highland. Cory Bifoss, who hit .447 last year, was 3-for-4 against Highland and 2-for-4 against Lowell. After 15 games, KV has scored 121 runs (8.0) but they've allowed 87, an average of 5.7 which is far too high. Dobin and Bifoss give the Kougars an attack that can score on anyone. The Kougars have played a good schedule, facing Boone, CP, Munster, Griffith, and Andrean.

The GRADE: (C+) With Dobin out nine games, the winning record is good.
The FUTURE: Fair. We need more pitching here, but KV has a fighting chance against Andrean at the sectional.

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2007, Week-5, Top-10

High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana