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Preview: 43rd Indiana
State
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A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 5-25-2009 |
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Preview: 43rd Indiana
State
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A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 5-25-2009 |
Class 4A Sectional 1
in Munster
4A Sectional 1 at
Munster -
Quarterfinals -
Thurs., May 28
Lake Central (23-4)
vs. Munster (12-14)
5:00 p.m.
4A Sectional 1 at
Munster -
Quarterfinals -
Fri. May 29
Gary West Side vs.
East Chicago
(6-12-1) 4:30 p.m.
Morton (13-12) vs.
Highland
(12-12) 7:00
p.m.
4A Sectional 1 at
Munster -
Semifinals -
Saturday, May 29
LOWELL (9-17) vs.
Lake Central - 4:00
p.m.
EC (12-12) vs.
Highland or Morton -
6:30 p.m.
4A Sectional 1 at
Munster -
Championship Mon.
June 1
Championship - 7
p.m. - WWCA (1270)
Class 4A Sectional 2
in Chesterton
4A Sectional 2 at
Chesterton -
Quarterfinals -
Thurs. May 28
Valparaiso (13-12)
vs. Portage (16-12)
4:30 p.m.
Hobart (9-18) vs.
CROWN POINT (26-2)
7:00 p.m.
4A Sectional 2 at
Chesterton -
Quarterfinals -
Friday, May 29
MERRILLVILLE vs.
Chesterton (12-12)
4:30 p.m.
Michigan City vs. LaPorte (19-8) 7:00
p.m.
4A at Chesterton -
Semifinals - Monday,
June 1
Valparaiso/Portage
vs. CROWN POINT -
4:30 p.m.
Chesterton vs.
LaPorte - 7:00 p.m.
4A
at Chesterton -
Championship - Tuesday,
June 2
Championship - 7:00
p.m. - WWCA (1270)
AM
Class 4A Sectional 3
in South Bend
4A Sectional 3 at
(SB) Clay -
Quarterfinals -
Thursday, May 28
South Bend
Washington vs. South
Bend Clay (11-12)
Penn (25-3) vs.
South Bend Riley.
Class 4A at (SB)
Clay - Semifinals -
Friday, May 29
Clay vs. Penn; Adams
vs. Mishawaka (17-9)
Class 4A Sectional 4 in Elkhart
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| Senior Mike Kozlowski (24), is Crown Point's all-time home run leader. Kozlowski, a pitcher and third baseman, hit 14 in 2008 and has 13 going into the state tournament. (Photo by Mark Smith) |
4A LaPorte Regional
The big school bracket in Northwest Indiana has been dominated by Crown Point, which has advanced to the semistate the last two years and has a string of three consecutive sectional crowns.
Northridge played a solid game at Crown Point on May 24, but to get a regional rematch, they need to get by Warsaw and Elkhart Memorial, a tall order. Northridge did defeat Memorial 10-1 last week, but I like Warsaw to come out of Sectional Four.
Penn has been dominant in the South Bend area, losing only to Plymouth, Concord and Memorial in 28 games. The Kingsmen were 29-5 last year and they have defeated Crown Point, Andrean and Lake Central, arguably the top three teams in Lake County.
Lake Central has not lost to anyone in their sectional and they are a strong favorite to win three times at the Munster sectional. The Indians' two 10-run losses to Crown Point are hard to explain, but they play with confidence against everyone else and no one in the Munster sectional is over the .500 mark except Morton (13-12). LC has a lot of offensive firepower and since they will play back-to-back games Thursday (May 28) and Friday (May 29), they will need it.
The Chesterton Sectional format really helps Crown Point because their top two pitchers have a lot more experience than the next three. CP opens on Thursday night against Hobart and then gets three full days off before the semifinals on Monday, June 1. They could open with undefeated Josh Negele (7-0) or senior Mike Kozlowski (6-1) and bring either back three days later if they wanted to. The fact that the games will be played at night (less warm winds blowing out) favors anybody playing CP which has 42 homers in 28 games including 13 by all-stater Mike Kozlowski (.539, 13 HRs, 45 RBIs).
LaPorte is a solid favorite to get through the other half of the bracket, but they have to defeat CP, a team that has stopped them 9-4 and 11-0 this season. Chesterton has defeated CP 10-9, but they have not had the season they hoped to have and I don't know why. It should be Chesterton and CP in the final, but it will be LaPorte and CP.
Lake Central gets to play the quarterfinals and the semifinal during the day, which helps the offense whether they admit it or not. It's easier to pitch and harder to hit at night.
I've been looking for a reason that Crown Point, Lake Central and Penn will not advance to the regional and I cant find it. Go with three favorites here and the Warsaw-Northridge winner.
Class 4A LaPorte
Regional
June 6 - 11 a.m.
(probable winner in
parenthesis)
6-6-9 (Sat) Winner
at Munster (LC) vs.
Winner at Clay
(Penn) 11:00 a.m.
6-6-9 (Sat) Winner
at Memorial (Warsaw
or Northridge)
vs. Winner at
Chesterton (Crown
Point) 1:00 p.m.
6-6-9 (Sat)
Championship game -
7:00 p.m.
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reserved.
Revised: May 29, 2009.