2009 - Week-3, Top-10  High School Baseball Teams in Northwest Indiana
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 4-23-2009

ST. JOHN (4-24-2009) In late April, the top team became a little more defined as Lake Central and Crown Point continued to roll over the opposition.  Others like North Newton (4-0) and Portage (6-1) are playing well, but there's clearly a gap between the top two teams and everyone else.  Andrean (5-2) certainly has A chance to surpass their neighbors next month, but the 59ers have had so much trouble scoring runs in the first two weeks that there must be concern.  If they were playing 162 games, you'd just sit back and wait for the 'natural order' to return and the runs to pile up.  But high school baseball basically is 'short season' baseball and you can most definitely be in a slump for 30 games.

For the last two weeks, bad weather on Monday and Tuesday has created a 'three-day break' that is a mixed blessing.  If teams have field houses, the two days can be used in workouts before the boys get back outside to play Wednesday through Saturday.  But for teams without the large indoor facilities, the time inside is somewhat useless during the season other than watching film and working in batting cages.  I've always thought that outfielders in high school have a very difficult job because they can't practice at all indoors.  There's nothing they can do to improve defensively unless they get outside.

Another warm weather weekend is on tap with rainy weekdays to follow. That's not so bad.

The Railcats showcase continues with four games Saturday, April 25.  Andrean heads for the Brebeuf tourney on May 2-3 and Crown Point hosts Lansing, Illinois power Illiana Christian (9-3) May 1 at 5:00 p.m.

2009 RailCat Challenge (at Gary Steelyard)
all games at the Gary Steelyard, 2 blocks east of  US 20 and Broadway - Gary - all games $5
4-24 (F) Lew Wallace vs. Wirt - 4:30 p.m.
4-24 (F) Griffith vs. Whiting - 7:30 p.m.
4-25 (S) ANDREAN vs. Bishop Noll - 12:00 noon
4-25 (S) Calumet vs. East Chicago - 3:30 p.m.
4-25 (S) Hobart vs. LOWELL - 7:00 p.m.
4-28 (Tu) Michigan City vs. MERRILLVILLE - 7:00 p.m.
4-29 (W) North Newton vs. Wheeler - 5:00 p.m.

5-1 (F) (Lansing, Ill.) TF South vs. (Cal City) TF North - 7:00 p.m.
5-2 (S) HEBRON vs. Gary West Side - 4:00 p.m.
5-4 (Tu) Chesterton vs. LaPorte - 7:00 p.m.
5-8 (F) Gavit vs. Morton - 7:00 p.m.
5-9 (Sat) Marist vs. Mt. Carmel (2 games) 10:15 a.m.
5-9 (Sat) LaCrosse vs. Kankakee Valley - 3:30 p.m.
5-9 (Sat) Portage at LAKE CENTRAL - 7:00 p.m.

1.  (4A) LAKE CENTRAL  (10-0)
22-9-2 (2008), 16-12 (2007), 19-10 (2006), 28-3 (2005), 24-7 (2004), 23-6-1 (2003)

ST. JOHN:  The biggest win of the season came this week, a 1-0 triumph over LaPorte in DAC play. The Slicers remain No. 1 1/3 of the way through the season.LC topped Merrillville 12-2 and edged Valparaiso 6-5 to stay unbeaten. The Injuns have outscored nine foes 107-17. Senior right-hander Brett Summers (3-0) pitched 6 1/3 innings at Valpo, leading 6-1 going to the seventh inning. Unofficially, LC has not made more than two errors in any game so far.  This is an experienced team and they know they haven't done much until they get Portage (8-1), LaPorte (5-4) and Crown Point (11-0) in DAC play.  Lake Central plays arch-rival Crown Point on April 28 and, again  this year, that series is shaping up as being pivotal in the DAC race.

2.  (4A) CROWN POINT (11-0)
29-6-2 (2008), 29-3 (2007), 22-9 (2006), 21-12 (2005), 17-11 (2004), 23-10-1 (2003)

CROWN POINT:  CP continues to roll early in the season.  The Bulldogs were 14-0-2 last year before they lost.  In 2007 they were 15-0 before they got taken down for the first time.  This season, the Bulldogs improved to 11-0 with a 13-3 win over Valparaiso Wednesday.  Scott Donley (27-39, .692, 5 HRs, 22 RBIs), Josh Negele (18-35, .514, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs) and Mike Kozlowksi (16-31, .516, 4 HRs, 23 RBIs) are among those doing very well after 11 games.

Negele (3-0, 0.95 ERA) has 25 strikeouts in 15 innings.  Mike Kozlowski (3-0, 0.42 ERA) has 23 strikeouts in 17 innings.  This start (they have defeated 10 consecutive opponents by nine runs or more) could not possibly be better and there's a feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop here.  CP scored at least five runs in all of their first 11 games, but I do not have them No. 1 because the success they've had is too far over the top so far.  There will be days when they don't win by 10 runs, and unlike LC, this is a young team.  I don't know what happens when the Bulldogs come back to normal.  'Normal baseball' may begin Tuesday when undefeated Lake Central (10-0) gets to Crown Point for a 4:30 p.m. game.

3.  (3A) ANDREAN (6-2)
30-2 (2008), 25-10 (2007), 25-8 (2006), 33-2 (2005), 26-8 (2004), 27-7 (2003)

MERRILLVILLE:  The Niners won three games in a row, but they have not found the prolific offense they thought sure they'd have.  Let's be honest, everybody who was familiar with the 2009 59ers would have bet they'd have scored more than 39 runs in the first seven games.  The good news is: Without pitching ace Adam Norton (who has not pitched so far this year), Andrean still got a no-hitter from Mike Pokers to beat Lowell 4-0, a complete game from lefty Ken Mahala (2-1) to beat Griffith 2-1 and eight strikeouts from Thomas Polus in a 5-0 win over Chesterton Saturday (4-18-2009).  Lost in their offensive struggles is the fact that Andrean allowed just 18 runs in seven games.  The Niners play Bishop Noll at the Railcats Stadium Saturday (4-25-2009) at 12:00 noon.  Andrean heads for the Brebeuf tourney in Indianapolis on May 2 and they take on Chicagoland superpower Naperville Central Tuesday, May 5 at 5:00 p.m.

4.  (2A) BOONE GROVE (7-1)
27-4-1 (2008), 25-6-1 (2007), 26-4 (2006), 24-7 (2005), 17-12 (2004), 21-7 (2003)

PORTER TOWNSHIP:  Boone still has just the loss to North Newton on the record.  With just three seniors (Nick DiMarco, Lynn Strohl and Ben Vasquez) there was some doubt about how they'd start.  But they're getting a lot from John Sawa (10-22, 455) and Ryan Reynolds (8-19, .421, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs), and DiMarco (.333, 7 stolen bases, 2-0 1.27 ERA) has become a top all-purpose player.  I'm not sure who their rivals are in the PCC.  Washington Township and Hanover were the pre-season contenders.  Boone beat Hobart 12-1 and Kouts 5-4 last week and they rolled over Hanover Central 11-1 Wednesday.  Boone had games with Hanover Central and Munster this week but the rain may have rescheduled them.  The Wolves host sectional rival North Judson (8-1) on April 23 and we'll know more about them then.

5.  (4A) Chesterton (5-3)
18-10 (2008), 20-6 (2007), 15-13 (2006), 14-13 (2005), 18-9 (2004)

CHESTERTON:  Chesterton held off Merrillville 9-8 as Kevin Gates struck out eight, but gave up eight hits.  The Trojans went to the Joe Heath Classic in Lafayette where they split two games, beating West Lafayette 10-0 and losing to Jefferson 10-0.  The Trojans grabbed a big 7-5 win at LaPorte and they had their game with Crown Point rained out this week.  It's still early for the Trojans, having played just eight games while many others have played 10 or more.

6.  (4A) LaPorte (5-5)
21-9 (2008), 22-9 (2007), 25-6 (2006), 30-5 (2005), 25-7 (2004), 22-10 (2003)

LaPORTE:  I'm not ready to accept that LaPorte isn't a Top-10 team in this region just because they started the season playing like the Tampa Bay Rays.  Still, the Slicers' took a stomping from Crown Point 11-0 as they were one-hit by CP lefty Josh Negele.  LaPorte also lost 7-5 at home to Chesterton and 1-0 to LC.  I'm not sure there's anyone injured here and it could just be an early-season slide.  I don't have a good explanation for how they outscored their first six foes 66-11 and then were rolled 24-5 in the next four games.  The top of the DAC is so strong this year that LaPorte needs some serious rebounding to stay in the top half of the league, but this is a quality team.  The pitchers are somewhat new, but they have experience in the field.  Odds are they'll rebound, but last week was as ugly for them as it was for Rod Blagojevich.

7.  (3A) Kankakee Valley (8-3)
11-16-1 (2008), 20-10 (2007), 16-15 (2006), 22-9 (2005), 19-14 (2004)

8 .  (4A) Portage (8-1)
11-18 (2008), 12-17 (2007), 9-16 (2006), 10-16 (2005)

PORTAGE:  Obviously, I don't think Portage is the third best team in the DAC, but they have the third best record and it's been a long time since they could say that.  They have defeated Munster 5-2, Griffith 5-2 and Clark 5-3, but I don't know if that makes them a top team right now.  Dominick Reboy (2-0) pitched a three-hitter against Clark.  The Indians got 16 hits against Merrillville including a 5-for-5 by junior second baseman Tommy Mosely.  More power to them, but I'd be shocked if they finished in the top half of the DAC after 14 league games.

MOROCCO:  I'm hearing how North Newton cannot be a Top-10 team because, well, they're North Newton.  I grant you that they do not have anywhere near the depth of teams like Valparaiso and Clark.  The wins have been narrow: 5-4 over 2A No. 4 Boone.  5-4 over Kankakee Valley.  Two of the wins have been over winless teams (Hebron and Rensselaer).  But with Griffith and Munster living in . 500 land, Highland (2-6) and Lowell (2-7) hungry for wins and Morgan Township (6-1) having played even less of a schedule that the Spartans, I still like them here even over Morton.  Can they win the Greater South Shore Conference?  I'd say 'yes'.

GRIFFITH:  The Panthers may have hit a low Wednesday (4-22-2009) with eight errors that cost them a Northwest Crossroads Conference game with Munster 14-13.  I think they are better than Munster (5-5), but it's early in the season.  The Panthers lost 5-4 to Mishawaka on April 18, but they defeated Clay 5-1 behind right-hander Jason Short (2-0).  I'm still looking for that team that whipped up on Calumet 22-7 and Merrillville 12-2 and we can lose that team that lost to Crown Point 22-7 and Lake Central 15-3.  I still have my money on the Panthers having a 20-win season, but I also have stock in General Motors, too, so don't go by me.