2010 - Week-10, Top-10  High School Baseball Teams in Northwest Indiana
	A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith 5-28-2010

LaPORTE (05-26-2010)  The playoffs were scheduled to begin in 90-degree heat Wednesday (5-26-2010), but that means that rain may scramble the schedule.  A handful of teams entered the playoffs on a streak, including LaPorte, Bishop Noll and Wheeler.  The final Class 4A poll indicated the strength of this area and the difficulty in ranking teams.

For example: LaPorte (24-3) and CP (26-4) split two regular season games.  LaPorte swept two games from Lake Central (20-5) while LC beat CP twice.  The final poll had LaPorte and Crown Point tied for second place in the state behind Cathedral (27-1), which defeated Lake Central.  LC lost to Penn, a team CP defeated.  LaPorte barely beat Clark to finish the season while CP topped Benton Central (17-7) and Western (15-4).

The final poll? CP and LaPorte tied for second while LC finished eighth.

We'll decide all that in a 10-day span where two of the 'Big-3" (LaPorte, LC and CP) must be eliminated by the end of the day on June 6.  The state playoffs are over for most very quickly.  If there is no serious rain (a big 'if') by the end of the day on June 6, there will be just 16 teams left from the 370 original squads.  Late movers seem to include Andrean, which added South Central-transfer Sean Mannea; Munster, which played well down the stretch and Bishop Noll, which slipped into the state top-10.

I wish the baseball tournament did not begin on the night of the boys track regional.  That's a major distraction for most schools.  But the bigger one is coming.  On June 6, the boys state tracks and the girls state tennis finals collide with the girls softball four team semistates and the boys four-team baseball regionals.  All occur the same day at the same time.

I am told the IHSAA does not feel this is a problem worth pushing back the baseball and softball post-seasons two weeks (until the end of June, where they used to be).  Athletic directors are on duty until the end of June anyway.  Its IHSAA members, who simply wish the school year to end so summer vacation can begin.  Believe it or not, that is the only reason I have ever heard as to why all the state tournaments must occur on the same days at the same time.  This for an organization that starts football practice in the last week of July, in theory, peak vacation time.  But then football is a revenue sport.

Most polls end when the season ends, but not here.

We'll have both softball and baseball polls back next week after the boys sectionals and the girls regionals.  We'll also have state tournament updates on 89.1 FM (WLPR, The Lakeshore) between 6-7 p.m. on the 'Region Sports Tonight' talk show.

1. (4A) LaPORTE (24-3)
21-10 (2009), 21-9 (2008), 22-9 (2007), 25-6 (2006), 30-5 (2005), 25-7 (2004)

LaPORTE:  The Slicers 7-6 win over Clark ended their 44th 20-win regular season.  The Slicers won the undisputed Duneland Conference championship, taking the title from Crown Point.  Conner Podkul (7-2) got the win in what was scheduled to be a double-header.  Clark (17-7) arrived at 6:15 p.m. for a 5:30 p.m. start, inducing both sides to cancel a second game that was scheduled.  The Slicers beat Merrillville to clinch the title on May 13 behind Kevin Upp (5-1) who struck out 11.  The Slicers won their final seven regular season games.  LaPorte should face Crown Point on Memorial Day (May 31) at 12:30 p.m. in the biggest game of the year and I would not be surprised to see Podkul as the pitcher.  If LaPorte meets Crown Point, LaPorte would be the home team on the scoreboard.  Don't let anyone tell you that does not matter.

2. (4A) CROWN POINT (26-4)
30-3 (2009), 29-6-2 (2008), 29-3 (2007), 22-9 (2006), 21-12 (2005)

CROWN POINT:  Crown Point lost 4-1 in the rain to Lake Central on May 20, but rallied to beat Western 3-1, Benton Central 11-9 and Kankakee Valley 10-2 to end the year on a high note.  Jeff Limbaugh had six RBIs in the final game and he finished the season unofficially with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs.  Josh Negele was the top pitcher (7-1, 0.76 ERA, 87 Ks, 23 walks in 55 innings).  Warmer weather and southwest winds favor CP greatly because they have scored 269 runs in 30 games (8.9 per game).  The format of the sectional (which CP hosts) allows Negele, the area's top left-hander to pitch Thursday afternoon (5-26-10) in the quarterfinals and Monday afternoon in the semifinals with a full four days rest.  The winner of LaPorte-CP should be the sectional champ.  But keep in mind the Bulldogs will be the road team in the quarterfinals and the semifinals.

3. (3A) ANDREAN (20-5)
33-2 (2009), 30-2 (2008), 25-10 (2007), 25-8 (2006), 33-2 (2005), 26-8 (2004)

MERRILLVILLE:  Andrean finally got the services of South Central transfer Sean Mannea in mid-May and he pitched a dominating 7-2 victory over Highland.  Mannea, a tall lefty, struck out seven and allowed just three singles to the Trojans (18-10) as the Niners charged to the Northwest Crossroads Conference title.  After losing to 4A No. 1 Cathedral (26-1), the Niners won their last seven games, including an 8-2 rout of Munster.  Andrean was short of pitching two weeks ago, but adding a senior left-hander jacks them up a couple of notches.
Two weeks ago, the Niners had no chance to return to the state finals, but with Mannea and Ken Mahala (6-0), you can't say that anymore.

4. (4A) LAKE CENTRAL (20-5)
27-5 (2009), 22-9-2 (2008), 16-12 (2007), 19-10 (2006), 28-3 (2005), 24-7 (2004)

ST. JOHN:  LC got smoked on the final day of the season, losing 4-1 to Penn and 11-1 to DeKalb and that has to be a concern heading into the playoff opener against a Munster team that's been improving.  LC swept Crown Point in the season series after a 4-1 win on May 20.  Kurt Kudrecki (7-1) pitched a complete game in the rain against CP, holding them to six hits.  He will undoubtedly go against Munster and Munster lefty Ryan Wilkinson in the playoff opener Thursday.  The Indians are a little shaky here and they must be good right away. The two losses on May 22 certainly heightened their sense of urgency.

5. (4A) VALPARAISO (19-8)
14-13 (2009), 13-15 (2008), 14-13 (2007)

6. (4A) HIGHLAND (18-10)
16-10 (2009), 18-11 (2008), 15-16 (2007), 14-14 (2006)

ST. JOHN:  Highland has some problems in the final days losing 8-2 to Andrean, 4-0 to Munster, 5-4 to Valparaiso and 2-1 to Bishop Noll (20-5) in the final 10 days.  Keith Mahler struck out five in the loss to Noll.  I think Highland and LaPorte have the best pitching staffs in Northwest Indiana, but we have reached the point where pitching depth matters about as much as safety regulations at BP.  The Trojans got a big break in the draw as rivals lake Central and Munster meet in the quarterfinals while the Trojans take on hard-hitting Lowell (12-12-1) in a Saturday morning semifinal.  The Trojans have Mahler (5-0), hard-throwing Jordan Minch (3-4) and John Livingston (5-1), but they can't burn too many of these guys against Lowell on Saturday as they will see Munster or LC two days later in the Munster Sectional final.  Due to the draw, Highland is the favorite at Munster.

7. (4A) MUNSTER (18-9)
11-16 (2009) 15-10 (2008), 22-7 (2007), 23-11 (2006)

MUNSTER:  Munster had to settle for a first place tie in the Northwest Crossroads Conference when they lost 8-2 to Andrean on May 22.  The Mustangs bombed Chesterton 10-2 to end the regular season and they have to get tough immediately on opening night of the playoffs.  Munster's big hope is that lefty Ryan Wilkinson can pitch the Mustangs to victory over high-powered LC Friday (May 28) and still be available in the sectional title game Monday to back up Kevin Watterson.  Wilkinson pitched a two-hit shutout against Highland (18-9) on May 20.  If there is a major state quarterfinal upset it is Munster over 4A No. 8 Lake Central.