Northwest Indiana 2004 Top-10

High School Baseball Poll: Week 4

4-21-2004

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

The baseball schedule isn't meant to go without rainouts. Tuesday's weather knocked out play in NW Indiana and gave teams a needed break. Wet weather figured to wipe out a lot of games the week of April 19-23. I always thought how odd it was that boys are forced to get out there and suffer in 38-degree weather but 60-and-rain is unplayable. There hasn't been a lot of change at the top in the first month. Bishop Noll just has not been able to win and Chesterton has. Those are the two biggest surprises.

1. LaPORTE (7-1)

LaPORTE - A 5-4 loss to Chesterton probably says more about Chesterton than it does about LaPorte. The Slicers bounced back with shutout wins 14-0 over weak Knox and 1-0 over Crown Point, a team that defeated them three times in 2003. Junior Blake Hindsley, a potential all-stater at catcher, singled in the winning run against CP to back left-handed pitcher Andy Weeks (3-0). Weeks throws noticeably harder than he did last season when he was 9-2 with a 1.18 ERA. Despite the lack of a definite No. 2 starter, no one has scored more than five runs on LaPorte all season. They are well on their way to a 38th consecutive 20-win season but they can't wear out Andy Weeks. This team needs some complete games from a No. 2 pitcher to go deep into the state tournament and I don't see him yet.

2. Andrean (6-2)

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean lost 2-0 to Munster left-hander Brian Bokowy Monday night (April 19) but, again, that probably says more about Bokowy than it does about Andrean. The 59ers slowed the victory march of Chesterton (7-2) with a decisive 11-2 win Saturday at Chesterton. Left-hander Steve Augsburger got that win. Junior Tommy Finn was 4-for-4 in a 15-5 win over Lowell Friday. This is still the best team in the LAC.

3. Lake Central (9-1)

ST. JOHN - There's not much difference between the top 3. LC rolled over Thornwood 5-0 and Merrillville 4-0. Right-hander Brett Summers (3-0) shut out Merrillville 4-0 Monday (April 19) and right-hander John Babinski (3-0) struck out 10 in a 16-7 windy day win over Portage. But who is Brandon Peters, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Thornwood in the Gary RailCats Steel Yard last week? LC played two errorless games after three errors each against Valparaiso and Portage. Brett Summers struck out 26 in his first four starts. Jon Babinski struck out 26 in his first three starts. Powerful pitching may cover a shaky defense.

4. Chesterton (7-2)

CHESTERTON - The Trojans roared out of the gate in DAC play with wins over LaPorte and Valparaiso, playing errorless ball in both games. Chesterton has now beaten the defending state champion (McCutcheon) and the 4A top-ranked team (LaPorte). A key is clearly three-sport star Matt Maple, who is leading off. Andrean smoked them 11-2 Saturday (April 17) but the Trojans bounced back with a 15-6 win at Valparaiso. behind four hits from 6-4 Casey Martin, another three-sport player. Josh Malone (3-0) has been a revelation at a No. 3 hitter as has relief pitcher Tom Albano (3-0). Realistically, I'm not sure how long they can keep winning in this league. They do not appear to have the pitching to stay ahead of LC and LaPorte. But coming off a 9-19 season, this team seems to have an offense that wont slump and they have to be in very high spirits.

5. Munster (9-1)

MUNSTER - Left-hander Brian Bokowy (3-0) struck out 13 in a one-hit, 2-0 shutout of Andrean Monday (April 19) night. That was three days after seven strikeouts in nine batters against Griffith, another good-hitting team. If he can pitch anywhere close to that it makes Munster a LAC title threat. The Mustangs have shown they have the offense with 85 runs in 10 games and a 14-4 win over 2A No.4 North Newton (9-1) was impressive. Like LaPorte, a No.2 pitcher needs to toss some complete games. Remember that the state tournament has gone to a hurry-up schedule and one pitcher won't get you to the state finals like Elliott Gibbs did for Munster in 2002. You wish the Mustangs played McCutcheon or Brownsburg or Penn or LaPorte and maybe some late season challenges can be arranged. Munster has two five-error games already and that indicates some defensive problems. The Mustangs always have to fight overconfidence because they are always highly ranked, no matter what they have. Munster was highly touted last year too and they didn't get out of the sectional.

6. Crown Point (6-4)

CROWN POINT - CP has more pitching than anyone except Lake Central and Andrean. Senior RHP Mike Schultz (1-2) has pitched three 7-inning complete games and has allowed only seven runs. 6-7 junior Adam Quinn (2-0) has won his first two varsity starts. Soph RHP Tommy Wise has a win and a save and soph lefty Matt Jansen has 22 strikeouts in 10 innings. Why have they lost four times? While CP scored 101 runs in 10 games, they have lost three games by one run and a fourth by two runs. The Bulldogs also had major defensive problems, but CP coach Steve Strayer installed two freshmen, 3B Chris Sarhoff and SS Matt Ernest on the left side of the infield. The pair have reputations as solid fielders but this move puts CP in the same boat as Griffith, starting two freshmen. Playing freshman is a shrewd, bold move but it's a long range move. Prep baseball teams that start freshmen usually don't win much of anything until the freshman aren't freshmen anymore.

7. Highland (7-3-1)

HIGHLAND - Highland also lacks pitching behind RHP Billy Metzen (4-0) and they lack defense behind all the pitchers. Five errors in a 12-2 loss to Merrillville and four more in that 9-9- tie with Griffith on April 19. Kevin Kulchar is a solid No.2 and he's a lefty, which is even better. The vast majority of prep players can't hit lefties. Not counting the tie, Highland had 65 runs in 10 games, which is not that many for a team playing the schedule they've played so far. I still like the infield and the pitching but the defense has to clean up.

8. Valparaiso (4-4)

VALPARAISO - Valpo's record would have looked better if they hadn't given up 10 runs in the seventh inning of a 15-6 loss to Chesterton on Monday (April 19). LC smoked them 8-3 but that's no shame. And the other defeats, 3-2 to 4A No. 1 Center Grove (8-0) and 6-4 to Munster (9-1), are 'good' losses. This team produced 50 runs in eight games and they have the capability to do better. Jon Charlson (2-2) has given them four decent starts but they (like many others in this poll) need a No. 2 pitcher to throw some complete games. Basketball star Brian McMillan hit home runs in three consecutive games including grand slams against Crown Point and New Prairie. They won't win the Duneland Conference but they could win their sectional.

9. Merrillville (6-4)

MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville had a strong first 10 games and they ran all over Highland 12-2 last Saturday (April 17) with 14 hits. Saturday games are somewhat misleading because league teams do not use their best pitchers. But the Pirates have 80 runs in 10 games, even after being shut out 4-0 by LC's Brett Summers Monday. Junior Daryl Evans has three home runs. Soph pitcher Evan Parker (3-0) is giving them quality starts. There's not a lot of pitching here so Merrillville has to hit a lot, but they can. Sophs Jose Ponce and Bo McClendon are part of a squad that is just starting to build.

10. Griffith (7-3-1)

GRIFFITH - After seven wins in a row they took three losses in a row, but that doesn't change things. The Panthers have been an offensive machine scoring 86 runs in the first 10 games. The heart of the batting order, senior Ben Bartley, junior Jim Swienconek and freshman Ryan Bridges, won't get shut out. Griffith did give up five runs in the bottom of the seventh in that 9-9 extra-inning tie with Highland Monday (April 19). They have pitching troubles and they have freshmen playing key roles, which is not a best case scenario. But Griffith has not made more than 3 errors in any game this year. The Panthers are going to be better than Clark (8-1) and KV (8-2) by May.

On the Rise:

Clark (9-1)

HAMMOND - Maybe. Clark always starts fast and fades because their schedule is back-loaded. The Pioneers first 10 games were full of more holes than a book of George Bush's war justifications. Among Clark's first nine patsies: East Chicago (1-7), TF North (2-10), St. Francis DeSales (0-11), Hammond (2-6) and Hanover Central (1-6). Steve Polak (4-0) is a good pitcher but the 2-1 loss Monday at rival Morton (6-4) isn't a surprise to anyone watching closely. Morton was the first winning team (Gavit is 4-4 at this writing) that Clark has played. In a real poll, you don't get ranked by beating losing teams.

What's going on?

Bishop Noll (2-6)

HAMMOND - Even with the qualification that Noll is a 2A school facing 4A teams, the slow start is a surprise. The starting pitching has not been good. In addition, the Warriors have not hit enough to overcome a lot of errors, almost five a game. Danny Faulkner (1-2) has pitched two complete games. The offense (42 runs in 8 games) has been good. Clearly, they won't win 20 and they won't win any league titles. But I still give them the excuse. Five of the six losses are to Class 4A teams and, again, Noll is a 2A school. Four of the six losses are by one run. The other loss was 5-4 to Andrean in 10 innings. This is STILL a good team. You just can't tell right now.

NOTES: Crown Point plays Michigan City at 5 p.m., Friday night (April 23) in the 6,800-seat SteelYard in downtown Gary. Lafayette Catholic (6-1) beat Class 1A No. 6 Tri-Central twice and also beat defending 4A state champion McCutcheon twice last week. This was after McCutcheon had defeated state runner up Brownsburg twice earlier in the week.

Benton Central smoked out Tipton 18-3 and 25-3 Saturday to stay undefeated. But a questionable schedule has kept them out of the state top 10. Usually, pollsters aren't very intelligent and they simply put anyone who is undefeated in the top-10. Clark is a good example of that. The Pioneers are rated third but their schedule is not what 3A No. 2 Evansville Memorial plays and certainly not what No. 8 Andrean plays.

Michael Johnson of 1A No. 1 Riverton Parke (8-0) hit three HRs in a double-header sweep 13-0 and 9-8 over Seeger. Crown Point (6-4) will play at No. 7 Terre Haute North (9-2) in late May.

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