Northwest Indiana 2004 Top-10

High School Baseball Poll: Week 5

4-28-2004

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Nobody made a major move last week as teams settled into league play. It's still far too early to judge ballclubs even though we are near the halfway point of the season. We still have not gotten into good weather and results remain erratic. Lake Central's double-header loss in Lafayette and Munster's 2-0 win over Andrean changed some minds but it shouldn't have. If your mind can be changed by one game you didn't have your mind made up. The state polls are messed up. Nobody believes the 3A poll which has Clark second and Andrean ninth. And you have to have doubts about a Top-10 poll which does not include Lake Central.

1. LaPORTE (10-2)

LaPORTE - The Slicers have lost 7-6 to Portage and 5-4 to Chesterton. They very easily could be 12-0 and they would be the undisputed No. 1 team in the state. LaPorte is the only team in this region, whom, if they were undefeated, they would be number one in the state. Blake Hindsley is establishing himself as a college prospect at catcher. Joel Matheney is 3-0 as a pitcher after a 6-2 complete game win over Plymouth. The Slicers shut down Merrillville 4-1 Monday, a solid win. But the Slicers are the state's only team where 10-2 can be considered a slight disappointment LaPorte has a showdown game Thursday at Lake Central (13-3) and it will be left-hander Andy Weeks (3-1), who has been nearly unbeatable as a starter.

2. Andrean (10-3)

MERRILLVILLE - The 59ers have won 10 of their last 12 and four in a row after Monday's 11-5 win over Hobart. In the 4-game streak, the 59ers outscored four foes 47-15. I still don't see any holes at all in this team. Nick Stockwell hit two home runs in a 16-4 win over KV on April 23 and he followed it up with a homer, double and four RBIs. Stockwell leads all of northwest Indiana with six homeruns this season. In a three-game span against Griffith, KV and Hobart, Stockwell was 8 of 13 with 4 HRs.

3. Lake Central (13-3)

ST. JOHN - Lake Central got swept in a double-header 18-17 and 6-5 by Harrison Saturday, but in West Lafayette, that's not considered an upset. Harrison is a better team than most northwest Indiana schools play and note that LC didn't use their top two pitchers. LC came back with a complete-game win by John Babinski (5-0) who has struck out 37 in 30 innings. Brett Summers struck out 11 in a 4-3 win over DAC co-leader Chesterton. The Indians are undefeated against northwest Indiana teams and they play a tougher schedule than Munster, Portage and probably LaPorte. LC hosts LaPorte (9-2) for the first time ever Thursday. The truth will be told.

4. Chesterton (9-3)

CHESTERTON - I don't understand how they're doing it and I still expect them to level off. But it didn't look like it Saturday when football QB Casey Martin ht a single, double, triple and HR in a 14-1 romp over a good young Griffith team. The Trojans had outscored the opposition 97-56 after 12 games and that opposition included LC, LaPorte, Harrison, Andrean and McCutcheon, easily five of the top 20 programs in the state. Josh Malone (3-1) was the losing pitcher in the 4-3 loss to LC but he pitched seven innings and allowed just four hits.

5. Munster (12-1)

MUNSTER - The Mustangs have staked out a 10-game winning streak including a 4-1 win Monday over arch-rival Highland. Left-hander Brian Bokowy struck out 13 in a two-hit win on the road and he has struck out 33 in his last 17 innings. Bokowy has 47 Ks in 26 games. Do they pitch Bokowy Saturday against Lake Central? Probably not. In a 3-game span against KV, Lowell and Highland, Munster's Scott Starewicz has eight base hits. The win over Highland was Munster's third errorless game of the season. Here's a team you wish played a state caliber schedule.

6. Crown Point (8-6)

CROWN POINT - There's a big drop off after the first five teams. Crown Point's pitching makes them sixth. They have allowed only 55 runs (3.8) all season and they are 8-6. The 4-3 win over Rensselaer was ominous and the 5-1 home loss to LC was not a shock. Despite a lot of runs scored (122 in 14 games), this is just not a good hitting team. The Bulldogs are working on their defensive problems, but you can't learn to hit during the season. CP must go to plan 'B' to win. Bunt and steal, hit-and-run and sacrifice. CP's starting pitchers, Adam Quinn, Matt Jansen and Mike Schultz to start, Jimmy Wilson and Tommy Wise in relief, is probably second only to Lake Central overall in this region. But you just can't go if you've got no 'O'.

7. Merrillville (8-6)

MERRILLVILLE - This is not a pitching and defense team. They run the bases and score. The Pirates stole eight bases in a 9-3 win over Yorktown on Saturday. The losses have been to Portage, LaPorte, Lake Central, Chesterton, Griffith and Boone Grove, all but one winning teams. The pitching is thin, but the offense is not. Junior Darryl Evans has 12 extra base hits: 6 doubles, four triples and two HRs. Thursday's game with Crown Point (8-6) could be pivotal for both teams.

8. Highland (9-6)

HIGHLAND - Highland has not made any significant move forward this season. The loss to Munster 4-1 Monday night was no big deal but they're suddenly giving up a lot of runs. The Trojans have given up 40 runs in the last 5 games and it's hard to understand because their pitching does not appear to be bad. Like Crown Point and Merrillville, Highland is out of their league race. The focus for the rest of the season is to prepare for a rematch with Munster in sectional play in June, but Highland can lift themselves at next month's LAC tournament.

9. Griffith (9-4)

GRIFFITH - This must be a fun team to watch, if not to coach. In a three-game span against Highland, Noll and Lowell, Griffith outscored the opposition 44-26. The Panthers scored 135 runs in their first 14 games, a wonderful 9.6 per game. Obviously the pitching and defense, which has allowed 6.1 runs a game, is a shortcoming. Junior Jim Swienconeck, the right fielder, hit two home runs in a 15-11 win over Lowell Monday. Unofficially, after 14 games, the left-handed hitter had 10 doubles, a triple and four HRs.

10. Portage (8-5)

PORTAGE - Portage has paid the cost to be the boss. They have beaten LaPorte, Merrillville and Crown Point and won 6 of 7 after an 0-3 start. Consecutive wins over Michigan City, Merrillville, LaPorte and 10-1 over Gavit have shown that the quality is there. The athletic ability, with players like pitcher Jon Rush and center fielder Milton Rivera, who I believe has hit safely in every game this season. The losses are to Munster (12-1), Andrean (10-3), Elkhart Memorial (11-2), KV and Harlan Academy, a Chicago Public League power. They need a number two pitcher to throw some complete games so Rush doesn't get used in relief until the playoffs.

On the Rise:

Clark (12-1)

HAMMOND - When do they play somebody? Among Clark's 12 punching bags: East Chicago (1-13), TF North (2-14), St. Francis DeSales (0-15), Hammond (2-10), Calumet (3-8), Lake Station (3-12) and Hanover Central (3-7). Steve Polak (6-0) is a good pitcher and his brother Drew was 4-for-4 last week in the 12-0 walkover against Lake Station. For this team to be ranked third in the state based on who they've beaten is a joke and they know it.

What's going on?

Hobart (9-6)

HOBART - The Brickies are a little like Chesterton with solid athletes like Mark Drobac, Josh Fuller and Matt Glover. Some of the wins are a little soft, victories over River Forest, Wirt, Lake Station, Hebron and Roosevelt. The Brickies have scored 39 runs in the last five games but they've allowed 51. Defensively, this isn't that bad a team and to get close and stay close. We need another 15 games to decide if this team has it made in the shade or if they are on the fade.

NOTES: Hanover Central faces Gary West Side at 5 p.m. Thursday in the 6,800-seat US Steelyard stadium in Gary. Hanover is the last region high school that has not played in the 2-year-old pro ballpark. Former major leaguer Dan Plesac will be honored on May 14 when Crown Point hosts Lafayette Jefferson. Plesac attended CPHS. Still no plans for TV or radio for the state baseball playoffs in northwest Indiana.

The 30th PCC Baseball tournament begins on Saturday, May 22 at Boone Grove High school.

PCC Baseball Tournament - quarterfinals (May 22) at Boone
BOONE GROVE (4-8) vs. South Central   -    9 a.m.
HANOVER CENTRAL (4-6) vs. Kouts (10-2-1)    -   11 a.m.

LaCrosse (3-9) vs. Washington Township (8-4) 1 p.m.
Morgan Township vs. Hebron - 3 p.m.

PCC Baseball Tournament - semifinals (May 24)
BOONE or SC vs. HC or Kouts (at Boone) 4:30 p.m.
LaCrosse or WT vs. Morgan or Hebron (at Washington Township) 4:30 p.m.

PCC Baseball Tournament - championship (May 26)
Championship game - 4:30 p.m.

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