Pre-Season 2005 Top-10

High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana: 4-6-2005

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

At long last... some warmer temperatures, extended stretches of sunshine and now... the long-awaited USA-365 Top-10 Pre-season poll for the 2005 high school boys baseball season. Without further ado, here's our top-10 pre-season teams:

1. LaPORTE (3-0)

25-7 (2004), 22-10-1 (2003), 20-9 (2002) 28-2 (2001)

LaPORTE - The Slicers roared out of the box this month, whipping Penn 10-3, South Bend Washington 19-9 and New Prairie 14-4.

This is an elite team that might've won the state title in 2004 had not top-ranked Brownsburg stopped them at the regional level.

Left-hander Andy Weeks (11-3, 1.72 ERA) is the region's top southpaw. Leadoff man Andy Overmeyer has started every game since day one of his freshman season. Catcher Blake Hindsley (.380, 27 RBIs), right fielder Joel Chrobak (.416, 5 HRs, 28 RBIs) and shortstop Joel Matheny (.298, 27 RBIs) are solid anchors.

Weeks' cousin Nolan Weeks is out for the year after arm surgery and a No. 2 pitcher is a question. Junior Matt Antos pitched a complete game in the 14-4 win over Washington, but that's not a test.

Hindsley started the year 8-for-10 while Overmeyer was batting .615 after three games.

LaPorte, with eight state titles and 38 consecutive 20-win seasons and 46 consecutive winning seasons, sees nothing short of the state finals as a legitimate goal so there will be no need for motivating these boys. A 20-win season is a better bet than North Carolina over Illinois in basketball.

When Weeks isn't pitching, they're beatable. When Weeks is pitching, with a quartet of three-year starters behind him, just hope it rains.

2. Andrean (3-0)

27-8 (2004), 26-8 (2003), 27-7 (2002), 25-5 (2001)

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean is a little short on pitching but, with that said, the rest of the lineup is not short on anything. The 59ers were blessed with two all-area transfers in left-handed hitting first baseman Joe Mack (transfer from Indianapolis Roncalli) and catcher Greg Yersich (transfer from Chicago-St. Rita).

Mack is not fast but he's a classic left-handed line drive hitter. Yersich has a high-velocity arm behind the plate and home run power in the batter's box. He is the caliber of player who may go straight to professional baseball.

Center fielder Chris Skinner will anchor the outfield and football quarterback Tommy Finn (.440) is a top shortstop. Speedy halfback Joaquin Rodriguez is a good right fielder and submarine style right hander Anthony Cera is a trouble-making relief pitcher.

The 59ers will have to find starting pitching after Steve Augsburger (7-2, 1.75) and Brad King (4-1, 2.18). But the 59ers, who started the season with wins over Thornwood 15-5, Providence Catholic 7-6 and Clark 7-6, will not be shut out.

3. Lake Central (3-0)

24-7 (2004), 23-6-1 (2003), 21-9 (2002) 21-10 (2001)

ST. JOHN - Lake Central starts you off with division I pitcher Brett Summers (9-3, 2.16 ERA, 85Ks, 34 walks in 72 innings) and catcher Ryan Goodman (.279, 3 Hrs, 19 RBIs).

The double play combination of 2B Matt Dodaro (.360, 25 RBIs) and SS Troy Russell (.292) should be productive and the Indians have lots of depth. Senior Brandon Peters (3-1, 2.42 ERA) opened the season with a shutout of Lowell. Like LaPorte, there may be a drop off between the No. 1 and No. 2 starting pitchers, but LC has a lot more choice than LaPorte does right now.

When Brett Summers pitches, as he did in a 14-0 shutout of Bishop Noll Tuesday (4-5-5), LC can handle anybody.

4. Griffith (3-0)

19-14 (2004), 17-12 (2003), 17-15 (2002), 27-7 (2001)

GRIFFITH - If things go right, this could be a league or sectional championship season, because there is big time offense here. Jim Swienconek (.447, 7 Hrs, 44 RBIs) is probably the top left-handed hitter in the six county area (Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton and Starke) we call NW Indiana. Shortstop Ryan Bridges (.397, 19 RBIs) has been a top of the order hitter from way back.

Pitcher Matt Kuna (7-5, 3.93 ERA), a sophomore like Bridges, has gained enough experience to win in double figures with this attack. The Panthers also return seniors Danny Lewis (5-1) and Mark Hill (6-1), who sat out his junior year.

Catcher Trent Bierman (.307) is a key player because Griffith can win big if they just get decent pitching and defense. The youth of top-level players Kuna and Bridges is worrisome when you match them against Andrean, the team they have to beat in the LAC and 3A sectional play.

But teams are just going to have to walk Swienconek and nobody else around here has a guy like that this season.

5. Crown Point (0-0)

17-11 (2004), 23-10 (2003), 13-12 (2002), 15-12-1 (2001)

CROWN POINT - Depth in pitching can be overrated in short season baseball because when the big money's on the table, you're never going to see the other side's No. 3 or No. 4 pitchers.

With that said, Crown Point has three potential-rich pitchers in 6-3 senior Jimmy Wilson (2-1), 6-8 senior Adam Quinn (3-0) and 6-3 left-hander Matt Jansen (4-5). Quinn has the biggest upside after a summer with the Hammond Chiefs' Senior Babe Ruth traveling team. Wilson can be dominating and he hasn't really had a chance yet. Jansen has a high-tech arm (he's CP's football QB), but he doesn't play summer ball so he's an unknown quantity.

The Bulldogs wont be a great offensive team but center fielder Dave Dickerson (.306, 20 RBIs) is a certain college player and SS Matt Ernest (a 1,000-yard receiver in football) is already an above-average defensive shortstop. Catchers Greg Eberhart and Adam Kennedy behind the plate are major keys and both are 1^st-time varsity players. I don't know how far CP can go in the playoffs but the depth of pitching (Ernest is also a strong pitching prospect) ensures a good season and a run at the DAC title.

6. Merrillville (1-2)

16-11 (2004), 7-20 (2003), 21-7(2002), 19-12 (2001)

MERRILLVILLE - Potentially NW Indiana's most exciting team, but probably a maddeningly inconsistent squad. In a year of very good seniors, there is probably no better player than Merrillville junior centerfielder Darryl Evans, who batted .429 with nine home runs, 22 extra base hits, 23 stolen bases (in just 23 attempts) and 32 RBIs. Evans is not a great player yet, but he hits the ball further and runs faster than his body would appear to allow. How he reacts when people start pitching around him will dictate his development. The rest of the outfield is 6-4 three-sport star Jimmy Reitz (.324) and junior left fielder Bo McClendon (.303, 14 stolen bases). Junior Jose Ponce (.329, 20 RBIs) has big time power at first base, but it will come down to the pitching, led by senior Dave Justus (3-2, 2.02 ERA) and junior Adam Farag (2-3). The Pirates don't have the arms to win the DAC but they won't see 4A No. 2 LC or 4A No. 4 LaPorte in the sectional, so that's winnable for them.

7. Bishop Noll (1-1)

21-11 (2004), 16-10 (2003), 20-10 (2002), 14-15 (2001)

HAMMOND - It's hard to judge how Bishop Noll ranks against the other top-10 schools and since they are 2A, it doesn't matter. Bishop Noll has a lot of pitchers in senior Ryan Bobos (10-1, 1.29 ERA), junior Danny Faulkner (5-3, 2.33 ERA) and junior prospect Jimmy Flores (1-1). The offense is a little questionable, but the Warriors do not face the type of playoff run that everybody else in this poll does. Bobos (.344, 6 Hrs, 26 RBIs) also leads the offense with senior center fielder Eric Pelletier (.238). A lot of the position players will be new, but some of East Chicago's talented 16-and-under all-stars are on the Noll roster.

Bobos has an early season injury and he may not play until May, but that's not really a concern if he can come back any time before June.

Noll was 15-11 during the regular season in 2004 and they then won six games 16-4, 10-0, 10-0, 5-3, 7-3 and 2-0 over Wapahani in the state title game. They were not even tested at the sectional level.

If Noll just plays the game and keeps quiet for two months, losses to a couple of 4A monsters will drop them out of the top-10 and they will roar into the playoffs against another bracket full of unsuspecting and over matched 2A schools. As they were last year (and will be most every year under this present playoff format) here is the region's best chance for a state title.

8. Valparaiso (0-1)

16-13 (2004), 25-5 (2003), 27-5 (2002), 26-4 (2001)

VALPARAISO - Valpo has only one senior but this will be a wining season with junior Clint Krysa (8-4, 3.10 ERA) and sophomore Chooch Sizemore (1-1, 2.76 ERA), a former dominant Little League star off a state finals team. Sophomore Nate Windsor (.256) will also develop into a top player. Senior Travis Blaine (.449, 25 RBIs) will hit at the top end of the order

Valpo is very much like Lake Central in that they have a lot of players below the varsity level who wait their turn. As in Valpo basketball, folks always make the mistake of looking at what they lost instead of what they have coming. Valpo will improve their won-loss record from 2004 and have a decent shot at the sectional title.

9. Kankakee Valley (3-0)

19-14 (2004), 14-17 (2003), 21-10 (2002), 17-11 (2001)

DeMOTTE - KV has the offense to make a run at LAC and 3A sectional championships. The Kougars will be led by 12 seniors including Shane Byers (7-2, 4.82 ERA) and football quarterback Gentry Brown (6-5, 2.81 ERA). Left-hander Todd Hepworth has potential but no experience.

First baseman Zach Prairie (.299, 5 Hrs, 25 RBIs) and third baseman Jeremy Kunzman (.367, 5 Hrs, 28 RBIs) can definetly rock the house. Brown (.316, 10 doubles, 28 RBIs) and Byers (.299, 17 RBIs) can also be productive hitters. Senior catcher Justin Garrison (.321) has lots of experience with these hurlers and junior SS Troy Jackson (.301, 30 runs scored) is always on base.

But the impact player is not one of the 12 seniors.

Sophomore outfielder Matt Dobin (.367, 5 Hrs, 28 RBIs) will bat third and is gifted enough to bat in the .500 range.

The pitchers have to simply keep their team in the game and this offense will win 20 games. the matchups with Griffith and Andrean should be run-filled.

10. Clark (2-2)

24-5 (2004), 21-8 (2003), 20-5 (2002), 16-9-1 (2001)

HAMMOND - The Pioneers have solid senior leaders in Chris Revis (.391, 34 runs scored), outfielder David Hornyak (.407, 3 Hrs, 40 RBIs), catcher Ernesto Ortega (.347) and outfielder Eric Frith (.431, 14 RBIs). But it all revolves around 6-4 junior pitcher Drew Polak (2-0, 0.64ERA, 33 Ks in 22 innings), who has to win big.

Eric Johnson (4-0, 0.35 ERA) will also be required to keep his team in the game.

Clark simply does not play the schedule that the other teams in this poll play. The Pioneers won 18 times against teams with losing records last year and their loss 4-2 to Griffith in sectional play was not a surprise.

Clark has to be much better than their record and their schedule and that's a tough assignment. But a season-opening 6-1 win over Munster is a good sign and a 7-6 loss to Andrean is an even better one.

the OUTSIDERS...

Hobart (1-0)

2004 (19-12), 2003 (12-17), 2002 (11-16)

HOBART - The Brickies have a very good senior class including shortstop Marc Drobac (.485, 37 RBIs), Josh Hughes (. 353), Josh Fuller (.470, 6 Hrs, 35 RBIs) and centerfielder Andrew Martin, who was injured last year.

Fuller (3-2), Kyle Gonzales (4-3. 3.73 ERA) and Martin are going to have to have above average seasons pitching. But the Brickies must outscore teams and they have the ability to do that.

HANOVER CENTRAL (1-0)

2004 (18-12), 2003 (17-11-1), 2002 (9-18-1), 2001 (11-14)

CEDAR LAKE - Hanover only has nine winning season in baseball in school history, but two of them have been back-to-back and the program is on the rise. Senior Larry Pempek (.528, 6 Hrs) was not selected as an all-area player last year even though he was the Porter County Conference (PCC) player of the year. The double-play combination of junior Todd Sheehy and sophomore Mark Myszkowski will have to carry the defense.

Several young players got experience in American Legion ball last year and can emerge this spring. Senior Zac Wajvoda has to be able to keep his team in the game because the HC defense is strongest when Pempek (8-1, 108 Ks) is catching and not pitching.

The Cats may also have a home field advantage playing in Crown Point's Teagle Field, an American Legion ballpark that much of the PCC has never seen. Obviously, they are overmatched at sectional time against 2A state champion Bishop Noll. But HC has never won the PCC baseball tournament and that is a worthy goal for 2005. HC's season opening 5-1 win over neighbor Lowell was sparked by three homers, including one by Pempek. The injury to Bishop Noll's Andy Loomis could level the playing field for HC and Boone Grove come sectional time.

Kouts (0-1)

2004 (17-5-1), 2003 (16-9), 2002 (8-14)

KOUTS - Kouts inadvertently proved that anybody can beat anybody on any given day in baseball. With a top-heavy winning record and an undefeated pitcher, the Mustangs were blown out by sub-.500 Whiting 12-0 in the sectional. They return most of that team and their goal is nothing less than a sectional championship.

Basketball star Johnny Selman (.486, 32 runs scored, 25 RBIs) keys the team from third base while right-hander Matt Morris (4-2, 2.48 ERA) is the No. 1 pitcher and good-hitting shortstop (.311, 17 RBIs). The Mustangs play a lot of 1A schools in PCC play, but they will benefit this year because Morgan Township, Hebron, Washington Township and South Central all appear to have improved.

Pitching depth will be a problem during the season, but if Kouts can develop a second starting pitcher, they can be a sectional and regional title threat.

Return to Top