NW Indiana HS Baseball Preview: South Bend Clay at Crown Point

Mid-Week Preview:

South Bend Clay (13-6) at

4A No. 10 CROWN POINT (13-6)

Wednesday night (5-17-2005) 6 p.m.

Weather: Mid-50s, light rain

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

5-13-2005

CROWN POINT, IN (5-13-2005) - Coming off the well-attended May 6 Lake Central at Crown Point game, Crown Point has already added another night game against South Bend traditional powerhouse Clay (13-6) at 6 p.m, on May 18. The Colonials lost 13-2 to second-ranked LaPorte (20-2) Saturday but they leveled Munster 11-0 at the Gary Steelyard three weeks ago. Clark smoked out Elkhart Central 10-0 Tuesday (5-10-2005) as right-hander Mike Sobel pitched a three-hit shutout over five innings. The Colonials hit three homeruns but remember, it was 84 degrees Tuesday.

CP actually has two more prime time showcases but you're going to have to get on your horse for the last one. The Bulldogs also play on the road at 4A No. 5 Elkhart Memorial (18-3) on Friday night, May 27. CP athletic director Jerry Caravana has always cautioned about the weather and he may be a prophet. Rainy weather arrived just in time Friday the 13th to potentially imperil the long-distance game Jefferson at CP, which was in fact rained out last year. Other than a few periods of light rain in the first two innings, the remainder of the game was played without weather playing a factor in the final result. There are also problems with school night travel drawbacks of scheduling a lot of night baseball games.

But Caravana was all smiles at the crowd, estimated between 300 and 500 at last Friday's CP-Lake Central game, which was disrupted by a 55-minute lightning delay. Financially, CP was quite pleased even though the majority of the fans came from LC and Andrean.

Saturday's CP-Andrean contest drew about 150 (a decent, above average baseball crowd) but the weather dipped into the low 50s and turned some away. Most 4:30 p.m. prep baseball games draw 25-50 fans. High school baseball lags far behind football and basketball because they play games at a time (4-7 p.m.) when even the next of kin can't get there. It doesn't have to be that way.

I think that 7 p.m. baseball in the good-looking new ballpark behind the high school can be a big positive for the CPHS program, both financially and entertainment wise. You could invite a scaled-down version of the school band to play between innings and pound a drum during rallies. You can have cheerleaders and fireworks on special nights. I also think that Friday night spring baseball will help the American Legion summer baseball programs in Crown Point, because it will make night baseball a habit. The baseball game is a place you might want to take little kids on Friday night.

But bear in mind, I thought Bellamy Road would win the Kentucky Derby the Indianapolis Colts would beat New England. I thought Latroy Hawkins was the answer to the Cubs bullpen. I might not be the one to ask. With no big neighborhood rival in the opposite dugout, the truth will be in the stands Friday. It will be interesting to see how many CP locals and teens (especially) think of Friday night at the ball game as a place they'd like to be. Here comes a chance to prove it again. But here comes the rain again.

2005 CROWN POINT (13-5, 9-3)
Coach Steve Strayer (3rd Year)

Varsity Assistant: Rick Florkiewicz

23-10 in 2003, 17-11 in 2004
DUNELAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (DAC) GAMES IN CAPS

3-23 (W) Lowell at Crown Point - 4:30 p.m. (scrimmage)

4-7 (Th) Crown Point at Highland - W, 7-2

4-9 (S) Crown Point vs. Kouts (at KV) - W, 11-1 (6 innings)

4-9 (S) Crown Point at Kankakee Valley - L, 2-6

4-13 (Tu) VALPARAISO at CP - W, 5-0 (5 innings)

4-14 (Th) CHESTERTON at CP - W, 2-0

4-16 (S) Griffith at CP - W, 12-2

4-18 (M) CP at LAKE CENTRAL - L, 2-3

4-20 (W) CP at MICHIGAN CITY - W, 13-0

4-25 (M) Crown Point at Rensselaer - RAINED OUT

4-26 (Tu) MERRILLVILLE at CP - W, 9-3

4-28 (Th) LaPORTE at CP - W, 3-2 (11-innings)

4-29 (F) PORTAGE vs. CROWN POINT at the Steelyard - W, 8-3

4-30 (S) Crown Point at Gavit - W, 11-3

5-2 (M) CP at VALPARAISO - L, 1-3

5-4 (W) CP at CHESTERTON - W, 5-2

5-6 (F) LAKE CENTRAL at CP - L, 3-6

5-7 (S) Andrean at CP - L, 2-10

5-10 (Tu) MICHIGAN CITY at CP - W, 10-0

5-12 (Th) PORTAGE at CP - W, 2-1

5-13 (F) Jefferson at CP - W, 4-2

5-17 (Tu) CP at MERRILLVILLE - 4:30 p.m.

5-19 (Th) CP at LaPORTE - 4:30 p.m.

Terre Haute North Invitational

5-21 (S) semifinals - TBA

5-21 (S) finals - TBA

5-24 (Tu) Lowell at CP - 4:30 p.m.

5-26 (Th) Clark at CP - 4:30 p.m.

5-27 (F) CP at Elkhart Memorial - 7 p.m.

CHESTERTON (4A) SECTIONAL

5-31 (Tu) quarterfinals - TBA

6-3 (F) semifinals - TBA

6-4 (S) championship - TBA