2005 - Week-10, Top-10

High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana: 6-9-2005

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

(6-9-2005) You keep hearing how LaPorte isn't as good as they used to be in the good, old days and how other teams are better. But they keep bombing everybody. The Slicers have averaged 11 runs a game for 33 games. Looming is the inevitable Class 4A Semistate confrontation with Brownsburg (33-0) which, unfortunately, could come Saturday night in the South Bend Semistate.

It should be the state final.

But the shocker is Lake Station (19-13-1), which has upset Boone Grove 7-6 and beaten Rochester 11-7 to advance to the Lafayette Class 2A Semistate. Truthfully, they don't have the pitching to win two games in one day. But for a team that has seen winless seasons in some sports in the last 15 years, this is a triumph. None of the players had won a post-season game in any sport until this year. And there are 11 seniors.

The surprise run is getting little coverage and that can't change Saturday. With the baseball regional and softball state finals on the same day, there's only so much coverage anyone can get. I'd still love to see some radio sports group blow off LC, CP or Andrean and cover Lake Station, trying for the school's first state title in history. There is a chance that Lake Station could be the only NW Indiana team left playing Saturday night.

South Central (17-13) also showed how little the regular season matters, rallying to beat Kouts 5-4 for the 1A regional title in LaPorte County Wednesday (6-8-2005) although South Central has a much chance of getting past Lafayette Catholic as Ronald McDonald does of being governor.

Also, coach Dave Pishkur, in his 25^th year, is still chasing that first baseball state title. Andrean and Brownsburg are trying to become the first IHSAA school to win baseball and softball state titles in the same season.

The powers that be insist that running state tournament events simultaneously (Tennis, golf, softball, baseball) is the only way to go but wouldn't this all be better off if baseball still had a four week tournament and the semistate tournaments were scheduled for next week? Why was the four week baseball state tournament, which allowed for rain outs, small school pitching staffs and graduations, a bad thing?

Once again, the poll doesn't change much because it's been correct all year. Certainly no debate on No. 1 and No. 2. Here's our week-10, top-10 teams:

1.) 4A LaPORTE (29-4)

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

LaPORTE - LaPorte has come to the front, smoking out Michigan City 9-1, Adams 11-1, Washington 7-3 and Penn 12-0 to roar into the South Bend semistate on June 11.

When Andy Weeks (14-2) is pitching and winning every three days, that's great. But the test will come Saturday when LaPorte must use a second starting pitcher, junior Matt Antos (10-2). Some say that a team shouldn't be able to get through the state tournament using largely one pitcher. But then they changed the format so the No. 1 pitchers will have a week's rest before the state finals. Who is thinking with two brains here? No one has a problem when softball teams put their best lineup on the field every day.

LaPorte's Nick Overmeyer has been sparking the offense and Joel Matheny was named co-DAC MVP with LC's Brett Summers. There won't be any looking ahead for LaPorte when they face Crown Point (21-10) in the South Bend Semistate semifinals. Both LaPorte games with CP have been close this year and Crown Point faced LaPorte four times (they were 0-3-1 against CP) in 2003.

The Slicers scored 10 or more runs nine times in May. This is a group of three year starters who have played under big-time pressure since the first day they out in the uniform. When Andy Weeks pitches, this is, at the very least, one of the state's two best teams and the other one will also be in South Bend Saturday.

2.) 3A Andrean (30-2)

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

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean beat Clark for the third time this year to coast into the regional. Every time the 59ers played Clark (22-7), the margin got wider, from 7-6 on April 4, 5-1 on May 21 and 13-0 in an embarrassing rout on June 7.

The 59ers have to be ready for a serious upgrade in the level of competition when they face West Lafayette (26-5) Saturday at the Plymouth 3A regional. Andrean's pitching is still questionable. It's easy to pitch when your side scores 10 runs a game.

Steve Augsburger (5-1) will probably get the start and he will need to be in top form as he was in the blowout of Clark. Undefeated WL junior right-hander Ryan Barnes (12-0, 0.98) has three complete-game victories in the playoffs so far and he won't give up 10 runs against the 59ers. The Red Devils average eight runs per game.

The 59ers have been explosive offensively and Joe Mack popped a grand slam against Clark. The secret weapon is still Anthony Cera in the bullpen, but how far can you go without a top-flight No. 1 pitcher?

You should see the entire pitching staff at Bill Nixon Field in Plymouth Saturday.

3.) 4A Lake Central (28-3)

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

ST. JOHN - Everything went wrong for Lake Central in the late going of a 6-3 extra-inning loss to host Munster at the 4A Munster Sectional championship game.

Bad defense sabotaged RHP Brett Summers (9-3), who finished with the same 9-3 record he had in 2004. The 6-5 right-hander, who hit a homer against Munster, seemed to tire in the late going. But Lake Central had chances to score far more than three runs.

LC led 3-1 but left the bases full in the fifth inning. The LC defense missed a fly ball in the sixth and couldn't field two bunts in the eighth, allowing Munster to rally. The LC defense had been their only question most of the season.

Brandon Peters (9-0, 0.50 ERA) and Steve Apostol (6-0, 0.94) finish with winning records but this is what I mean when I say that pitching depth, like LC and CP have, only matters during the regular season.

Once the state tournament begins, you're only going to use two starting pitchers.

Here's another point. LC closed the season with an 11-0 win over Benton Central and opened the playoffs with wins 10-0 over Lowell and 10-0 over East Chicago. All three of those games went just five innings. So much for momentum going into the state tournament.

4.) 4A Crown Point (21-11)

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

CROWN POINT - Crown Point lost 5-0 to Elkhart Memorial and beat South Central 12-0 to close the season.

The Bulldogs then beat Hobart 10-1, Portage 15-1 and Valparaiso 10-2 to win the Chesterton 4A Sectional.

Wednesday night, Matt Jansen's complete-game shutout beat Munster 2-0 in the regional title game.

Nick Ullman hit two home runs against Valparaiso after seniors Greg Eberhart, Dave Dickerson and Adam Quinn hit homers against Portage. That power is somewhat of a mirage, but the Bulldogs should have won the local 4A regional over Munster (19-13).

Crown Point is an example of what a tough schedule can do for you. A five-game losing streak late in the year didn't hurt them because of the level of the foes.

The question is, can anyone roll out two pitchers and enough relief to beat LaPorte (29-4) and Brownsburg (33-0) in the same day? CP could do it with Jansen (9-2), Adam Quinn (6-4) and senior Jimmy Wilson and sophomore Matt Ernest in the bullpen.

CP isn't a great offensve team and wont hit any home runs in pro-sized Covaleski Stadium. But they have the speed to create runs. The Bulldogs have never been to the state finals in any male team sport. Win or lose, Saturday will be a very big day for them.

5.) 4A Munster (19-14)

2004 (23-6), 2003 (20-10), 2002 (25-9) 2001 (26-8)

MUNSTER - It may have been an upset to some, but Munster over Lake Central was predicted here. The 6-3, eight inning win over a neighbor and rival will be the highlight of the 2005 season for Munster.

Munster-LC is the new rivalry in NW Indiana, Munster-Highland is old school until Highland gets better.

The Mustangs are another team that stumbled down the stretch and found that wasn't a factor. They got crushed like bad grapes in the final week of the season 12-1 by Andrean and 11-3 by Chesterton.

But sometimes getting spanked does a boy good. The Mustangs lacked the pitching to go much further, but they got good efforts from Paul Malayter and Tim Lukoshus during the season ending 2-0 loss to Crown Point Tuesday.

Andrew Bilse tied the LC game with two out in the seventh and pitcher Mike Sealy stranded the winning run at third in the bottom of the seventh. LC gave Munster three runs on defensive blunders in the eighth but 20 years from now, the story will be that the Mustangs won on three consecutive 500-foot home runs.

Matt DeRolf (4-1) pitched two victories against second line competition in the final 10 days. Nobody would call this a great season for Munster but one late rally turned it into a successful year.

6.) 3A Griffith (19-10)

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

GRIFFITH - Griffith could not beat Clark a second time, losing 2-1 in the Hammond Sectional championship game.

It had to hurt more when Clark was annihilated five days later by Andrean (31-2) a team Griffith had beaten.

With the bases loaded and one out, Griffith head coach Brian Jennings let clean-up hitter Ryan Bridges swing on 3-0 to try to win the game. Bridges fouled the pitch off and eventually bounced out to end the game.

Some criticized the move but Bridges was batting .500 and is a premier hitter. If you ask him to take, hoping for a walk, who are you setting up to win the game? In a tie game, Bridges gets the 'take' sign on 3-0 because a walk wins it. But Griffith's best two hitters, Jimmy Swienconek (44-76, .447) and Ryan Bridges (35-68, .515) bat 3 and 4. Swienconek also swung on 3-1. The Panthers trailed 2-1. It was the bottom of the seventh and they needed a hit to the outfield to win the game. I agree with the 3-0 swing with a .500 hitter batting cleanup in a game where you trail by one. You let your best hitters swing and hope for the best.

The mistake Griffith made was defensively in the top of the seventh, falling for the first-and-third phony double steal where the runner at first draws a throw while the runner at third is on the go. That play is older than dirt but it works six times a year and Clark coach Gary Ridgley called it at the right time.

The Panthers lose Swienconek, a top player, but top sophs Bridges and Matt Kuna return. This team has a bright future and the window of opportunity to beat Andrean opens up next year.

7.) 4A Chesterton (12-12)

19-9 (2004), 8-20 (2003), 9-18 (2002), 16-15 (2001)

CHESTERTON - I thought this team had one big push left but I thought the Yankees were good this year, too. Chesterton lost 7-0 to a Portage team that got washed away 15-1 by Crown Point two days later in the Chesterton 4A sectional.

Matt Maple, Alex Montegano and Casey Martin, the heart of this team, all graduate. But pitchers John Lambert and Kevin Scott plus big prospect Zack Novak return. The Trojans should have done better in the post-season.

Here's a situation where playing a tough schedule (CP twice, LaPorte twice, LC twice, Harrison, Mishawaka, Benton Central, Andrean and Jefferson) didn't pay off. They could have gone 25-5 playing chumps but they'd have ended up in the same place.

The oddity is, Chesterton may have played two state champions in (LaPorte and Andrean) and they beat Andrean 9-2.

8.) 3A Kankakee Valley (19-10)

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

DeMOTTE - Kankakee Valley hit the ball to the end, beating Wirt 19-1 and losing to Andrean 15-9.

KV could not in any way handle Andrean losing 6-0, 15-1 and 15-9. The Kougars can't have many regrets because they had three chances to get the job done.

Here's a team, like Lake Station, that was largely seniors and knew there was a lot of weight on this season.

The disappointment may ease somewhat as Andrean heads toward the state finals. KV will rebuild around elite No. 3 hitter Matt Dobin (37-78, .474, 7 HRs, 28 RBIs – 21 games), who can also be a starting pitcher and shortstop Troy Jackson (23-68, .338 – 21 games).

This should still be a strong team next year and the expectations won't be so high.

9.) 3A Clark (25-6)

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

HAMMOND - Like Kankakee Valley, Clark ends up losing three times to Andrean, which is certainly not a mark of dishonor.

Clark stumbled down the stretch, getting blown out by LaPorte 20-3 and Crown Point 8-4 in the final week. But it paid off as the Pioneers hung with a superior Griffith team and grabbed a 2-1 win.

Clark says goodbye to retiring coach Gary Ridgley and it will be interesting to see if they play the same schedule which helped them roll up the wins but doesn't take on the tough guys until the final two weeks. They could be better served by a more adventurous slate.

The Pioneer numbers continue to dazzle with Mike Carpen (39-78, .500) and Drew Polak (41-85, .482) having big fun at the plate. Clark had eight players batting over .400 in the final week of the season.

Polak (7-1) and Trent Howard (9-2) will anchor what could again be a 20-win team. But Clark should add all the Duneland schools to their schedule to prepare them to get past Griffith and Andrean in the state tournament, something they have never done.

10.) 2A Boone Grove (24-7)

17-12 (2004), 21-7 (2003) 27-5 (2002), 20-10-1 (2001) 28-7 (2000) 22-11 (1999) 21-12 (1998)

PORTER TOWNSHIP - The win over Bishop Noll 10-8 put the Wolves into the top-10 and losing to Lake Station (18-13-1), as it turned out, wasn't a bad thing.

Boone burned all their pitching on Noll and had little remaining for Lake Station. But to be fair, the Eagles did win the 2A regional title 11-7 over Rochester four days later.

I thought Boone played over their heads all season which means that they got the most (and more) out of limited ability. Very few of these boys would have been starting players on some of the Boone teams of the last decade. But this team put up a record similar to those more-talented teams while competing evenly with half of the Lake Athletic and Duneland Conference.

Boone should (and could) play LaPorte and Crown Point, but that's a different subject. The Wolves have good young players in Ryan Cupp and Joe Johnson so they'll return as the favorite again in the Porter County Conference.

On the horizon...

1A Lafayette Catholic (27-4)

27-8 (2004), 27-6 (2003), 24-10 (2002)

Enrollment: 210 - Lafayette , Ind.

LAFAYETTE - Described as a 'team of destiny' and 'unstoppable' by teams they have beaten, Lafayette Catholic roared to the regional title with a 12-0 win over South Newton Tuesday (June 7). This is the Andrean of the Lafayette area only this team did finally win that state title last season. The Knights are 104-29 in the last four seasons in the toughest concentrated area for high school baseball in the state.

Catholic has lost to Tippecanoe County (Lafayette city area) rivals Jefferson, Harrison, and Twin Lakes but they are unbeaten against 1As and 2As. CC has beaten McCutcheon 7-1 and 7-5, Bishop Chatard 6-3, and Valparaiso 10-0, and 8-6.

The Knights outscored three foes 36-4 to win the sectional and they are 34-1 against 1A schools in the last four seasons. This is the 11-time defending champion of the Hoosier Heartland Conference and they are four time defending sectional champs.

Senior catcher Ryan Svenstrup (.469, 2 HRs, 30 RBIs) anchors the team with outfielder Collin Arnold (.454, 4 HRs, 47 RBIs) and junior shortstop Bobby Moser (.404, 36 runs scored, 33 RBIs, 12 stolen bases).

Arnold (6-2, 2.28 ERA), and Samuel Walker (8-1, 1.50 ERA, 59 strikeouts in 56 innings) are lead starters and they should both get starts at the 1A semistate this week.

This team is battle-tested, having been to the state finals for three years in a row. On top of that, the state finals will be played at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette this year, a place Lafayette Catholic has played many times.

Truthfully, the concept that private schools should play a level higher than what their enrollment dictates in the state tournament seems to be gaining momentum and, if it was ever implemented, it would be call the 'Lafayette Catholic' rule. But you have to win the games and in baseball, anybody can beat anybody. The Knights have been beating everybody.

If there is a lock to win a baseball state title, here it is.

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