2005 - Week-7, Top-10

High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana: 5-20-2005

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

(5-20-2005) Northwest Indiana continued to give out mixed messages on how good the high school baseball teams are this season. Lake Central's 5-1 win over LaPorte was no surprise, even after LaPorte beat LC 12-5 in April in LaPorte. The shocker was six errors, an almost total defensive collapse by the Slicers. You shouldn't make judgment on one game but the two-game series between LC and LaPorte, on paper, the two best teams in NW Indiana (Andrean doesn't have a top pitcher) might indicate that this is not an especially strong area in baseball for the first time in a few years.

Read on at your own risk. If you are sensitive about your school or your team, maybe you'd like to hop over to the Radio Disney chat room where everything is wonderful.

(I love the pastel colors in there, don't you?)

You can point to all the state baseball finalists that this area has had in recent years but that number is highly misleading and will drop. Class sports created a situation where there were 16 baseball state finalists every year. It was a false barometer.

It wasn't a major achievement to reach the finals when you only had to win four games. A format change cut the number of state finalists from 16 to eight last season. But understand that for the first three decades of the state baseball tourney, there were only FOUR state finalists each year.

Baseball in NW Indiana, while good, hasn't improved in the last decade. The bar has simply been set much lower.

The state finals is no longer the end all. The state title is. Most NW Indiana teams don't set their sights high enough. You can tell by the limited schedules they play.

Andrean should be in the state finals every year and they know it. Other than Kankakee Valley, there are no competitive baseball programs in the 59ers' 3A Sectional.

With Brownsburg (26-0) so loaded, everybody in 4A may be playing for second place and Andrean is going to have to hit consistently for three weeks, a tough task. Bishop Noll is still battling injury at this late date as is LC. NW Indiana has won very few baseball titles outside of LaPorte because, truthfully, the vast majority of teams are limited and don't have that as a goal.

Unless LaPorte gets a few rain delays to help out lefty Andy Weeks (10-1) or unless Andrean can keep the big batting order within range of the lead for six games in a row, no one from the six county area (Lake, Porter, Jasper, Starke and LaPorte) we call NW Indiana appears ready win a state baseball title this year.

Here's our week-7, top-10 teams:

1.) 4A LaPORTE (21-3)

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

LaPORTE - Again, no shame that LaPorte lost to LC 5-1 on May 17. But six errors by the Slicers is flat out scary. That's a deal breaker. You can't choke in a big game like that because LaPorte's path to the state finals is a mine field starting with South Bend Clay (16-7) at the sectional. The Slicers came back Wednesday (5-18-2005) with a 15-1 rout of 1A No. 10 Marquette when nothing was on the line. In the LC game, lefty Andy Weeks (9-1) did strike out 10. He's still the biggest factor in the 4A tournament in this area,

The Slicers did not get a bye, but they did get a gift quarterfinal match with last place DAC cellar-dweller Michigan City (2-17).

The only good thing about LaPorte losing the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) title to LC is that it sets up LaPorte for a rematch at the South Bend Clay Regional, which I believe is at Covaleski Stadium. Young ballplayers always have the advantage against an equal foe if they lost the last game. It just the way young minds work. They can't handle being favored. The Slicers are also under great pressure (athletes should be under pressure) because they must go all the way or the season is a disappointment and they do not have the players Brownsburg does.

I still believe that LaPorte has the best offense, the best pitcher and the best infield defense in NW Indiana, although the latter certainly is questionable after the LC game.

But if NW Indiana is overrated as it sometimes is, the Slicers will be canceled faster than 'Joan of Arcadia'.

2.) 3A Andrean (23-2)

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

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean is still bringing the heat against all foes. The 59ers smoked out Morton 8-4 on May 17 as Brad King had a home run and three RBIs. Tommy Finn smacked out three hits.

The 59ers pitching gave up 11 hits to Morton, which is disturbing. It's hard to talk about this team as a state finalist until the pitchers start locking people up but that lineup is hard to stop.

Andrean doesn't need to play No. 7 Clark or No.10 Kankakee Valley in the LAC tournament because you just don't want to play sectional and regional rivals when you have the better team. Even with West Lafayette (20-4) looming at the regional, the 59ers are the best bet from NW Indiana for a state crown. Plymouth is under .500 and St. Joseph's is mediocre. KV's pitching against Andrean-caliber bats is a major question mark.

The 59ers have a night road match with Clay next week to get ready for the Kankakee Valley Sectional where they'll meet KV in the second round. Andrean just needs to avoid injury in the relatively meaningless LAC tournament and get the pitchers ready.

3.) 4A Lake Central (23-1)

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

ST. JOHN - Lake Central won a big game 5-1 over LaPorte, but the six errors by the Slicers dulled that matchup. You may have missed the game because NW Indiana broadcast media largely ignored it for the second time this year, choosing to pump up lesser matchups in the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) tournament.

Fortunately for LC fans, the Indians are in the same sectional with Highland and Munster. It's a little-known north Lake County law that, unless the Pope visits NW Indiana and sings a duet with Michael Jackson, all Highland and Munster games above the junior high level must be aired live or on tape delay in every team sport with announcers who are graduates or residents of Highland and Munster .

LC is so lucky to be in the neighborhood.

LC's Brett Summers (7-1), bombed out in a 12-5 loss at LaPorte in April, evened the scored with a complete-game victory where he allowed just three hits and two walks. Summers also hit a three-run homer to key the win.

Brandon Peters pitched LC to the DAC title with a 3-1 win over Merrillville Thursday (5-19-2005).

LC must quickly forget about the DAC and get set to dominate the 4A Sectional in 10 days. LC drew Lowell, a team they have not lost to in this decade. I don't know about SS Troy Russell, who is injured. He's a key factor.

But a bigger problem is that LC did not get a bye and they'll have to win six playoff games in 12 days to get to the state finals under the IHSAA's unfortunate hurry-up state playoff format.

I don't think LC pitching is that good so they're going to have to hit a ton. A big test comes on the road Saturday in a four-team tournament at No. 12 Snider in Fort Wayne.

4.) 4A Crown Point (15-6)

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

CROWN POINT - First of all, the gap continues to grow between the top three and everybody else. This team isn't that steady but they're getting ready. Games against Jefferson, Clay, Evansville North, Clay, LaPorte and Elkhart Memorial (the schedule that Clark and Gavit could face if they wished to) in a two-week span are testing NW Indiana's deepest pitching staff.

CP stopped Jeff 4-2 but lost to Clay 4-3. The Bulldogs pitching is holding up their end. In 21 games against good competition, they have allowed more than four runs just three times, all losses, to LC, KV and Andrean.

But this team has not shown that they can hit and that's a problem CP has had since day one of the season. In a series of games against Portage, Jeff, Merrillville and Clay this month, CP scored only 11 runs. They'll never get out the regional with a weak attack like that.

Crown Point 2005 is a test of strength of schedule. In 28 scheduled games, CP will end up playing 10 times against teams that are ranked in the top-10 this week. Few in this region plays a schedule like that, but there are no guarantees.

Notre Dame football also plays a super tough schedule and all it gets them is a New Year's Day date at home watching a 'Nick and Jessica Christmas' while other teams are playing in bowl games.

5.) 3A Griffith (18-7)

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

GRIFFITH - Griffith is still having ups-and-downs. The Panthers outran Highland 17-10 in the Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) tournament, but Griffith then lost 3-1 to Clark.

Ryan Bridges was 4-for-5 to back winning pitcher Mark Hill (4-2).

Griffith is 3-0 against Highland this season. But this year that, and a quarter, won't buy you a Mr. Goodbar.

The Panthers lost 3-1 to sectional rival Clark in the LAC semifinals in a game that was called after five innings and also doesn't tell you much except that a 16-team single-elimination baseball tournament in spring weather is a bad concept.

I would doubt if either side used their best hurler and a five inning game tells you less truth than the Fox News Channel.

Clark and Griffith both got a bye and drew each other in the Hammond Sectional in 10 days. So while Griffith is still the better team, Gavit (20-7) got the best draw.

6.) 4A Munster (16-11)

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

MUNSTER - Munster turned back Gavit (20-7) 7-4 in the semifinals of the LAC tournament, but Gavit hasn't beaten any really good teams all season and can't be expected to beat Munster..

The Mustangs will probably lose the LAC semifinal to Andrean and that's not really a prediction. That game was suspended late Thursday with the 59ers leading 6-1. But that is not important. In the state tournament, Munster got the best draw of any team in NW Indiana, a first round bye and a semifinal game on their home field against totally powerless Gary West Side.

If the Mustangs have any pitching at all, they should be able to take Lake Central into the late innings of the sectional title game. If there is a first round upset in the state tournament, the wild horses could be the ones busting out of the barn.

The question, when it comes to beating LC, does Munster have any pitching at all?

This is what I mean about this being a weak area this year. After the top three teams, there's no one with offense, pitching AND experience against good competition.

And beyond the top six here, everybody's as shaky as Latroy Hawkins.

7.) 3A Kankakee Valley (17-8)

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

DeMOTTE - What's happened here? After a 9-0 start, the Kougars have been a .500 team. Clark pasted the Kougars 14-4 in the quarterfinals of the LAC tournament on Tuesday (5-17-2005) in a game similar to the 15-1 loss to Andrean on May 9.

KV did not use top pitcher Gentry Brown against Clark and that contributed to the Pioneers' win. I don't know why he didn't go in a game that would have kept KV out of that hellacious LAC tournament loser's bracket. The Kougars won games with bats alone early and now the wood has clearly cooled.

Matt Dobin (34-68, .500) and Zach Prairie (30-60, .500) still have great numbers but the Kougars also face six games in 12 days to reach the state finals. They have not displayed anything near the pitching to get that done.

But the KV section is weak except for Andrean and it is the KV Sectional. The Kougers could still roll in their own backyard and a win over Andrean in two weeks erases any amount of 10-run losses.

Class 3A is not a tough bracket in the north. But KV has been bombed by Andrean twice this season and they have two weeks to turn that around.

8.) 4A Chesterton (10-10)

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

CHESTERTON - Chris Smith struck out 12 as Chesterton tipped Portage 6-5 Tuesday in a playoff preview. Senior Matt Maple drove in the winning run in the eighth inning. Chesterton will play Portage in a quarterfinal game of the Chesterton 4A Sectional next week.

The Trojans have lost to CP and LaPorte twice each. Again, even with wins over Andrean (23-2) and Harrison (14-9) , it took Friday's win over Michigan City to drag Chesterton back to the .500 mark.

The Trojans are ignored largely by local media which only focuses on win totals. But only Crown Point, LaPorte and Lake Central have played anywhere near the schedule Chesterton has.

I don't think there is a great home field advantage at Chesterton. But with a decent draw the Trojans are probably the favorite in the Chesterton 4A Sectional, especially if Smith keeps pitching well.

CP has beaten Chesterton twice but Chesterton may not have to beat CP.

9.) 3A Clark (20-3)

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

HAMMOND - Clark beat Griffith in five innings 3-1 in the rain Thursday (5-19-2005) in the LAC tournament. But it was a five inning rain-shortened game that needed to be played to a conclusion. Chris Revis (3-3) held the hard-hitting Panthers to just two hits, although it's hard to know what would have happened had the game been played to its conclusion. 6-4 Drew Polak smoked out a home run in the first inning to get it started.

In a tournament, with planned "off" days between rounds, games should be suspended and not ended. The Thursday rain-shortened game could easily have been finished Friday. It's short drive from Clark to Griffith.

The Pioneers will face Munster or Andrean in the LAC tournament title game and they need it to be Andrean because they still need tougher competition.

Clark does not know how good they are. This program could challenge some of the top programs in Lafayette and the South Bend-Elkhart area consistently, but they don't. Several Lake County teams simply duplicate the baseball and basketball schedules from the previous year. It's easier that way. But if you want badly to be a top team (and that's the real question here), you must challenge the best in the state not just the best in your neighborhood.

Clark is a major question mark for next week's state tournament because they simply haven't played the schedule they should play.

10.) 2A Bishop Noll (8-16)

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

HAMMOND - The big news for Noll is that they regained the pitching services of all-area senior Ryan Bobos this week. Bobos pitched four innings and gave up four hits, a walk and one run in a consolation game of the LAC tournament against Calumet.

If the right-hander, who was 10-1 last year with a 1.29 ERA , can come back strong in his next start, Noll is in business. The Warriors won-loss record is totally irrelevant because they have not been at full strength all season.

Why do I have to keep repeating myself????

Bishop Noll was also 3-8 on April 24, 2004 after a 4-3 loss to Kankakee Valley. The Warriors won 18 of their last 21 games and won the 2004 Class 2A state championship.

With Bobos back and the schedule of eight 4A teams and 10 3As, Noll is still a favorite to win the Lake Station Sectional. But they did not get a good draw. They must play Hanover Central (12-8) and Boone Grove (18-5) just to get to the title game. Three games in five days and six games in 13 days will stress them.

But the same strength of schedule that will hamper Gavit and Clark severely will boost Noll. If pitchers Danny Faulkner, Ryan Bobos and Jimmy Flores are healthy, it will be very difficult for Hanover, Boone, Lake Station or Wheeler to pull an upset. Only Boone has played anywhere near the schedule that Noll has played and anybody who says that does not matter just doesn't understand.

PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE (PCC)

Quarterfinals - Saturday, May 21, 2005

Hebron (10-9) vs. Kouts (9-8) – 9 a.m.

South Central (10-13) vs. HANOVER CENTRAL (12-8) – 11 a.m.

Washington Township (10-11) vs. Morgan Township (10-10) – 1 p.m.

LaCrosse (10-9) vs. BOONE GROVE (19-5) – 3 p.m.

Semifinals - Monday, May 23

Top Bracket at South Central - 4:30 p.m.

Bottom Bracket at Boone Grove - 4:30 p.m.

Championship - Wednesday, May 25 at South Central - 4:30 p.m.

NOTE: Good weather is scheduled for the quarterfinal day of the PCC playoffs so all four games should be played.

Kouts and Washington both made five errors in Kouts' 8-6 win over the Senators on Wednesday (5-18-2005) and I can't understand why Kouts has not done better this year. Hebron got a double and a homer from Andrew Stalbaum in a 6-5 win over Westville Wednesday.

MT big hitter Ty Eaton was 3-for-4 in a 7-2 Morgan win over LaCrosse on Wednesday, but Boone and pitcher Shawn Bishop (8-1) keep winning, 15-1 over River Forest Wednesday. Boone has won 13 games in a row but that means nothing Saturday, especially since the Wolves will have to wait all say Saturday to play a capable LaCrosse squad.

The best quarterfinal game would appear to be Hanover Central against host South Central, two high scoring teams in a small ballpark. But there is not one mismatch on the board in NW Indiana's most evenly matched league.

HR hitters like Eaton or Hanover's Larry Pempek will be swinging for the fences here and it's just 291 feet down the right field line.

Once again, the two hour gap between starting times is totally unrealistic. These will be long, drawn out contest and Boone should hook up with LaCrosse in the fourth quarterfinal game some time after 5 p.m. But you can watch a game in the morning, go home, have lunch, build a picket fence, and still have time to come back and see another game.

This stacks up as one of the wildest days of the year.

On the horizon...

3A West Lafayette (19-4)

22-8 (2004), 18-12 (2003), 18-12 (2001)

LAFAYETTE - Andrean knows who these boys are. The Indians nipped Twin Lakes 8-7 and Crawfordsville 8-5 this week to clinch a tie for a second consecutive Hoosier Conference title.

WL lost six starters from last year, but they've done well. Pitcher Quentin Farr (5-1, 1.09 ERA, 52 strikeouts in 45 innings) has helped lead the Indians to the No. 5 ranking state wide.

Farr and junior Ryan Barnes (5-0) pitched back-to-back five-inning no-hitters against Sheridan, something that probably says more about Sheridan than it does about the two junior pitchers. .

Junior first baseman Brad Folta (25-57, .439) has 19 RBIs and junior shortstop John Shelby has 20 stolen bases.

Outfielder David Graham (23-59, .390) and sophomore Andy Dunscomb (17-43, .395) also step up the attack for a team that starts mostly underclassmen.

Twin Lakes does not play in the same league with Harrison, Lafayette Catholic, Jefferson and McCutcheon, the other four Tippecanoe County powers who are all past state champions.

As of the middle of May, the Indians had only played McCutcheon, losing 9-5. That fact tells me where their program is and that location is not a position from where they could, with a team that lacks seniors, beat somebody like Andrean at the regional level.

Return to Top