Top-10 High School Baseball Teams in

Northwest Indiana - Week 10: 6/3/2003

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

1. Valparaiso (24-4)

Anyone who follows game-by-game results of local baseball has Valparaiso at the top of the list. Rated second in the state behind Brownsburg (24-2), Valpo has defeated 20-game winners No. 5 (4A) Penn, Munster, Crown Point, LaPorte, No. 8 (2A) Boone Grove and No. 11 (4A) Lafayette Jefferson. Three of the Vikings' four losses are by one run. They're champions of the biggest league in this part of the state and the team with the best record. It would be an upset if they lost before the state finals.

2. LAKE CENTRAL (19-6-1)

Rated 10th in the state poll, LC didn't play as many games as they'd like to but they won their last 3 after a 9-9 tie with Class 4A No. 8 Warsaw. Sophomore pitcher Adam Summers has seven wins and senior brother Adam Summers has six saves. A double-header sweep over Chesterton closed out the year. They should beat Munster in Friday's 4A Munster sectional semifinals.

3. ANDREAN (23-6)

The 59ers got lynched by Clay 9-5 in South Bend Friday but they started the playoffs with an impressive 8-3 win over Griffith (17-12) at Griffith. Jeff Mojzik drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double and Andrean should now win the Griffith sectional. There appears to be no stopping a regional rematch pitting Andrean against Plymouth (20-5) in the finals of the Plymouth 3A Regional. That game would be virtually even going in.

4. CROWN POINT (20-8-1)

Crown Point is shaky. Chesterton had to make eight errors for the Bulldogs to win Monday night in the Merrillville Sectional quarterfinals. Adam Vetter (9-1) got the win but only after he gave up the lead in the seventh inning. Chad Pierce had two of the Bulldogs' four singles and Chad Pruzin struck out 10 but when you've got to go three hours to beat Chesterton (9-20), you need a major turnaround immediately.

5. LOWELL (24-6)

Lowell opened then playoffs with a 13-1 win over West Side Monday night at the 4A Munster sectional and the Devils will roll against East Chicago (4-15) in the semifinals Friday. Ryan Basham hit his school-record 13th home run and Justin Bales (6-0) won for the third consecutive start. The late losses, 11-0 to Crown Point and 10-0 to Andrean, raised questions but an 8-1 win over LaPorte put the Devils back on track. Lowell has outscored 30 foes 279-91 but they haven't gotten out of the sectional in nine years. Saturday night is the defining moment in the season.

6. Highland (22-5)

Obviously, the future is now for a team that will be 4A next year. A 4-1 win over Valpo was offset by a 3-2 loss to sub.500 Portage. But you can throw out final week results. The moment of truth comes in the first playoff game without Joel Schmaal (8-2) on the mound.

7. LaPorte (20-9-1)

Left-hander Andy Weeks (8-2) shut out Clay in the LaPorte Sectional quarterfinals to give the Slicers 20 wins for the 36th season in a row. This team is too young to go to the state finals and the 8-1 loss to senior-dominated Lowell on the last day of the year may have showed they aren't ready for a long run. But they're not too young to win their first sectional in three seasons.

8. Munster (19-8)

Munster won twice in the final week to finish with virtually the same record they had last year (they were 19-8 in 2002) when they won the state title. You stiil don't see state-class pitching to they need six runs a game. The Mustangs made 10 errors in the final five games. Even with the home field advantage, it's hard to imagine them getting by LC and Lowell at the Munster Sectional this weekend.

9. Griffith (17-12)

Griffith had the misfortune to draw Andean and undefeated Mike Ryan (10-0) in the Griffith Sectional quarterfinals. the season was a virtual replay of the 17-15 Panthers season in 2002. They started slow and made a run. With improved pitching and a strong freshman class, the Panthers return to the 20-win mark in 2004.

10. BOONE GROVE (22-6)

The 'people's champ' won for the 17th game in a row, 10-0 over Morton. Elliott Schultz improved to 5-0 and Marcus Banning is at 8-1 on the season. The Wolves are a typical speed-and-defense Porter County Conference team and they got a great draw at the Wheeler Sectional. The Wolves have already beaten Wheeler twice and they would welcome a third meeting but they must beware of Rensselaer (18-10), which has more talent than anyone in the PCC.

Others to watch

*** Bishop Noll (15-9)

Andy Loomis was 4-for-4 in a final week 10-5 win over Hobart but here's another team that must outscore the opposition. It's highly unlikely they can win two or three games in a row and Clark (18-7) will be a high hurdle.

*** Clark (18-7)

Junior Steve Polak (3-2) was strong in a 4-0 win over Crown Point but, again, final week results are meaningless. That covers for the 8-0 loss at LaPorte on May 26. The Pioneers are very questionable. Joe Anderson has been hurt al year and No. 2 pitcher Russ Gould has run upon hard times lately. Depth of pitching becomes less relevant in the playoffs and that's Clark's strength.

*** Rensselaer (18-10)

The Bombers ran to the wire winning 8-of-the-last 11 but a 3-2 win over Lake Station (3-23) raised some doubts. Remember, though, Rensselaer was in the top-10 at the start of the year and they were rated ahead of Boone.

BALL NOTES: Plymouth home run star Josh Dietz hit home runs in six consecutive games last month. McCutcheon superstar Clayton Richard (8-0) struck out 10 in five innings of a 9-1 victory over Westfield last week. Richard will be picked in the major league baseball draft and he has a decision to make. He also has a full ride scholarship to Michigan to play quarterback.

Lake Central senior Adam Summers (4-1, 2.50, 6 saves) is a true relief pitcher with two starts in 25 appearances. LC shortstop Jose Mendez has two errors all season in 24 games.

John Glenn star Andy Groves (12-1) has lost only five games in his career (32-5) for the 2A No. 1 Falcons. He has 412 career strikeouts and just 68 walks in 251 innings.

LaPorte's Andy Weeks (7-2, 1.52) struck out 73 batters and walked 25 in 65 innings during the regular season.

WJOB (1230) AM will carry the championship games of the 4A Merrillville Sectional, the 3A Hammond Sectional and the 4A Munster Sectional Saturday night, all live.