2008 - Regional - Semistate
Baseball Tournament Preview

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

6-06-2008

INDIANAPOLIS (6-7-2008) Under the present format, this is the toughest day of the state tournament. Obviously, 75% of the teams that start the day in uniform see their season end. Odds are, whoever you are rooting for, they will lose at the Semistate level. But it's also the best day of the format because four teams with significant winning streaks, jump at the chance to reach the state championship game. It's the toughest day of the tournament and the toughest loss. You need a little luck to survive.

You may also need patience. The weather has been volatile all spring. The winds have been high and all games will probably be delayed by rain at one time or another. In 4A, everyone will check the scores to see if superpower (Indianapolis) Cathedral, the 2007 state champ, reaches the final again. Cathedral beat Kokomo 7-2 for the 4A state title in 2007.

In the deep south Jasper (26-6), a three-time state champ, is on their home field and the favorite to get to the finals in 3A. In 2A, Austin (30-2) has the best record and is top-rated while Shakamak (23-8), the defending 1A southern semistate champ, will be the home team in both semistate games Saturday. They lost to Lafayette Catholic in the 1A title game last June.

The easiest prediction? That somebody's going to be still playing Monday because of rain delays.

4A Northern Semistate at Loeb Stadium - Lafayette
6-6 (Sat) Homestead (24-5) vs. Penn (29-3) 10:00 a.m.
6-6 (Sat) McCutcheon (20-12) vs. CP (28-5-2) 12:30 p.m. - WJOB (1230) AM
6-6 (Sat) Championship game - 6:30 p.m. (CDT)

LAFAYETTE - McCutcheon is Lafayette's marquee softball (The McCutcheon girls could be in the softball state title game Saturday night) and baseball franchise. They are a two-time state baseball champion, and while this is not one of their great years, they turned back rivals Logansport and Jefferson to win the sectional at Loeb Stadium, a place the Mavericks have played many times.

McCutcheon is a speedy team. They stole five bases in a 5-1 sectional semifinal win over Logansport and they stole 10 bases in last Saturday's 12-5 victory over Jefferson. Assuming that yesterday's LC-CP game was relatively normal, McCutcheon would test two of CP's strengths, future Butler University catcher Nick Hladek and Purdue-bound left-hander Blake Mascarello (9-0) with their bunting and base stealing ways. McCutcheon coach Jake Burton (651-304 in 29 years) has been there forever, but they may be a little short of pitching after senior Neal Hudson (6-4), who allowed just five hits and one walk in seven innings against Logansport. I would not be surprised to see sophomore lefty Josh Negele (5-1) pitch in relief against McCutcheon, if needed, because he is good at holding runners on base.

Another key starter will be in centerfield where football halfback Russell Chick figures to get the call. The weather forecast calls for a warm, windy day. McCutcheon boys who play for American Legion Post 11 have played in this ballpark dozens of times. I don't know of any CP boys who have played in Loeb Stadium which is an old World War II era minor league ballpark. That does matter in windy conditions. CP is a power hitting team led by Mike Kozlowski (14 HRs) and Nick Hladek (8 HRs) and that also matters in windy conditions. The wind isn't going to be blowing in, so McCutcheon pitchers must keep the ball down or they will not be in the game very long. Crown Point has won all four playoff games so far by four runs or more.

A Penn-Crown Point match up in the Saturday title game would be fitting because CP was the No. 1 team statewide after an early 15-game winning streak and Penn ended the season as the top-ranked team. Penn cannot afford to hold back undefeated Nick Brady (11-0) for the night game because Homestead has a formidable attack. Penn is excellent defensively. They have no errors in the post-season.

While coaches insist they play one game at a time, I don't believe they do at the semistate where you must play twice in one day. Teams must, whether they admit it or not, plan to be in both games and you plan to win them.

BALLPARK NOTES: There are some drawbacks to Loeb Stadium, but don't complain too much. There isn't much parking and the 3,500-seat stadium is tucked away in a residential neighborhood. But 68-year-old Loeb Stadium sits inside Columbian Park, which is also home to the Columbian Park zoo, which has small animals and the Tropicanoe Water Park, which figures to be open Saturday afternoon. Across the street from Loeb Stadium are a couple of classic Lafayette pizza and ice cream establishments. You can bring small children. It's a place you only feel bad about visiting if your team loses. But take an umbrella. This is an old concrete minor league ball park with no roof or upper deck. Temperatures are predicted to be in the upper 80s. If you sit in a concrete grandstand for three hours with no shade you'll wish you hadn't.

3A Northern Semistate at Bill Nixon Field - Plymouth
6-6 (Sat) Bellmont (20-10) vs. Yorktown (28-5) 10:00 a.m.
6-6 (Sat) Marian (19-10) vs. ANDREAN (30-1) 12:30 p.m.
6-6 (Sat) Championship game - 7:00 p.m. (CDT)

PLYMOUTH (6-7-2008) This is a tough place for Andrean. They have consistently had problems at Plymouth in baseball and basketball playoff games over the past 20 years. Yorktown has other problems. They used three pitchers Tuesday night for four innings or more including undefeated Zach Tanner (7-0), who got the win in a 6-5, 13-inning win over Angola (26-6).

Baseball, especially when you have to play twice in the same day, is preparation and reaction. Andrean, with a 29-game winning streak and a field of skilled, veteran players, is prepared. The 59ers played two games in the same day at the Brebeuf tournament in Indianapolis and won both. The question is: Can Andrean react when things go wrong Saturday? In the semistate, there is almost always a point when things go wrong.

The Niners blasted a good Clark team 10-0 at the regional as Tony Hoolehan (9-1) pitched a shutout. Junior Adam Norton (8-0) will start against Marian, a team that plays a solid schedule. What could so wrong? The Niners play the second game at high noon in what could be 90-degree weather. This day will be an endurance test and the boys have to understand that they must still be strong at the end. It has been an especially cold spring. None of these teams have played in 90 degree heat this year and it's hard to say how they will react.

Andrean has outscored four playoff foes 29-3, but better 59er teams than this have been upset at Plymouth. The Niners have won 29 games in a row, but that's not a positive at this point. Everybody's on a winning streak. The 59ers were 12-0 in league play and they defeated neighbor Crown Point (28-5-2), the 4A regional champ. Marian had to go 11 innings to beat sub-.500 Lakeland (11-16) in the regional Tuesday night. Andrean should be able to slowly build a lead against the Knights. Yorktown and Marian both could be tired teams. Andrean should win here. But the conditions: 90 degrees. 20-30 MPH southwest winds. It's something to worry about.

BALLPARK NOTES: Plymouth's Bill Nixon Field is a hitters' park. The ball carries, especially for right-handed hitters. During the day, the ball is going to leave the park and that's the hope of the three teams that will face the 59ers, because its going to be tough to beat them 10-9.

For fans, this is another park with no roof or upper deck. Bring an umbrella for rain or shine and it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring ice because there will be a lot of things you can do with it during a two-hour game in 90-degree heat. Fans of 3A baseball get a break Saturday. The 2A and 4A semistates are played in stadiums where the concessions tend to be overpriced. Frankly, you're a captive audience. If they want $3 for a hot dog, what are you going to do about it? Plymouth's prices aren't usually as high as Covaleski's, but Bill Nixon Field is a couple of blocks east of Route 17. My suggestion is to load up on all that cheap stuff that's bad for you before you get to the ballpark.

2A Northern Semistate at Covaleski Stadium - South Bend
6-6 (Sat) Bishop Luers (27-3) vs. Tipton (14-10)
6-6 (Sat) Churubusco (20-11) vs. BOONE GROVE (26-3-1) 12:30 p.m. WEFM (95.9)
6-6 (Sat) Championship game - 6:00 p.m. (CST)

SOUTH BEND (6-7-2008) If this isn't a match up between Bishop Luers and Boone Grove, many will be surprised. Churubusco has not played anything like the schedule that Boone has. The Wolves are undefeated against 2A schools and have faced seven 4A schools, going 4-3. Churubusco's ace right-hander Marcus Fulk is 3-0 in the post-season and the Eagles have won three sectionals in a row, so they wont be satisfied just to step on the field. But they probably cannot survive this day.

Churubusco got a sectional quarterfinal bye and Fulk has been a complete-game pitcher in all three post-season games so far. The No. 2 pitcher for the Eagles has not yet seen the mound and he probably won't against Boone either.

But Luers is a big time offensive team led by Tyer Watts (43-75, .573, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs) and pitcher Kevin Kiermaier (47-93, .505, 7 HRs). Kiermaier (8-1) and Joe Crouch (8-0) will be the pitchers and the Knights have no reason not to expect to win twice Saturday.

Expect a game time decision on whether Kyle Ferber (6-3) or left-hander Wayland Roach (10-0) goes for Boone. Here's where you plan to play twice. I'd open with Roach and save the senior Ferber for the championship game with Blake Klisaurich in reserve in both games.

Boone Grove, with speedy Nick DiMarco (.473), Zak Ursitti (.400), Josh Cobb (.410) and Drew Kidd (.459) is well-suited for the pro-sized Covaleski Stadium. The Wolves don't have much power, but they can hit-and-run and pressure the defense. Boone has scored 10 or more in all four playoff games so far and they figure to play two high-scoring games in the heat and the wind Saturday.

There is no faster team in NW Indiana and the Wolves will attempt to use that strength. The concern is conditioning. Fast teams slow up in the second game of a double-header and Boone wants to play the night game, too.

2A NOTES: Covaleski is an older stadium and the parking is about a block away. You may get charged to park here. But there is a lot of room here and you really get the feel of a professional ballpark. Unlike Lafayette's Loeb or Plymouth's Bill Nixon Field, as the afternoon goes on, there is shade here from the upper deck and a large concourse under the stands if it rains. That may be no small thing Saturday as the heat kicks in. One other note: newspaper reports had 1,500 fans at Bishop Luers' regional game. This is a school with multiple girls basketball and football state championships. If Boone fans don't show up in good numbers, they will be outnumbered.

2008 - Regional - Semistate Baseball Tournament Preview

2008 - Regional - Semistate
Baseball Tournament Preview