Sunday, August 1, 2010

Our Team is Ready!!!





For a world championship!!!!

Our Colt team against The North Stars!!!




Nick #5 pitching in innings 7 & 8 against 17-18 year old Lafayette area standouts. This includes the likes of Dylan Sterret, Brian Demerly, Frank Fisk (Frontier), Tanner Hiatt (Lafayette Jeff). We lost this game in the 10th inning.
Two weeks away from The Colt World Series,

GO LAFAYETTE!!!

Media coverage of our Colt Team!



The Lafayette team appears to be much better than last years team. This is an interview with both coaches and of Nick (#16) coming in against Mexico last year in the 3rd inning and had a strong 3 1/3 innings of relief, getting a big win to advance us to the final four.

Upset by Hoosier North!

Nick came in and closed the last 2 innings. 2 errors cost us early but we stayed close at 3-1 end of 5 innings. Nick struck out the side in the 6th, leaving 2 stranded from an excellent bunt & a hit batter. We score a run in the bottom of the 6th to make it 3-2. Another bunt single in the 7th but Nick stymies any chance of HN scoring with a strike out and 2 measly ground outs. We could not score in the 7th.

Disaster in Chicago

Still yet to get all the news about our four games in Chicago, but thus far thru the text I read yesterday it was a brutal weekend for our Lafayette All-Stars. I think we had 1 win 2 losses, 1 tie. Hopefully we can bounce back for Tuesdays games.

My son Nick with the state trophy!!

Area baseball stars!!!

JCOnline:
Recent Frontier graduate Dylan Sterrett wasn't sure who his potential opponents were for today's Fifth Annual Mr. Baseball Classic in Noblesville.

Yet the Chicago State-bound pitcher/infielder looked forward to challenging whoever stands in against him.

"It won't be like pitching a Class 1A game, where you have 15 strikeouts," Sterrett said. "Everybody's going to be able to hit it. I probably have to throw my best game. It should be a great experience."

Sterrett is one of five area players who will compete in today's 2 p.m. game, organized by Hoosier Diamond and sponsored by Community Health Network. Admission at Don Dunker Field is $4.

Sterrett and North Montgomery pitcher/first baseman Cody Nickle will play for the Red Team. Crawfordsville's Steven Rice and A.J. Ehrlich and Central Catholic's Scott Windler are on the Blue Team.

CC's Taylor Glaze and Clinton Central's Dylan Padgett were also nominated and will appear on the ballot for Mr. Baseball, to be announced in early July.

"It will be a great experience," said Windler, who recently led Central Catholic to a repeat Class A state championship. "It's kind of special for me that I got nominated. It will give me a great opportunity to see what the next level is like."

Windler, Sterrett (Franklin), Ehrlich (Hanover) and Rice (Vanderbilt) are all preparing to join college programs. Today's game allows them a peek at a higher caliber of talent.

Sterrett and Windler will also be among the Class A players stepping up to take on players from some of the state's largest schools.

"I've never played against 4A schools," said Sterrett, who lost only two pitching decisions in his four-year varsity career. "I don't know if the challenge is any different; we're all high school kids."

WHMB-TV 40 will broadcast the game on tape delay on Friday. Hamilton County Television will broadcast the game on July 3rd (noon), 4th (2 p.m.) and 6th (9 p.m.).

Local all-stars

Ryan Black singled and doubled to lead the Class 4A West to an 8-3 victory over the East in Saturday's Postyourt.org All-Star games at Milligan Park in Crawfordsville.

Black singled to lead off the bottom of the first and opened the door for a six-run inning. He also doubled and scored in the fourth. North Montgomery's Cody Nickle hit a two-run home run for the East.

Several area players contributed to a 14-2 West victory in the Class A baseball game. Frontier grad Frank Fisk's two-out RBI single in the first started the scoring, and he and Central Catholic's Scott Windler and Taylor Glaze all singled during a three-run third inning.

CC's Reed Drysdale and Cole Hruiskovich each scored twice, and teammate Chas Bobillo had a pair of RBIs. Tri-County's Ryan Beckley also scored for the West.

In the Class 3A West's 3-2 victory, North Montgomery's Matt Cunningham had an RBI single, and Chargers teammate Joey Clifton scored a run.

The first game of the softball doubleheader ended in a 1-1 tie, with Crawfordsville's Ariel Hinton scoring the West's lone run. In Game 2, Athenian Chelsea Day scored a run, and Hinton drove in another in a 9-6 West victory.

Taylor Glaze

Thanks Taylor for great memories and guiding my son Nick along, good luck in the future!!

JCOnline:
In the days before the Class A state championship game, Tecumseh coach Dave Duncan asked a reporter an innocent, yet obvious, question.

"Do you think they'll throw the left-hander?" Duncan said, referring to upcoming opponent Central Catholic's choice of pitchers.

There was little chance the Knights weren't going to give the left-hander, Taylor Glaze, the ball at Victory Field in Indianapolis. Especially if Glaze had anything to say about it.

"I love those challenges," Glaze said. "I love big games. I love testing myself to the max -- just going in knowing you have what it takes to get it done, and you just have to go out there and do it."

More often than not, Glaze came through. For the second year in a row, he pitched Central Catholic to a Class A state championship.

While pitching the biggest games, Glaze solidified his status as Journal & Courier Small School Player of the Year.

"He's just a great player and a great pitcher," CC center fielder Scott Windler said. "We know when we put him on the mound, he'll do great things."

Glaze drew the starting assignment against the largest schools on Central Catholic's schedule. He also pitched the sectional final, the regional semifinal against Cowan and the semistate and state championship games.

That competition brought out the best in Glaze, who finished 10-2 with a 1.02 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 25 walks in 75 1/3 innings.

Glaze's offensive contributions were often overshadowed by his pitching exploits. Moved to No. 4 after starting the season as the No. 2 hitter, Glaze batted .395 with two home runs, 30 RBIs and a team-high 36 walks that accounted for 27 percent of the team's total.

"If the situation called for a bunt, or for a hit-and-run with the cleanup hitter, which we normally wouldn't do, we were able to do that with him," coach Tim Bordenet said. "It gave us some versatility and a lot of different options."

Glaze has not yet committed to a college program, but Bordenet said he expects that to be resolved within the next week.

In search of the 2010 Colt World Championship!!!

JCOnline:
Josh Loggins played high school, college and professional baseball, scouted for the Boston Red Sox and has given hitting instruction to hundreds of youngsters at Lafayette's On Deck Baseball and Softball Academy.

But when the Lafayette All-Stars begin Colt World Series competition on Aug. 7, one of the stars of Hoosier North's 1992 CWS championship team will be doing on-the-field coaching for the first time.

It's an assignment the Harrison graduate will embrace. Loggins worked briefly with McCutcheon's baseball team during its spring break trip to Florida, but those were only informal workouts.

"As far as game experience and being in the heat of what's going on, this is my first time," Loggins said Tuesday night. "When it was brought to me about coaching, I thought it was a good mix of getting involved but yet not too involved.

"We're not playing a 150-game schedule and traveling all over the place. It's a short time, and it's a good group of guys that all have aspirations of going on and playing. It's a good opportunity for me to help them do that."

Loggins will assist Lafayette head coach Dave Alexander, a Seattle Mariners scout and the former Purdue baseball coach.

"I enjoy this 15- and 16-year-old age group," Loggins said. "They are at that age of being right on that verge of seeing whether baseball is going to be a fit for them or not.

"Yet, the kids still are impressionable. They listen to what you say. They want to get better. They want to go on and play. It's a good fit for that."

Alexander is excited about adding Loggins as an assistant.

"It's absolutely a great opportunity to add Josh," Alexander said. "Matt Coddington did a great job for us last year.

"I would like to have both of them, but when West Lafayette (police) went to 12-hour shifts, Matt couldn't coach this year."

Loggins will provide the bulk of the hitting instruction, Alexander will guide the pitchers and each will focus on aspects of defense.

"A lot of these kids, I've had in lessons," Loggins said. "I've had some friendships built with some of these kids as they've grown up.

"With Dave, he has so much experience as far as the on-the-field thing. I think we will be a good blend. It's the little details I hope we can share with the guys."

Outfielder Nick Bartolone, a junior-to-be at Harrison and a second-year member of Lafayette's CWS team, is enjoying learning from Loggins.

"He helps us," Bartolone said. "He brings aspects of kind of newer things to the game. He takes a more modern baseball approach. He played the game not too long ago.

"When most of us are struggling with our swings, he picks it up pretty fast. He can point out a couple of things and correct your swing really quickly."

Bartolone also is honored to be playing for a coach who played for Harrison's 1995 state championship team.

"I've always wanted to meet him and learn from him about how they did it back then," Bartolone said.

"It's nice to meet a guy who used to go to your school and has been there, done that. He's great ... a good guy to be around."

Alexander said Lafayette's 18-player roster will benefit from Loggins' experience.

"Josh was a drafted player who played professionally, and he has played a lot of different positions," Alexander said. "He knows the game and understands the game.

"The other thing that helped him tremendously is that he scouted professionally. When you scout, you learn what works and what doesn't work, especially pitchers' mechanics. Scouting is about projecting guys. Are they going to get better, or are they going to stay the same?"

Loggins has a difficult time believing that it has been 18 years since he helped Hoosier North win its first CWS championship.

"A lot of time has passed, but some of my fondest high school memories are playing with those guys and playing in that Colt World Series experience," Loggins said.

"I still have a picture of me sliding across the plate with the winning run. Those early, impressionable memories stick with you forever."


Having played in the CWS, Loggins would like to help Lafayette win for the first time since 1977.

"It will be a good time," Loggins said. "We've got a schedule prior to the Colt World Series where we're playing 20-to-25 games.

"We're going to Chicago this weekend. We're playing a lot of the travel teams in Indiana. We're playing some good 16-year-olds, and we're playing some 18-year-olds. It will give these guys a chance to be pushed a little bit."

Alexander is enjoying coaching with Loggins and working with this team, several of whom were members of the 2009 CWS semifinalists.

"The attitude is great," Alexander said. "The kids have really listened, worked hard and paid attention. That's a big thing. It's more than half the battle."

1st Colt game

Ok readers, we just finished our first Colt team game against The Indy Mustangs at Loeb Stadium. With what experience I have in watching varsity/colt baseball the past 2 seasons I will have to say The Lafayette Colt Team looks very strong after only 1 game and only 2 weeks of practice. A very quick infield with good skills, an outstanding pitching staff which does include my son Nick.

Lafayette defeated Indy 6-1 while playing 9 innings.


GO LAFAYETTE!!!!!

Challenging 2011 season for CC baseball!

JCOnline
A year ago, Central Catholic's baseball team left Victory Field knowing that seven starters returned in defense of the Class A state championship it had just won.

On Friday, the Knights celebrated the realization of that goal after a 4-2 victory over Tecumseh.

But seven of this year's starters have graduated, including pitching ace Taylor Glaze and the first five hitters in the lineup. Does that change the program's expectations for next season?

"Nothing less," Glaze said, echoing the same words Dru Anthrop spoke after leading CC to the 2009 title. "Another state championship, and we'll go for three in a row."

Graduating with Glaze are center fielder Scott Windler, left fielder Cole Hruskovich, catcher Reed Drysdale, shortstop Chas Bobillo, first baseman Jason Aldridge, third baseman Billy Fusiek and pitcher/outfielder Ben Cramer.

Those eight seniors combined to bat .347, scored 67.5 percent of the team's runs and accounted for 66 of the Knights' 87 extra-base hits.

Designated hitter Austin Munn batted .366 with three home runs and tied for second on the team with 29 RBIs as a sophomore. Second baseman Danny Anthrop, a .339 hitter from the No. 9 spot as a sophomore, may be the area's fastest player and could end up in the leadoff spot.

Junior Devin Morgan often spotted Drysdale at catcher, and freshmen Ryan DeBoy and Jake Churchill are expected to take bigger roles in 2011.

"They're going to be pretty good," Drysdale said. "We've got some freshmen that can hit the ball around the field. I look forward to following them in the papers next year, because I think they'll make noise, definitely."

Glaze went 8-0 over the past two state tournaments, including semistate and state championship victories in each season. Waiting to inherit the ace role is Brett Haan, who went 7-2 with a 1.22 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 46 innings.

"He's talked about it all the time," Munn said of Haan. "He knew Taylor was going to dominate this year, and it's his year next year."

Munn (5-1, 3.05 ERA) and Nick Stone (3-1, 3.36 ERA) should cement another strong rotation.

The only program to win three state titles in a row, and four in a five-year span, is Jasper. The Wildcats won single-class titles in 1996 and '97 and Class 3A titles in 1998 and 2000.

The chance to equal that feat gives Central Catholic extra motivation.

"They can do it," Glaze said. "They've got the pitching, they've got the bats. They've just got to have the heart, and I think they have it."

Last of summer league, start of Colt season!!

Four games left of the varsity summer league, 2 at Twin Lakes, 2 at Lafayette Jeff. Nick started & pitched 5 innings against Twin Lakes on Thursday, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, 8 K's. 3 W's. I think the final score was 20-1 CC.

Played a double header with Jeff at Loeb Stadium & Nick came in to close a 5th inning rally, the score was 11-8. I think with bases loaded an error on a grounder brings in 2 runs, then Nick shuts down the rally & no runs givin up the rest of the game. Final CC 14 Jeff 10.

We have our 1st Colt game on Tuesday at 7:30pm at Loeb Stadium against The Indy Mustangs!!

Colt World Series season!

Nick pitching against Mexico in 2009 Colt World Series!

Nick will be playing on Lafayettes Colt World Series team again this year. Making it to the medal round last year was a great feat but I think this team looks better, at least at this juncture. More power at the plate & great experience back on the mound. From Central Catholic we have my son Nick, Ryan Deboy & Austin Munn. Both Munn & Nick had strong pitching performances in The CWS tourney last year. This team has potential..
GO LAFAYETTE!!!!