Top 10 Teams
1. Lake Central (25-6): Per usual, the Indians have tons of talent up and down their roster, as well as high expectations. The Division I infield trio of senior second baseman Josh Adamczewski (Ball State), senior shortstop Hunter Snyder (Columbia) and junior third baseman/pitcher Griffin Tobias (Indiana) returns. Senior catcher Matt Santana (Wabash Valley) also is back. Junior Blake Sivak figures to be a key part of a pitching staff that “has talent but is a bit unproven,” coach Mike Swartzentruber said. They also added senior infielder/pitcher Luka Romic, a transfer from Mount Carmel.
2. Andrean (31-4): After winning the Class 3A state title for their eighth overall — tied for both the most by a coach and a program — Dave Pishkur and the 59ers will look to add to their hardware. Sophomore shortstop/pitcher Mason Barth, a Notre Dame commit, headlines the group. Senior second baseman Noah Chase, junior right fielder Moises Vazquez and senior infielder/outfielder Caleb Smith also return. Senior right-hander Garrett Benko (St. Xavier) should take on a bigger role after he was their No. 3 pitcher last season. They added senior first baseman/pitcher James Kirk, a transfer from Washington Township. They have 11 seniors committed to play in college, and Pishkur said the sophomores are their “most talented class.”
3. Munster (21-5): In his second season in charge, Mike Mikolajczyk said he’s “excited about the makeup of our team.” Senior second baseman Kevin Hall (Grambling State) leads the way. Senior outfielder Denham Kozy also is back, along with senior catcher Brett Adams and junior catcher/outfielder Bryce Gelarden. Junior pitcher/infielder Tyler Blair projects to top the Mustangs’ staff. Junior Joey Campagna also should be one of their important arms.
4. Illiana Christian (22-7): The Vikings won their first sectional title and didn’t stop, rolling to the Class 2A state championship. They have the stuff to do it again. Senior pitcher/outfielder Kevin Corcoran starred throughout their title run. Junior shortstop Isaac VanderWoude (Virginia) and sophomore corner infielder/pitcher Gavin Meyer (Ohio State) already are high-level commits. Junior catcher Aaron Gouwens and senior first baseman/pitcher Cody DeJong also are back. They added sophomore catcher Gabe Soto, a transfer from Lake Central, and freshmen such as pitcher/outfielders Tanner Post and Spencer Bandstra could contribute.
5. Valparaiso (18-7): Sophomore pitcher Caden Crowell (Louisville) made a major impact in his debut and should continue to develop. Senior pitcher/outfielder Ian Wilson, senior outfielder/catcher Miles Cvelbar and junior third baseman Andres Guzman also return.
6. LaPorte (24-4): The Slicers feature senior RJ Anglin as their No. 1 starter. Senior second baseman Kade Flores; senior first baseman Tommy Samuelson, who could pitch; and junior Carter Moses, in his third season starting at catcher, also are back. Coach Scott Upp said sophomore Keli Hay, who came on at the end of last season, will start in right field and also could do some catching.
7. Crown Point (18-12): Coach Steve Strayer said the Bulldogs “will rebuild” after graduating several key players. Senior first baseman Blake Sabau and senior shortstop Luke Burford are among their returnees. Senior pitcher/outfielder Ryan Radanovich, senior pitcher/first baseman Blake Newell and senior center fielder JJ Johnson also are back.
8. Hanover Central (19-8): Former assistant Sal Aguilar succeeds Ryan Bridges as coach. Senior center fielder Gannan Howes and senior pitcher/shortstop Zach Zychowski started for the Wildcats’ Class 3A state runner-up team in 2021. They also will look to senior Tony Bartolomeo Jr. for leadership. Expectations are high for freshman shortstop Dylan Bowen.
9. Chesterton (11-15): It could be a nice season for the Trojans under longtime coach Jack Campbell. They return five starting position players and three pitchers with considerable experience, led by senior ace Sean Kasper (Purdue Fort Wayne), who also plays center field. Sophomore third baseman Kaden Hawksworth, junior shortstop Brayden Barrett, junior second baseman Greg Guernsey and senior catcher Nate Lambert also are back.
10. Highland (16-9): Trojans coach John Bogner said he has “a good group of kids who work hard” Senior pitcher/infielder Tyler Stewart leads the group. Also back are senior pitcher/outfielder Joshua Modjeski, senior pitcher/outfielder Aleksander Havlin, senior pitcher/outfielder Sean Harder, senior pitcher/outfielder Chase Schwandt, junior catcher Ryan Gordon and junior pitcher/infielder Jason Bogner.
25 Players to Watch
Josh Adamczewski, Lake Central, senior, second baseman; Jevan Andrews, Hobart, junior, outfielder; RJ Anglin, LaPorte, senior, pitcher; Mason Barth, Andrean, sophomore, shortstop/pitcher; Tyler Blair, Munster, junior, pitcher/infielder; Kevin Corcoran, Illiana Christian, senior, pitcher/outfielder; Caden Crowell, Valparaiso, sophomore, pitcher/first baseman/outfielder; Cody DeJong, Illiana Christian, senior, first baseman/pitcher; Kade Flores, LaPorte, senior, second baseman; Cam Gonzalez, Hobart, senior, pitcher/outfielder; Kevin Hall, Munster, senior, second baseman; Gannan Howes, Hanover Central, senior, outfielder; Sean Kasper, Chesterton, senior, pitcher; James Kirk, Andrean, senior, first baseman/pitcher; Denham Kozy, Munster, senior, outfielder; Gavin Meyer, Illiana Christian, sophomore, infielder/pitcher; Trey Pitcock, Boone Grove, senior, middle infielder; Blake Sabau, Crown Point, senior, first baseman; Matt Santana, Lake Central, senior, catcher; Blake Sivak, Lake Central, junior, pitcher; Hunter Snyder, Lake Central, senior, shortstop; Tyler Stewart, Highland, senior, pitcher/infielder; Griffin Tobias, Lake Central, junior, third baseman; Isaac VanderWoude, Illiana Christian, junior, shortstop; Zach Zychowski, Hanover Central, senior, pitcher/shortstop.
