Baseball semistate capsules
By Mark Lazerus 648-3140 or mlazerus@post-trib.com June 9, 2012 12:00AM
Updated: July 10, 2012 6:05AM
At Kokomo’s
Highland Park
Schedule: Class 3A — Western (23-9) vs. Bellmont (24-8), noon; Class 4A — Lake Central (30-1) vs. Zionsville (28-5), to follow
Radio: 1420-AM
Scouting Zionsville: It’s the classic immovable object/irresistable force game, as Lake Central’s unmatched pitching faces Zionsville’s powerful offense. LC’s two aces, Jimmy McNamara and Taylor Lehnert, played with some of the Eagles on the Indiana Bulls last summer, so they know how good their hitting is. Senior Troy Kuhn leads the way with a .462 average, seven home runs and 40 RBI. Sophomore Ben Kocher also has 40 RBI and senior Ryan Bertam has 35. In all, the Eagles have hit a whopping 19 home runs. Zionsville has cruised through the postseason, winning its last four games by a combined score of 45-10. The Eagles defeated two-time defending state champ Fort Wayne Carroll in the regional semifinals. Parker Dunshee (7-1 2.47 ERA) likely will pitch for the Eagles.
Up next: The Class 4A state championship game against either Roncalli or New Palestine at Victory Field next Saturday.
At South Bend’s
Coveleski Stadium
Schedule: Class 1A — F.W. Blackhawk (22-6-1) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (29-4), noon; Class 2A — Hebron (20-8) vs. Northfield (27-5), to follow.
Scouting Northfield: If Hebron plans to reach the state final for the first time, it likely will have to go through Northfield ace Ryan Keaffaber. The junior left-hander has a sparkling 12-0 record with a 0.98 ERA, and 137 strikeouts in 85 innings. He’s also a fearsome hitter, batting .437 with a team-high 43 RBI. He has plenty of help, too. Junior Andy Roser is batting .467 with 40 RBI, and six other regulars are batting better than .300. Northfield is the top-ranked team in Class 2A.
Up next: The Class 2A state championship game against either Shakamak or South Central (Elizabeth) at Victory Field next Saturday.
— Mark Lazerus
