By Thad Satre
Prep Baseball Report, Indiana 

No. 6, New Albany HS

Coach Chris McIntyre returns for another season leading the New Albany High School Bulldogs. The Bulldogs finished the 2012 season with an impressive 25-5 overall record but the season ended with a disappointing loss in sectionals. Coach McIntyre returns five starters and four pitchers from a team that finished behind champion Jeffersonville in the Hoosier Hills Conference.  

Leading the way for Coach McIntyre this spring will be a couple of talented seniors, Josh Rogers (left) and Garret Sherrell (right). Rogers is a talented lefty who earned Honorable Mention All-State honors after going 8-1 with a 0.77 ERA in 2012. Rogers, a University of Louisville signee, worked 63 innings and racked up 97 strikeouts. Teammate Garrett Sherrell has signed with the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Sherrell earned Honorable Mention All-State honors as a catcher in 2012 after hitting .411 and driving in 30 runs. Two other seniors who are experienced and productive in the lineup are Logan Striegel (OF) and Zach Worrall (RHP/OF). Striegel knocked in 26 runs and batted .371 while Worrall hit only .277 but has a very high ceiling. 

A couple of juniors complete the experienced nucleus returning this season for Coach McIntyre. Tucker Marcum is a solid fielder up the middle and also in the lineup after batting .357. Brandon Johnson (RHP) will be the second starter after a successful sophomore campaign with a 4-2 record, a 1.98 ERA, and 42 strikeouts in 35 innings. 

Other players who are expected to make an impact in 2013 are juniors Brady Parr (C) and Jack Shine (MIF), and freshman AJ Nixon (OH/RHP).

No. 7, Fort Wayne Northrop HS 

The Bruins finished the 2012 season with a 17-11 overall record.  They ended their season with a disappointing loss in the first round of sectionals to Dekalb 7-6.

Northrop is led by senior RHP, Tyler Huth. Huth is a 6-foot-7 inch, 230 pound righty who's fastball is up to 88 mph.  Huth is currently the No. 19 prospect in Indiana's 2013 class.

Colin Brockhouse (left), a junior SS/RHP, will be a key contributor to the Bruins' success in 2013. Brockhouse is the No. 3 ranked prospect in Indiana's 2014 class, and No. 20 in the overall 2014 PBR rankings.  This winter he was 88-91 on the mound.

Also expected to be a key impact player is Joseph Filosa, a junior RHP/OF.  Filosa is a mid-80's arm with a solid breaking ball.  


No. 8, New Castle HS

Brad King enters his 11^th season as the Head Coach of the New Castle Trojans looking to build off a successful 2012 season. New Castle finished the 2012 season with a 21-8 record overall and a 9-5 record in the North Central Conference.  Expectations should be high for the Trojans with five starters returning, including their top two arms. 

Leading the way will be 2013’s No. 1 player Trey Ball (Texas commit). Ball (left), a versatile athlete that is 90+ on the mound from the left side is also one of the top hitters in the state. Ball finished 2012 with strong numbers, on the mound he went 6-2 with a 1.45 ERA and in the middle of the order hit .434 with five homeruns and 27 RBI. 

Two other standouts that should produce big years are Senior RHP Michael Baer and Junior OF/RHP Grant Malott (Western Kentucky commit). Baer will be New Castle’s number two on the mound after a good 2012 year in which he went 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA and 41 strikeouts. Baer sat 81-85 with his fastball in a game PBR attended before having to leave with a non-throwing should injury. Malott (right), the No. 14 prospect in Indiana's 2014 class, will be counted on to be a run producer in the offense. Last season as a sophomore Malott was in the middle of the order and hit .304 with a homerun and 18 RBI. Malott should also see some time on the mound with a fastball that was 80-83 at PBR All State. 

Two other returning starters will be relied on to give New Castle a successful 2013 season, Senior Kodi King and Junior Zak Kellogg. King, a 3B/RHP, hit .296 last year with 18 runs scored and Kellogg, one of the Trojans two catchers, hit .348. King will see some innings on the mound, as should Junior Tyler Smith who made three appearances on the mound in 2012. At PBR All State Smith’s fastball was 82-84 with good run. 

New Castle has a talented pitching staff that should make them tough throughout the season and an early favorite to go deep in the State Tournament. Kokomo and defending Sectional 9 Champ Anderson will be two of the stronger opponents they will have to face off against in the North Central Conference.

No. 9, Lake Central HS 

Jeff Sandor and the Lake Central Indians come into the 2013 season as the defending 4A State Champions. Lake Central capped off the 2012 season with a 1-0 win over Roncalli to finish the year at an impressive 32-1. Lake Central brings back three starters offensively and two starting pitchers. Even after losing their top two arms from 2012 and leading hitter, the Indians’ aspirations are high in 2013. 

Offensively Lake Central brings back three hitters that made big contributions in 2012. Senior Nick Kellams will lead the way after hitting .387 with two homeruns, 16 RBI, and 33 runs scored last season. A pair of juniors will also be counted on in IF Ryan Burvan and IF/OF Alec Olund (No. 15 in Indiana's 2014 class). Burvan hit .352 with 24 runs scored and Olund (left) hit .348 with 13 RBI. 

On the mound Lake Central lost one of the best one-two pitching duos in the state in Taylor Lehnert and Jimmy McNamara, both at Central Michigan now. Picking up the innings will be Kellams who went 5-0 last year with a 1.93 ERA. Anthony Majstorov will also see an increase an innings. Majstorov threw only 14 innings last year, but picked up four wins in the process. Dayton commit Aaron Glatt (right) will also be heavily counted on to give Lake Central quality innings. 

The Indians will be tested throughout the year playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the state, the Duneland. The will likely have to go through Crown Point if they hope to repeat as conference and sectional champs. 

No. 10, Greenwood HS

The Greenwood Woodmen finished the 2012 season with a 21-7 overall record and saw their season end in the sectional finals at the hands of state semi-finalist New Palenstine. Head Coach Andy Bass led the Woodmen to the Mid-State Conference championship with a conference record of 11-1. The excitement and expectations are high in Greenwood as Coach Bass returns the bulk of last year’s squad including seven starters and most of the pitching staff. 

Greenwood will be led in 2013 by a talented nucleus of seniors. Leading the way is the No. 8 ranked 2013 prospect in Indiana and 2012 All-State outfielder, Alex Krupa. Krupa was an offensive force for the Woodmen, batting .527 with eight doubles, two home runs and 33 RBI’s. The speedy outfielder also stole 24 bases. Fellow senior Landon Fink (RHP/3B) will top the rotation after an 8-2 record last season with a 1.90 ERA. Fink (right) led the team with 43 RBI’s to go along with his .409 average and six home runs. 

Senior Tylor Martin (RHP/2B) will be the second starter in the Greenwood rotation. Martin compiled a 6-2 record and a 2.78 ERA last season while also batting .485 with seven doubles and 20 RBI’s. Also returning for Coach Bass are seniors Ethan Bailey (RHP/3B) and Conner Beidelman (OF). Bailey batted .371 with 16 RBI’s last season and Beidelman drove in 27 runs while hitting .323. 

A solid group of experienced juniors will add depth to the Greenwood lineup including Mitch Caster (RHP/SS), Dan Sutton (INF), and Marty Underwood (INF).