Central Catholics 2011 Preview

By JCOnline:

Head coach: Tim Bordenet (304-104-1 in 12 seasons with Central Catholic; 329-140-1 in 14 seasons overall)

2010 results: 27-7 (10-0 Hoosier Heartland Conference)

Top hitters: Austin Munn, jr., OF/P (.366 avg., 24 runs, 3 HR, 29 RBIs); Brett Haan, sr., OF/P (.417, 5 runs); Devin Morgan, sr., C (.350, 8 runs, 7 RBIs); Jake Churchill, soph., SS (.313, 6 runs); Ryan DeBoy, soph., 1B (.250, 9 runs, 1 HR, 13 RBIs).

Top pitchers: Haan (7-2, 1.22 ERA, 46 IP, 50 SO); Munn (5-1, 3.05 ERA, 362/3 IP, 50 SO); Nick Stone, jr. (3-1, 3.36 ERA, 162/3 IP, 14 SO).

Outlook: Central Catholic, the preseason Class A No. 1, is trying to become the second team to win three straight state titles (Jasper, 1996-98). While ace Taylor Glaze graduated, Haan, Munn and Stone combined to go 15-4 last season. Danny Anthrop, the starting second baseman on last year's title team, will not play due to wrist surgery.

Hammered by Harrison

We lost to local foe Harrison tonight 8-1. CC must find some bats somewhere as we've scored only 2 runs between the 2 games, winning one of those tho. Ironically we scored our 1 run tonight in the 1st inning just as we did with Burlington, WI. That run was scored on an error.

Nick has not thrown in practice for 2 weeks but came in tonight for 3 2/3 innings I think. He gave up 4 runs, not all of those were earned runs tho. I think we had 3 errors in those innings. He threw a runner out while in left field on a drive into the gap, got the runner trying to stretch it to a double.

Lots of work to do for a 3peat!

Harrison's Richards two-hits CC

By Staff Reports
Vonn Richards threw a two-hitter and Harrison’s bats gave him plenty of support in a season-opening 8-1 victory over Central Catholic at Leming Field on Tuesday.

Richards walked one and struck out five, allowing only a double and a single to CC leadoff hitter Jake Churchill. He retired 11 straight batters from the third through the sixth innings and didn’t allow a hit after the third.

Harrison catcher Daniel Fleming went 3-for-4 with a double, scoring two runs and driving in two. Michael Carnahan went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and scored twice.

A 2nd story on our win

CC outduels Wisconsin baseball champions

By Nathan Baird:

Even in a matchup of defending state champions, pitchers are ahead of hitters at this stage of the baseball season.

Class A No. 1 Central Catholic and Burlington (Wis.) Catholic Central pitchers combined to strike out 21 batters on Saturday at Leming Field.

The Knights scratched across an unearned run in the first inning, and Austin Munn, Andrew Hubertz and Brett Haan made it hold up for a 1-0 victory.

"We haven't gotten too many live at-bats, so we kind of knew we were going to be slow, but I don't think we knew we were going to be this slow," said Haan, who also batted sixth and played right field. "But luckily we pushed that one across early and that's all we needed."

CC only played half of its scrimmage at Brebeuf on March 23 before getting rained out. The Knights faced full-speed live pitching only one other time this spring.

Burlington Catholic Central pitchers Rex Morrow and Tyler Floyd combined on a four-hitter and struck out eight. A total of 15 batters struck out looking.

"It was a good game," Hilltoppers coach Tom O'Connell said. "Both teams have a lot to work on. I'm not disappointed. Our pitchers did very well."

CC's Jake Churchill reached on an infield single leading off the bottom of the first. He took second on a wild pitch and scored when second baseman Brandon Hoffman misplayed Cody Schrader's grounder.

Munn allowed two hits and struck out seven in 32/3 innings. But he also walked six, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches. The Hilltoppers failed to take advantage, stranding eight runners in the first four innings.

Hubertz needed one pitch to get out of a two-on, two-out jam in the fourth. Haan (1-0) struck out six over three innings of hitless relief.

"Brett did a great job coming in and slamming the door and not allowing them anything," Bordenet said. "Give Hubertz credit; he came in with the game on the line, one pitch-one out, and got us out of the jam."

Burlington Central Catholic, located about an hour north of Chicago, has an enrollment of about 140. O'Connell saw in a newsletter last summer that CC, like his team, had won four state titles in the past seven seasons. He emailed Bordenet, and the two met at a coaches clinic in Nashville last December.

Several Burlington Central Catholic players stayed behind to participate in the school musical, which O'Connell said raises tens of thousands of dollars.

"It's pretty cool that they're the exact mirror image of us and they come down here and wanted to play us," Haan said. "It was just a good duel."

Central Catholic Betters Catholic Central

CC baseball defeats Wisconsin champs to open season

By Nathan Baird:
Three Central Catholic pitchers combined on a 13-strikeout shutout, and the Class A No. 1 Knights defeated Burlington (Wisc.) Catholic Central 1-0 at Leming Field on Saturday.

It was the season opener for both teams, both of whom have won four state titles in the past seven seasons. Central Catholic is the two-time defending Class A state champion.

Austin Munn started for the Knights and allowed just two singles over 3 2/3 innings, but also walked six, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches. Andrew Hubertz needed only one pitch to escape a two-on, two-out jam in the seventh. Brett Haan came on to strike out six over three hitless innings.

CC scored its only run in the first when Jake Churchill reached on an infield single, took second base on a wild pitch and came home on a Hilltopper error. Rex Morrow and Tyler Floyd combined on a three-hitter for Burlington Catholic Central.

State Champ vs State Champ

Central Catholic baseball to play Wisconsin state power

3/31/2011 11:39 PM EDT

By Nathan Baird:

One of the congratulatory e-mails that Central Catholic baseball coach Tim Bordenet received last summer came from Tom O’Connell, the baseball coach at Burlington (Wisc.) Catholic Central.

Bordenet said O’Connell was intrigued that CC had won its fourth title in seven years because Burlington Catholic Central had done the same in Wisconsin.

O’Connell offered to make a trip down if the Knights could find an opening on their schedule. So the teams will play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Leming Field for CC’s season opener.

“We can kind of compare Indiana baseball to another state, and to a team that’s had a lot of success,” Bordenet said. “It’s a good opportunity. Our kids are looking forward to playing anybody but especially someone that high of a caliber right off the bat.”

Burlington Catholic Central has an enrollment of 149 and is located about an hour north of Chicago. O’Connell was named 2010 national coach of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

It's Central Catholic, Frontier & Cowan Again!!!

Media coverage of the top 3 teams in the state, ClassA, same ol, same ol.

By Nathan Baird:

In an annual tradition of sorts, Central Catholic and Frontier open the season atop the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association's Class A poll.

Central Catholic received four of six first-place votes and totaled 58 points. Frontier received no first-place votes but totaled 40 points.

Last season Frontier opened at No. 1, with CC ranked third behind Cowan. The Knights are two-time defending state champions and have won three of the last four.

CC plays host to Frontier at Leming Field on April 18.

Delphi, last year’s Class 2A runner-up, received two first-place votes and opens the season ranked third. Forest Park and Wapahani own top two spots, respectively, and defending state champion Heritage Christian is fourth.

Fountain Central, coming off a 24-4 season, also received votes in the 2A poll.

Crawfordsville opens the season ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. The Athenians have won five straight sectional championships. Jasper received three of five first-place votes, but is behind No. 1 New Haven and No. 2 New Palestine in the poll.

McCutcheon received votes in the Class 4A poll. No. 1 Cathedral received three of six first-place votes.