TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2018 - 16U University of Notre Dame Great TOC Champs
2018 - 16U Crossroads Midwest Prospects Showcase Champs
2018 - 17U Purdue NW Midwest Showcase Runner-Up
2018 - 17U University of Notre Dame All Prospect Irish Runner-Up
2018 - 17U Grand Park/Butler/UIndy - All Prospect World Series - Top 5 Finish
2019 - 17U Xavier University - The All Prospect Elite - Final 4
2019 - 17U Primetime Perfect Game State Championships Runner -Up
2019 - 17U Northside Showcase @ Kerry Wood Stadium Champs
2018-19 COMBINED RECORD OF 61-24-1
NOTABLE PLAYERS
2018 -17U Team
Evan Hand - starting CF on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team
Jared Bais - starting 3B on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (IU-South Bend Commit)
Jake Dykstra - OF on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (IU-South Bend Commit)
Ian Lukowski - C/DH on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team
Nick Ranola - (Robert Morris University Commit)
Jake Ranola - (Robert Morris University Commit)
2018 -16U Team & 2019 - 17U Team
Brock Begesha - Starting P on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (University of Dayton Commit)
Doug Loden - 3B/OF/P on Lake Central's 2018 Sectional Championship team & 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (Joliet JC Commit)
Sean Sullivan - starting CF on Lake Central's 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (Franklin College Commit)
Nolan Zahorsky - starting C on Lake Central's 2019 Regional Runner-Up team (2nd Team All-State)
Reece Tufo - starting SS on Lake Central's 2019 Regional Runner-Up team
Jackson Krueger - (IU-South Bend Commit)
COST
- $900
WHAT THE COST COVERS
- Uniforms - PLAYERS CHOOSE
- Insurance
- Field Usage
- Mid-Week Games???
- Umpires
- Mid-Week Games???
- Tournament Entry Fees
- Coach Payment
TOURNAMENT INFO
- 6 Tournaments in 7 weeks
- Moratorium Week
- NO PLAYER/COACH CONTACT
- Tournament Selection - PARENT/PLAYER INPUT
ROSTER MANAGEMENT
- Ideally 14-15 Players
- Positional Depth Needed
- 4 or 5 Outfielders
- 5 or 6 Infielders
- Minimum of 9 Pitchers
- 2 Catchers
PLAYING TIME
- If you are on our roster you will play
- I normally use both a DH and an EH in our line-up
- Players who are primarily PO’s will get opportunities to get time in the field as well as AB's
- Players who aren’t primarily PO’s but do pitch will get opportunities for innings on the mound
REASON FOR LC SUMMER BASEBALL
- Team Unity
- High School coaching staff instruction
- Playing players at potential positions I envision them being in within the high school program
- Putting players in situations I envision them being in
- Opportunity to analyze players strengths and weaknesses
- Control of pitcher’s innings (workload)
- Control of schedule - allows for players to regularly attend our summer weight and on field sessions
- Winning Environment
- Relationship building between high school coaching staff and players
COACHES
- Lake Central High School Coaches
- Multiple teams - WE CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS...ASSIGN COACHES A TEAM WITH NO ALTERNATING FROM WEEK TO WEEK OR I CAN ALTERNATE BETWEEN TEAMS ON DIFFERENT WEEKENDS MUCH LIKE WE DID IN 2018
HOW MANY TEAMS
- No team
- If the interest isn’t there where we can field a competitive team with enough pitching and positional depth
- One team
- If the interest isn’t there where we can field one competitive team with enough pitching and positional depth
- It would be a mixture of 17U, 16U, and 15U guys that we want to play with us in the summer of 2021
- Two teams
- If the interest is there to field two teams who will be competitive, have the appropriate pitching depth, appropriate positional depth, and roster makeup that allows players to play where we want them to play and develop
- Three teams
- If the interest is there to field three teams who will be competitive, have the appropriate pitching depth, appropriate positional depth, and roster makeup that allows players to play where we want them to play and develop
PLAYERS/PARENTS NEED TO THINK ABOUT AND DECIDE IF PLAYING UP ONE OR TWO AGE GROUPS IS SOMETHING THEY WOULD POSSIBLY DO. THIS YEAR WE HAD TWELVE 16U AND ONE 15U PLAYERS PLAY UP WITH OUR 17U TEAM IN 2020
2019 - We currently have 17 players on our roster playing a 17U/18U tournament schedule. That roster of 17 consists of four 17U players, twelve 16U players, and one 15U player. I AM A BIG PROPONENT OF PLAYING UP AGE LEVELS AS YOU CAN SEE BY OUR ROSTER CONSTRUCTION.
MISC. THOUGHTS
- Playing for our summer team isn’t a guarantee you will make the high school team the following spring
- Not playing for our summer team doesn't mean you will not make the high school team the following spring
- If you commit to playing for our summer team you will be expected to honor that commitment no matter if you make the high school team in the spring or not
- I will honor your commitment to playing for our summer team no matter if you make the high school team in the spring or not
- I have been burned in the past by players who committed to playing with us but later bailed out on our team which compromises our roster construction
- Playing is optional but I will say that I have seen enough of some of our guy’s over the past two years to know they have shown me they are indeed ready to contribute to our JV or Varsity teams
- The summer is a great time to continue evaluating players so playing with us allows an opportunity to watch and instruct players as well as build a relationship that we wouldn’t otherwise get to do if playing with someone else
- I understand that changing summer teams can be a difficult decision but know that our coaching staff wants nothing more than to see your son and our program succeed and your son will be in great hands with us
- Full team unity
- I HAVE COMMENTED TO OUR TEAM’S THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT WE WIN MOST OF OUR GAMES BECAUSE WE ARE MORE DISCIPLINED AND EXECUTE BETTER THAN OTHER TEAMS AND THAT’S WHAT PLAYING TOGETHER...A LOT...WITH THE SAME TEAMMATES DOES
- I have talked to some who didn’t play with us and asked them about their success and their exposure...nothing I heard from them tells me that things are happening other places that should deter players from playing with us
- EXPOSURE AND RECRUITING
- One of the things I hear is that players can get better exposure and possibly recruited playing other places
- Our staff has a ton of connections and will be as involved as you want in the recruiting process
- No coach can make a school recruit a player...the player has to have the skills, grades, attitude, etc. that they are looking for in a player but I can definitely start the process of touching base with a school and getting our foot in the door in terms of getting a player recruited
In closing, I want to discuss how teams will be selected (depending on interest). As explained above we will only have teams if the positional and pitching depth is there. There is a chance that we have more interest than we have roster spots so the roster will be determined by me...there are no try-outs. With that said, I am asking that anyone who is interested in playing with us let me know by THE END OF THE DAY SUNDAY, JULY 19. THIS QUICK TURNAROUND WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW ANYONE NOT SELECTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND ANOTHER TEAM TO PLAY WITH. THERE IS A GOOGLE FORM I NEED YOU TO FILL OUT LOCATED ON THE LC WEBSITE FOUND IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THIS DOCUMENT WAS FOUND.
I will ONLY notify those who have been selected in the days following the July 19 deadline...by the end of the day on July 21. REMEMBER THAT PART OF THE DECISION PROCESS COULD INCLUDE DECIDING IF A PLAYER WOULD BE WILLING TO PLAY UP ONE AND POSSIBLY TWO AGE GROUPS DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF THOSE INTERESTED. Fill out the Summer Baseball Form to let me know one way or another in regards to your interest in playing with LC in the summer. If you have any additional questions let me know.
Those who participated on the 2020 17U team aren't guaranteed a spot on the 2021 team but will be given strong consideration. Teams are selected on a year by year basis.
If you are selected, we are requiring a non-refundable deposit that will go towards the $900 total in the amount of $200 which will be due by MONDAY, AUGUST 10. I am doing this in an effort to keep those who have committed to us to stay committed to us. In the past we have split payments up by certain dates which we will do again this year. I will send that info out at a later date. Also, I will not refund any money once final payment is made (most likely around January) as this is the time we will start registering for tournaments, setting up mid-week games, ordering/paying for uniforms, and paying coaches.
Thanks
Coach Swartz