Struggling in conference play isn’t ideal in any high school sport, but especially not when those conference opponents will also be the opposition once postseason play begins.
A little more than midway through the high school baseball season, the Portage High School Indians are trying to find their stride against Duneland Athletic Conference foes. Portage is 11-8 overall but just 3-5 in DAC play following a 10-2 loss to visiting Lake Central on Wednesday.
The Indians committed four errors in the game while walking seven batters, hitting three batsmen and unleashing a pair of wild pitches. Lake Central stole six bases.
It was the kind of performance head coach Tim Pirowski is hoping to see less of over the final weeks of the regular season. Pirowski is hoping his team can get back to the basics, embrace the fundamentals and start playing the style of baseball he knows they are capable of before reaching the IHSAA sectional.
“We’re still looking to start playing more consistently,” Pirowski said. “We need to focus on playing better defense and having a good approach at the plate.
“As we get closer to the postseason, we want to make smart decisions. We need to make the right throws, swing at good pitches and if (our pitchers are) ahead in the count, not groove a fastball over the middle of the plate.”
The loss to Lake Central was an eye-opener for Portage. At the beginning of each season, the Indians list beating Lake Central among the team’s goals; Pirowski believes his team is more talented than what it showed in Wednesday’s loss.
“That’s life in the DAC,” Pirowski said. “You’re going to be humbled occasionally and you’ve just got to come out stronger the next day.”
Improving against conference opponents is especially important for the Indians, who will face their DAC opponents plus Hobart in the sectional. Despite being held to two runs on just five hits against Lake Central, Pirowski believes the hitting will be there come the postseason; his main focus at this point in the year is cutting down on the defensive miscues.
“Our defense needs to improve to get to where we want to be,” Pirowski said. “If we’re making errors behind our pitchers, it puts more stress on them and they try to be too perfect.”