Is the lake warm yet? I want to try out my special edition reporters Speedo.

Yes, I have returned.

I apologize for the long gap between picks but Mother Nature has not really helped out the spring sports season thus far. Weather controls every move made during this time of year for athletic departments so it makes it difficult to know when to pick games.

To be honest, I am tired of waiting for the perfect forecast from a local meteorologist so I am going to wing it and hope for the best with a few picks this week.

A lot has happened since I last published a picks article, too much to talk about. I could ramble on for about 700 words of the things we’ve missed, but who really wants me to do that? Nobody, exactly.

To cover the important stuff, my Final Four picks were awful. Florida did make it, that was my one success. Also, Tony Jasick, the head coach at IPFW left my beloved ‘Dons for Jacksonville. What the frick, Tony? What. The. Frick. Other than that I can tell you that nobody is hated more than Donald Sterling right now. That’s all the important stuff.

I also want to quickly address the news that broke recently about Elkhart Memorial boys basketball coach Mark Barnhizer. The veteran coach announced his resignation on Tuesday morning. I think this is a significant loss for the Northern Lakes Conference. Barnhizer was a good coach and gave me one the best interviews that I had during the 2013-14 season. I am sorry to see him go and wish him the best if he ever does decide to get back into coaching.

Barnhizer’s resignation gives our region one more large coaching vacancy. Elkhart Central and Dekalb both have openings as well.

Anyways, on to the picks!

Last Time (3/19): 4-1
Overall: 192-85

High School Baseball 4/30

Whitko (9-4, 0-0) at Southwood (???), 5 p.m.
The Scoop: The Wildcats are one of the best teams in our area right now. I won’t get carried away or anything, I’m not crowning this team with any kind of title just yet, but Whitko knows how to play. The Wildcats had a close call on Tuesday, after building a 14-1 lead, they narrowly escaped Triton, 14-13. While I’m sure the boys are tired, I don’t see them dropping the first Three Rivers Confernce game of the season, no way, no how. This team is batting .317 for the season. Avery Robbins and Austin Sturgess are both batting .400, this is a new Murderer’s Row! Okay, I’ll settle down.
The Pick: Whitko 8, Southwood 3.

Northridge (7-2, 3-1) at Warsaw (6-4, 3-1), 5 p.m.
The Scoop: Northridge is coming off of a big outing against Wawasee while Warsaw enters after a tough loss to NorthWood. The Tigers are very similar to Wawasee in a lot of ways. That is not really a bad or good thing. Warsaw commits too many errors and gives up too many unearned runs, if the Tigers do that against Northridge, then they will suffer the same fate Wawasee did on Monday night. This is a game where this senior loaded team needs to step up and make plays, get hits and get up early on the Raiders. I like the Tigers to keep it close, but I think Northridge grabs the ‘W’.
The Pick: Northridge 9, Warsaw 7.

Plymouth (6-5, 3-1) at Wawasee (4-7, 0-4), 5 p.m.
The Scoop: As I was saying, Wawasee and Warsaw are very similar and I will go ahead and say that the Warriors just need to keep the errors to a minimum and they can win this game. Wawasee is blessed with a roster full of guys that can pitch, but they have yet to find a reliable reliever to come in and get outs late in games. Wawasee gives up way too many hits and runs with two outs on the board. The good news is that Wawasee can score with the best of them.
Offense was looked at as an issue coming into the season but the Warriors have made a habit of getting into shootouts with opposing teams. Wawasee plays better at home, in the comfort of all of that foul territory that makes Warrior Field so oddly unique, so I expect the Warriors to snap an ugly NLC losing streak tonight.
The Pick: Wawasee 11, Plymouth 7.

High School Softball 4/30

Warsaw (3-7, 3-1) at Northridge (9-1, 4-0), 5 p.m.
The Scoop: I don’t know what to say about this game. Northridge is beatable, this much I can tell you. Class 4A’s No. 4 ranked team is very solid, but not untouchable. Warsaw is up and down and I can’t honestly figure out what the Tigers deal is this year, but I have yet to see them play more than an inning. If the Tigers want to compete in this game Kaleigh Speicher is going to have to be spectacular. She is capable of it, but it is still a tall task for Warsaw tonight.
If I could pick one team to get a guaranteed win tonight, this would be it. Dear Lord, please let this be it! A Warsaw win at Northridge is softball would certainly rattle the lovely town of Middlebury, you’re all familiar with my thoughts on our neighbors to the north. If you pull this one out, Jim Speicher, fist bump Mike Ganger and James Odell for me.
The Pick: Northridge 4, Warsaw 2.

Jimtown (7-6, 3-1) at Triton (7-3, 2-1), 5 p.m.
The Scoop: Back-to-back losses for Bourbon’s “Blue Thunder” does not bode well for Jimtown. Triton dropped a 6-2 decision to Bremen last week then followed it up by getting blanked 3-0 by North Miami. The Lady Trojans are hungry for a win and I think they are going to get it tonight. Jimtown can put up runs like it’s nobody’s business, so Triton has to be careful. Ultimately if Blue Thunder can keep this game low-scoring, it will be a sold victory.
The Pick: Triton 5, Jimtown 2.

NBA Playoffs 5/1

Indiana (2-3) at Atlanta (3-2), 7p.m.
The Scoop: It may be all too fitting that the Pacers face elimination on “May Day.” What has happened to the beloved Pacers? Where did the real Roy Hibbert get left at? Is this really all because of the Danny Granger trade? Is Larry Bird going to fire Frank Vogel? Are the Pacemates the hottest NBA cheerleaders? These are all questions that many experts are trying to find the answers to, I have my own thoughts on each one. But I don’t have the time to give you the answer to each.
The Pacers will win this game, no team has won back-to-back games in this series and I don’t think that will change. Indiana will come out, with its back against the wall and dominate. The Pacers will look like a No. 1 seed and win big, us Pacer fans will get excited and wait in angst as our boys come back home to play in front of a sea of gold at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, only to watch them roll over once more and crush our spirits again. Yes, the Pacers win game six, but they don’t win the series. Have fun in the Final, Lebron.
The Pick: Indiana 106, Atlanta 82.

Finally, next week I will be doing a mock draft and I think it will be a lot of fun. Football fans, email me with any suggestions you have for my mock draft. Yes, I’m serious. Let me know what you think. Tell me who your team should draft and why. I’m anxious to hear your thoughts.