It’s hard out here to find a pick…

Well, picking spring sports has turned out to be about as much fun as I expected.

Postponements and cancellations due to weather have really made it hard to know what games will get play and what games will never see the light of day (literally and figuratively). Plus, most teams make their results next to impossible to find. I’m not talking about our local teams, but the teams they play? Yeah, they need a swift kick in the behind.

Is it that hard to make records and results that hard to locate? Are we playing some kind of game that I am not aware of? When did Carmen Sandiego become the athletic director for every high school outside of Kosicusko Country!?!?

But, my complaints aside, I will make these spring pick for you, the fans.

Sure, there may only be a few of you, but you’re all very devoted and I appreciate that. I had good feedback on my mock draft and even got some of the picks right. I know what you’re thinking, I’m one bad hairdo away from being Mel Kiper.

I also have been asked at games recently when I would be putting up my next ‘Picks’ article so I feel like people are at least getting some enjoyment from these. Maybe you enjoy the expertise, maybe you laugh at the things I say in a not-so-nice way and question my existence, whatever the case, thanks for reading!

Once again I am picking just a few games and hoping that they all get played, things will return to a more organized order when we get back into fall sports (long way off, I know). Baseball and softball sectionals start next week, look for something from me on those tournaments in the coming days.

Last Week (4/30): 3-3
Overall: 195-88

High School Baseball 5/23-5/27

Northridge (?-?, ?-?) at Wawasee (8-14, 3-10), 5/23, 5 p.m.
The Scoop: The last time these two teams met it was Northridge that claimed a big 10-4 victory. Nate Hare took the loss on the mound for the Warriors, giving up seven earned runs. Since the last meeting (April 28) Wawasee has really improved. I am not going to act like I know what Northridge has done in that time, I can’t even find a record them, but my guess would be that they too have improved since that time. Wawasee got the bats going early this season, but its been lower scoring games as of late for coach Brent Doty and company. If the Warriors can get back into the groove that they had in April and early May, then I think they win this one. This is the last marquee game Wawasee has until sectional, better make it count.
The Pick: Wawasee 9, Northridge 7.

Whitko (16-9) at Bethany Christian (?-?), 5/26, 5 p.m.
The Scoop: I don’t even need to give you an explanation as to why Whitko is going to absolutely dominate this game. It has nothing to do with the two-game win streak that the Wildcats are on. It doesn’t take into account that Whitko is going to sweep Prairie Heights in a double header on Saturday (action starts at 10 a.m., be there!) It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that Bethany Christian is not that good. No, it has nothing to do with any of those things. It’s all about one thing and one thing only, America.
Yes, the colors of our great country are red, white and blue. Those same colors are the ones that Whitko dons on the field for every game. What better team to be playing on Memorial Day than the patriotic Wildcats of South Whitley?
Yes, naysayers might shout, “But Nick! What kind of wildcat is red, white or blue, let alone all three?”
I’ll tell you what kind, an American wildcat.
Uncle Sam will shine down upon coach Erik Hisner and his Wildcats as they represent the Stacey Page Online community on Memorial Day. No doubt about it, Whitko wins big.
The Pick: Whitko 17, Bethany Christian 2.

Tippecanoe Valley (14-11) at Winamac (?-?), 5/27, 4:45 p.m.
The Scoop: Valley has been on a bit of a roll lately. The Vikings have picked up some decent wins and are looking like a team capable of winning next week’s sectional. The Vikings have some talented players, starting at the top with Tanner Andrews. They definitely have the ability to make it to a regional game, so, no doubt they can beat Winamac.
I know very little about Winamac. My mom used to have a job there, so, that’s one thing. I also know that Winamac has given up 25 runs on two occasions this season, that is not a good trait to have unless you are scoring 26 runs. Winamac didn’t even score a combined five runs in those two losses. So, my uneducated opinion is going to team up with my educated guess on this one and say that the Vikings will win big on Tuesday night.
The Pick: Valley 14, Winamac 6.

High School Golf 5/24

Northern Lakes Conference Championships, Christiana Creek Country Club, 8 a.m,
The Scoop: Oh yeah, we’re bringing golf into the equation now.
Elkhart’s Christiana Creek Country Club will play host to this year’s NLC tournament. This should prove to be a very interesting tournament this year as only one team enters with an edge, but the field still seems wide open.
Northridge enter at 7-0 in NLC play, but the Raiders have not been dominant by any means in their conference wins. Depth is the key for Northrdige and it will be what ultimately puts them over the top, in my opinion. But the rest of the NLC still has talent. Local teams Warsaw and Wawasee have every reason to believe that they could leave with first place medals. The Tigers finished second in the NLC ins the regular season while the Warriors have shown on several occasions that they can run with the big dogs.
NorthWood and Plymouth are right there with the top of the pack while Elkhart Memorial and Concord have a small chance at making some noise. Goshen finished 0-7 in NLC play and is really the only team not capable of surprising anyone on Saturday.
I truly believe that six of the NLC’s eight teams have a shot at finishing first on Saturday. But, even though the field looks good, I still have to put my money on Northridge and its ace golfer, Will Erekson.
The Pick: Northridge (1st), NorthWood (2nd), Warsaw (3rd), Wawasee (4th).

NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Finals, 5/24

Indiana (1-1) at Miami (1-1), 8:30 p.m.
The Scoop: Is it just me, or should Indiana be up 2-0 in this series? I mean, the Pacers clearly could’ve won game two, they had their chances but the Heat did enough to win.
Originally I was going to pick the Pacers to win game three because all that the Heat and Pacers have done the past dozen meetings is swap wins. But, Paul George may be out with a concussion and that changes everything for Indiana.
I want to go on record with saying that I DO believe the Pacers can win without George, I really do. However, I would be shocked if they actually won without him playing on Saturday night. Miami will be playing with a lot of energy in front of its home crowd.
(Now, it should by noted that the home fans in Miami will not show up until maybe half time, third quarter at the latest. But when they get there, oh buddy! It will be a great environment…right up until the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter when they all leave.)
Anyways, I just don’t see the Heat dropping this game with George out of the picture, but Indiana will take game four and make it a series. I’m still on the fence about who gets to lose to the Spurs in the NBA Finals, though.
The Pick: Heat 96, Pacers (sans Paul George) 79.