MERRILLVILLE – Just a couple days after the Andrean High School 59ers appearance in the state baseball championship at Victory Field in Indianapolis on June 16, 43-year head coach Dave Pishkur was coordinating youth baseball camps in Merrillville with the help of a few assistant coaches and handful of his 2023 players.
The class 3A Andrean team brought a 27-6 record (10-0, Northwest Crossroads Conference) to the home of the Minor League Triple A Indians. They returned as state runners-up, losing to the Silver Creek High School Dragons of Sellersburg, 2-4.
From their 12-2 victory over Rensselaer Central High School in the Griffith sectional, to their semi-state win at Oak Hill over Heritage Christian School of Indianapolis, 8-2, the 59ers rang up a 53-19 run advantage. But in the final contest, there were few sparks and several men left in scoring position.
“We move on,” said coach Pishkur, who has earned a 1099-298 career coaching mark.
He recalled a funny memory about retiring Silver Creek coach Joe Decker, who jokingly asked him for a scouting report on the 59ers during this year’s playoffs. The opponent’s skipper was quoted in media reports as saying that their win over a “phenomenal” Andrean program “was as good as it gets.”
“What a great way to go out; hopefully when I hang it up, my last game is a state championship victory, too,” Pishkur said.
Andrean players realized that they are members of a marked team, being eight-time state champions – all since 2005. Yet, individuals have to hustle and cannot rest on their laurels.
Lake Central High School junior transfer Tyler Peller spent a recent day working at Andrean’s youth baseball camp.
“Summer’s going pretty good, I’m helping out with some of these kids. I’m about to start up my summer season with the Sparks travel baseball team,” Peller said.
One of the few late-inning motivators for the 59ers in the final, Peller launched an RBI double in the top of the sixth, sending then-sophomore Blake Kouder across the plate and putting Andrean down by just one. Peller drove in the other Andrean run, scored by then-junior Moises Vazquez in the first.
“It was awesome and a good experience … we thought we were going to get the ball running and score a couple more runs,” explained Peller. “We definitely came up short … we were chasing the blue (championship) ring, but a lot of things didn’t go our way.”
Where the slogan “God, family and Andrean baseball” is draped over the outfield fence at Andrean, Coach Pishkur said he believes the players’ modesty has been remarkable. “The one thing I was blessed with was I had 12 seniors on my team, and most were role players. Being a role player is not what (a guy) is looking for – when you’re a senior you want to be a major contributor.
“To their credit, they never rocked the boat; they made things smooth. I owe so much to them,” Pishkur said. “I don’t know if that would happen at a public school.”
Saint Xavier University (Ill.) recruit Garrett Benko will represent Andrean, the diocese and the Region at the state’s annual North-South All-Star game on June 24 at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette.
At Victory Field, Benko (9-1) came in relief of starter Ivan Matalski, then a sophomore, and pitched four innings surrendering two runs and striking out four.
Modest about success and keeping shortcomings in perspective, he reflected on the core values of “God, family and Andrean baseball.”
“It means a lot in a way that it’s all connected,” Benko said. “With baseball you have a family, with God you have your family and it’s just all there.”