CMC Crew initiates Indians’ tourney win

Chris Hoffman.

Mark Lynam.

Chris Maranto.

“They call themselves the ‘CMC Crew,’ ” Clay Kovac, coach of the Lake County-based Indians 17U travel baseball team, said of the first three hitters in his potent batting order.

What the “Crew” do is hit. The three incoming seniors combined to go 31-for-58 (.534) in helping the Indians roll in Ohio last week. Kovac’s squad captured the Midwest Elite tournament played at the University of Ohio, Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo. The Indians went 5-0-1 in winning their second tourney in as many weeks, defeating the 18U Oakville Royals out of Ontario, Canada, 13-4 in the championship game.

The champs scored 50 runs and hit .376. Zion-Benton’s Lynam hit a team-best .632 with 12 hits (1 double), 10 runs scored and 9 RBI.

“He was swinging a hot bat,” Kovac said. “He’s a good, scrappy ballplayer.”

Mundelein’s Maranto hit .550 with his 11 hits including a pair of home runs hit at Toledo.

“It’s not a short porch there (to left field),” Kovac said. “He hit a laser beam and the other ball he hit (out) was a moonshot.”

Maranto also tripled twice, knocked in 9 runs and posted a .1050 slugging percentage.

Lakes’ Hoffman had 4 triples among his 8 hits, while Wauconda’s Jake Ziolkowski was hot as well, batting .600 with a team-leading .692 on-base percentage.

Mundelein’s Jared Mandel threw 5 strong innings in a pool-play game, allowing only 3 hits. Hoffman pitched the semifinal, throwing a 5-inning, 1-run, complete game in a 4-0 win over Jet Box 17U. Maranto pitched the championship game, throwing all 5 innings and giving up 4 unearned runs in the win over top-seeded Oakville.

The Indians begin another tournament today, as they compete in the Gold Glove Classic in Michigan.