HILLARY SMITH: The RailCats need silliness like the Saints

On Saturday, the RailCats participated in an exhibition game that drew more national attention than any other before the start of the American Association season begins.

HILLARY SMITH: Gavit finds cause for day of athletic dollars

HAMMOND | In an age of shrinking athletic budgets with every dollar being stretched to the limit, Gavit is doing something wild with Tuesday's sports revenue: the Gladiators are giving it away.

HILLARY SMITH: Crown Point catcher's family learns of perseverance

CROWN POINT | Bobby Morgan told his mother, Kathy, that he'd be honored on the baseball field before the Lake Central game on April 9 for selecting a college.

HILLARY SMITH: Movie allows conversation to continue

The first movie about Jackie Robinson, aptly titled "The Jackie Robinson Story," was released in 1950 and didn't tell the whole story.

HILLARY SMITH: Purdue's Minch is confident, not cocky

WEST LAFAYETTE | A mere eight months after Purdue baseball won its first Big Ten title in 93 years and hosted an NCAA Regional, the graduation toll on the Boilermakers has started to show.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats in search of hot rookie bat

Last week, the RailCats announced their annual tryout will be May 2, with fingers crossed the weather holds out.

HILLARY SMITH: Baseball blows in with a bluster

Oh to remember when March was much warmer and the snow had forgotten to fall.

HILLARY SMITH: Month away is worth the play

Greg Tagert quickly changed roles, from one of an observer at the Texas Winter League to a manager of one of the teams.

HILLARY SMITH: Factor in the town tradition

By April, high school sports fans are going to be well-versed in the term "tradition factor."

HILLARY SMITH: Celebrate the girls hoops season that was

The girls basketball season brought with it ends, beginnings and the start of something new.

HILLARY SMITH: Not every shining moment needs a soundtrack

CROWN POINT | The Class 3A girls basketball teams at Saturday's Crown Point semistate weren't in attendance of the region's boys basketball sportsmanship banquet last week.

HILLARY SMITH: Welcome back, here where we need ya

The Hammond Civic Center was the last host of a semistate basketball tournament in the region.

HILLARY SMITH: Hoisting the trophy not as easy as it looks

Sunday's newspaper ran names of seven local schools whose girls basketball season will run another week: Lake Central, Merrillville, Rensselaer, Griffith, Whiting, Boone Grove and Morgan Township.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats shaking up fan interaction

The RailCats front office staff has spent the last four Februarys preparing to welcome baseball fans in from the cold.

HILLARY SMITH: Prepare the new-record season

When the postseason is all that matters, isn't it OK to enter the playoffs with a record that doesn't suggest a winning season?

HILLARY SMITH: Can safety remain in pure athletics?

At a high school basketball game in Chicago last week, there was enough pushing and shoving in the postgame handshake line to force suspensions for the next game.

HILLARY SMITH: Keep the tournament, avoid the triple tango

This week's prep hoops tournaments, starting with today's Porter County Conference schedule of games, have prompted columns in the past about how every other conference should follow suit.

HILLARY SMITH: Make '13 a lucky number

The Roman, modern calendar opened its new year last week, bringing with it all kinds of resolutions.

HILLARY SMITH: IUN grad lives the dream in the middle of Turkey

GARY | When Sharon Houston was young, she said she'd bounce a basketball up and down the street, dreaming of her professional career.

HILLARY SMITH: E.C. Central's Brown has different plan for the holidays

EAST CHICAGO | Denitra Brown wakes up every morning, thanks God for the day and says 'hello' to her mother.

HILLARY SMITH: Jump for state's best blocker

Calli Beezhold’s best sport is volleyball.

HILLARY SMITH: New league uses 'sports' loosely

A new sports league is forming in Chicago, and, ladies, here’s your chance to be a part.

HILLARY SMITH: Megyesi builds another success at Purdue Cal

HAMMOND | In his sixth season at Purdue Calumet, women's basketball coach Tom Megyesi has led teams that have broken school records and reached firsts in program history.

HILLARY SMITH: Hammond's Scott comes home with new perspective

DaLita Scott saw athlete after athlete declare criminal justice as a college major, and thought it was too easy.

HILLARY SMITH: A year of thanks from the players on the field

Throughout the year, a nice "thank you" here or there might seem a little trivial.

HILLARY SMITH: Regional title shines brighter light for Masons

WALTON | After an exhaustive regional championship win in five overtimes, Andrean football coach Phil Mason said he was happy for his team, happy for his seniors, and most importantly, happy for his family.

HILLARY SMITH: Soccer player turned kicker's foot has Andrean on cloud Niners

WALTON | Matt Anderson had only ever played soccer on the football field before this season.

HILLARY SMITH: Four months to answer questions of the girls hoops season

Indiana's girls basketball season officially opens today, with the first two games on the state's schedule.

HILLARY SMITH: Andrean, quarterback shed youth excuse

MERRILLVILLE | Matt DeSomer's maturation process reached a new level in a game not tabbed as Andrean's best.

HILLARY SMITH: Putting a bow on the volleyball season

The region was knocked out of the girls volleyball season quickly Saturday morning with three teams playing — Lake Central, Andrean and Marquette Catholic — and without one winning a game.

HILLARY SMITH: Welsh eager to take new step with Red Devils

Matt Welsh has spent the last three years preparing to start the basketball season two weeks later.

HILLARY SMITH: Bulldogs seniors find they can teach from the sidelines

CROWN POINT | On senior night, as players were celebrating their careers and their accomplishments, the Crown Point girls volleyball team was missing a player.

HILLARY SMITH: Tradition of anthem based in Chicago

"The Star-Spangled Banner" was first published on Sept. 20, 1812, a week after Francis Scott Key wrote it during the Battle of Baltimore.

HILLARY SMITH: 'Coles Effect' brings a ring for the thumb

Mike Coles' friends are recommending a new career path for the Hammond High grad: good luck charm.

HILLARY SMITH: NFL-type scandals find opening in prep football

Nearly every high school football player dreams of a chance at the NFL.

HILLARY SMITH: American Association, Can-Am should consider merge

The American Association and Canadian-American Association share many aspects in common.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats need vets to return to expected success

GARY | The RailCats have seen more major roster turnovers after their successful seasons than they have after those that leave the team wanting a championship.

HILLARY SMITH: Tips for the casual fans

Let's say you're driving through a town in a state that doesn't start with an "I" and find a baseball game to stop and watch.

HILLARY SMITH: Kolb bolts through door of opportunity

GARY | Brian Kolb's season has been a little indicative of the RailCats' ups and downs this year.

HILLARY SMITH: RailCats stare down death knell

When asked last week exactly where the RailCats magic number was at this point in the season, manager Greg Tagert laughed.

HILLARY SMITH: Gavit's Robinson squeezes out more energy

HAMMOND | Opponents and friends who haven't seen Robert Robinson since last football season aren't sure what to say at first.

HILLARY SMITH: Stuck on recovery, tape makes its athletic mark

GARY | If it weren't so "pink," Mike Coles might have better appreciated the tape that made his wrist feel better.

HILLARY SMITH: Lake Central freshman ready for her first 'Big Mac'

Elise Smith learned that her gymnastics career would require her to take cortisone shots to continue competition, and her knees weren’t prepared for the strain.

HILLARY SMITH: Valpo grad Deetjen finds surprise new job

GARY | Tyler Deetjen wasn't expecting the call that pulled him back into baseball.

HILLARY SMITH: Pickering's lawn care is no garden party

GARY | Once a baseball game starts at U.S. Steel Yard, the decision to keep a game going through rainy conditions lays in the hands of two people: the head umpire and a 2000 Portage grad.

HILLARY SMITH: Prep baseball left its memories

Lake Central gave the region its first Class 4A state baseball championship since Munster in 2002 and the first 1-0 seven-inning score since Bishop Noll in 1968.

HILLARY SMITH: L.C.'s Wagoner delivers in the clutch

INDIANAPOLIS | Austen Wagoner was a power hitter whose power was MIA this season.

HILLARY SMITH: Sparkle and shine makes Gary hospitable host

If there's a thankless job in NCAA sports, it's got to go to the Sport Event Manager.

HILLARY SMITH: Errors show RailCats' weaknesses

GARY | In the eighth inning of Sunday's RailCats game against Wichita, Wingnuts second baseman Jake Kahaulelio jumped into the air and plucked a hit out of the sky.