Hobart’s Brandon Murray showcases skills at U.S. Steel Yard

GARY | Playing for a team that’s made great strides the past two prep baseball seasons has gotten Hobart’s Brandon Murray the attention of some college scouts.

Trying out for Area Code Baseball on Monday gave Murray a taste of what to expect showcasing his skills in front of college scouts. He wanted to make a positive impression for them again during Wednesday's Indiana Crossroads Series Showcase at U.S. Steel Yard.

"Considering I’m so young, not a lot of people might know about me yet," said Murray, who'll be a junior at Hobart. "It was a good time and an honor to play in this."

Though the Northwest team lost 14-3 to the North team in a six-inning game, Murray made an impact from the mound in the third inning, completing a 1-2-3 frame which included a strikeout.

With several radar guns popping up behind the plate, Murray consistently hit 92 miles per hour on his fastball and peaked at 93 while showing good control.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Murray got his chance with the bat, delivering a one-out double down the third-base line before Lake Central’s Nick Kellams scored him with a double of his own.

"I got up 3-0 in the count and I was just looking for him to put it (in the zone)," Murray said. "I was just looking to put it somewhere and I put it down the third base line and hit it hard."

Munster’s Craig Dedelow also showed a hot bat, legging out a lead-off triple in the bottom of the fifth. Dedelow also led off the second with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Lake Central’s Ryan Burvan.

"I was a little bit nervous, but I tried to not let it get to me," Dedelow said. "He threw me good pitches that I liked, and I did what I could."

Dedelow, who hasn’t received any attention from college scouts, felt Wednesday was a great opportunity to promote his game.

"I feel like this helped me a lot," Dedelow said. "It was a great experience. I always wanted to play on this field. It was a good time with a bunch of good kids on the team."

Crown Point’s Zach Plesac added an RBI single in the fourth inning for the Northwest team.