Ok Mother Nature, I think we've had about enough ... can we please move into Spring? Please?

Two weeks into the competition season and the Brickies - along with every other school in NWI - are having some trouble getting much traction thanks to the constant onslaught of rain & cold. Still, our student athletes & coaches have persevered and even managed to play a little over the last 6 days! Baseball opened up the home slate ... softball thumped a perennial powerhouse ... and girls tennis finally played their first match!

You see ... every little thing gonna be alright ... it's time for BricksCenter!

In spite of the RIDICULOUS weather we've experienced so far this "spring", the Lady Brickies were able to get a couple games in this past week!

On Monday, Hobart hit the road for Porter County to square off against the Chesterton Lady Trojans. The Lady Brickies got it going EARLY & OFTEN against Chesterton - scoring 5 runs in the top of the 1st and never looking back on their way to a HUGE 20-4 VICTORY!! Our girls scored in all 5 innings and thoroughly dominated the Lady Trojans all over the field!! Sophomores Keirys Click and Morgan Ellenberger each had 4 RBI and senior Sydney Belk stole 5 bases to lead the offensive attack as our girls belted out 16 hits in the win!

Tuesday, the Lady Brickie home opener was moved to Wheeler due to poor field conditions in H-town. The Lady Bearcats, ranked #9 in the area, came out swinging and scored 4 runs in the 1st 3 innings. The Hobart D-D-D-DEFENSE settled and held Wheeler scoreless for the next 2, but the hosts would ultimately put up 4 more runs in the final 2 innings of play and send the Lady Brickies back across County Line Rd with a tough 8-1 defeat. Freshman Indy Parkerson collected 2 of Hobart's 4 hits and scored the lone run for the Lady Bricks.

Our girls were scheduled for games on both Thursday & Friday, but Mother Nature had other plans. So ... at 1-2 on the season, Hobart will be back in action (weather permitting) on Monday over at Lake Central - the area's #1 ranked team. GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!

#HITANDRUN

After opening the 2022 season with a 'W' over at New Prairie last Friday, Hobart returned home to The Friendly City this past week for a pair of contests before weather issues postponed everything until a Saturday afternoon road trip to Merrillville.

Monday, the Brickies hosted Westville in the 2022 home opener. Freshman Noah Ehrlich was on the bump and only surrendered 1 hit to the Blackhawks in 5 innings of play! Ehrlich, who struck out 7 and walked just 2, and the Brickie D-D-D-DEFENSE completely shut down Westville while the Hobart offense got all it needed in an easy 10-0 VICTORY! Sophomore Jevan Andrews and senior Ivan Balboa combined for half of Hobart's hits and 6 stolen bases in the victory!!

On Tuesday, the Brickie baseball team welcomed area #10 and defending IHSAA Class 1A State Champion Washington Township to town for a non-conference match-up. Hobart got on the board in the 1st ... scored 2 more in the 3rd ... and added an insurance run in the 6th to earn a hard fought 4-0 VICTORY for their 3rd straight 'W'!! Junior Cam Gonzalez and Balboa combined to throw a NO-HITTER while striking out 11 batters in the shutout win!

Saturday afternoon, our boys were back in action over at Merrillville. With the sun FINALLY shining a bit, the Brickies made the Pirates walk the plank to the tune of a 6-1 VICTORY! The youth movement was in effect for Hobart as there were 3 freshmen & 3 sophomores in the lineup ... and they SHINED!! Freshman Connor Stafford started on the mound and surrendered just 1 run over 4.1 innings ... classmate Drew Burris came on in relief and closed out the win with 5 strikeouts in a little over 2 innings of WORK WORK WORK!

Hobart is now 4-0 on the season and geared up to begin NCC play on Monday down at Lowell! DON'T STOP NOW BOYS!!

#PUTMEINCOACH

On Wednesday, the Lady Brickies FINALLY got to swing their rackets at another team ... er, I mean serve & volley with someone besides their own teammates as they traveled to Porter County Hub Valparaiso to open the 2022 spring season! Senior Emma Novak, playing #1 singles, BATTLED the Viking's ace and lost a heartbreaker as did the Hobart #2 doubles team of juniors Maddy Baltrushaitis & Olivia Aichner in the 0-5 defeat. Coach Walsh had this to say after the contest, "We played a hard match and lost but we fought all the way through!"

The Lady Brickies are scheduled to be back on the court 3 more times this upcoming week, culminating in the Hobart Invite on Saturday!

#ACES

The Brickie tracksters were scheduled to race at Wheeler High School this past Thursday, but due to poor weather conditions, the meet was postponed until further notice.

Hobart will now open the outdoor season at home on Tuesday against NCC rival Andrean and then turn around and host the 81st annual Hobart Little 5 Invitational on Saturday! LET'S GOOOOOO!!

#RUNBRICKIESRUN

The Brickies have been waiting patiently to begin the 2022 season and this upcoming week is GO TIME! On Tuesday, Hobart will host the Brickie Scramble at River Pointe Country Club. Even though our boys have not been able to get out on the course very much yet, hopes are high for the spring! In 2021, the Bricks finished as the runner-up. PGA legend Jack Nicklaus had some words of wisdom for this year's squad as they look to achieve more:

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's level of aspiration and expectation."

The Brickies have been steadily WORK WORK WORKing ... time to SHINE! Good luck on Tuesday boys!! WE BELIEVE!!

#GOLDENBEAR

Last Wednesday, a group of HHS student-athletes had the opportunity to participate in the annual Northwest Crossroads Conference Leadership Summit hosted by Lowell HIgh School. this was the 1st time the NCC has been able to host such an event since the start of the pandemic. Sophomores and juniors from every school in our league (Andrean, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, & Munster) participated in morning activities dealing with LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK ... then after lunch, they heard from IHSAA Assistant Commissioner Robert Faulkens about the state association and got to have an open Q & A with the commish!

Overall it was a fantastic day ... one that reemphasized what education-based athletics are all about. In talking with our attendees afterwards, some lessons they brought back from the conference were "SERVANT LEADERSHIP", "THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLES" and "IDEAS TO HELP BUILD A POSITIVE CULTURE" ... GREAT STUFF!!

The Brickies in attendance represented 15 of our 21 sports - including cheer! Those who were able to attend were Ella Freimuth, Sarah Romeo, Keirys Click, Daeges Morgan, Asia Donald, Jevan Andrews, Cody Johnston, Jake Sparks, Owen Stankich, Thomas Martin & Trey Gibson (not pictured).

#BRICKIEPRIDE

I know what you're thinking ... didn't girls hoops end back in February? Well, a few Lady Bricks have stayed in the gym WORK WORK WORKing hard to SHINE in some all-star games! Over the weekend, senior Melanie Leonard and sophomore Jesse Neace both participated in the Indiana Class All-Star Classic at Daleville High School. For Jesse ... who buried 7 3-pointers during the contest ... it was her 2nd such opportunity to play with all-stars from around the state. For Melanie, it was the perfect opportunity to finish her high school career on a high note - particularly after breaking her hand and missing out on the end of our girls season.

CONGRATULATIONS to Mel & Jesse for receiving this honor and THANK YOU for representing the purple & gold with pride!!

#SHEGOTGAME

Monday

Softball @ Lake Central (V & JV)

Baseball @ Lowell *

Girls Tennis @ CP

Boys Golf @ Andrean *

JV Baseball vs. Lowell *

Tuesday

Girls Track & Field vs. Andrean *

Boys Track & Field vs. Andrean *

Softball @ Kouts (V only)

Boys Golf @ Brickie Scramble

Baseball vs. Lowell

JV Baseball @ Lowell

9th Baseball vs. Portage

Wednesday

Girls Tennis vs. Lake Station

Softball @ Highland (V & JV) *

JV Baseball vs. Hanover Central

9th Baseball @ Portage

Thursday

Softball vs. Andrean *

JV Softball vs. Kouts

Girls Tennis vs. KV *

9th Baseball @ KV *

Friday

Baseball @ Hanover Central

JV Softball @ Andrean *

Saturday

Girls Track & Field @ Hobart Little 5 Invite

Boys Track & Field @ Hobart Little 5 Invite

Girls Tennis @ Hobart Invite

Baseball vs. Michigan City

Softball @ Hanover Central

JV Softball vs. Hanover Central

* = NCC Opponent