The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

Whiting, Ind. – June 11, 2013 – The Northwest Indiana Oilmen sprinted to a 6-0 first-inning lead and never looked back, collecting 20 team hits in Tuesday’s 12-0 shellacking of the Rockford Foresters. 

After going hitless in his first seven games, Tyler Baar exploded for four hits and four runs batted in.  Baar was retired in his first two trips to the plate before halting his streak of hitless at-bats at 21 with a two-run double in the fourth.

“He hit the ball well tonight,” manager Justin Huisman said.  “The first couple at-bats he was opening up a little bit and flying out, pulling off the ball.  He made the adjustment and hit three solid balls after that.”

Joe Cochran was victorious in his first start of the year, scattering six hits over five innings of shutout ball.  Jim Hinkleman surrendered just two hits in three scoreless innings of relief before Aveeno Nasiloski retired the side in order in the ninth.

Butler outfielder Nick Bartolone made his Oilman debut, collecting two hits in four plate appearances.  Jack Czeszewski and Anthony Bova totaled three hits apiece, while Ty Hogan, Leiff Clarkson and Gerrad Rohan enjoyed two hits each.  Every NWI player in the lineup had at least one hit, while seven of the nine enjoyed multi-hit days. 

The start of the game was delayed by one hour after a rain shower soaked Oil City Stadium before game time.  The grounds crew worked feverishly to get the field in game shape.

“They put a couple of hours of a hard work in,” Huisman said.  “We just had that small cell of rain that popped up and really dumped on us for about an hour.  This thing was a lake and they got it playable with only an hour delay, so that was pretty good.”

The newest member of the Oilmen staff, assistant coach Mike Coles, made his debut in the first base coaching box.  Coles, who will primarily coach first, instruct hitters and throw batting practice, is a Hammond High and Purdue University graduate who has eight years of professional baseball experience under his belt. Coles is hoping to find an opportunity to play somewhere by season’s end, but for now he has found a good fit as a member of the Oilmen coaching staff.

“Coach [Brian] Jennings reached out to me and said this would be a good idea and a good opportunity,” Coles said.  “I talked with Justin also and we figured everything out.  It worked out perfect for both sides.”

Coles has won five championships in his career, one with Parkland College, two with the Windy City Thuderbolts, two with the Fargo Morehead RedHawks and one last year with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

“He brings experience at a lot of levels, even at the professional level,” Huisman said.  “He’s going to do a lot of things, teach these guys some things at the plate, coach first base for us, any time you get somebody with that kind of playing experience, it’s a benefit to the guys.”

The Foresters saw their record fall to 1-5 with the defeat.  The Oilmen, now 5-3 overall and 4-2 in MCL play, make their first trip to Lexington on Wednesday night before returning to Oil City Stadium to host Rockford on Thursday at 7:10 p.m.