The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

Purdue infielder Ryan Burvan, a graduate of Lake Central High School, has signed to play with the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in 2014. 

Burvan will be reunited with high school teammate Jimmy McNamara, a sophomore pitcher at Central Michigan University.  McNamara and Burvan began playing baseball together at the age of seven.  The last time the two shared the diamond was June of 2012, when Lake Central clinched the Class 4A Indiana High School Athletic Association State Championship with a 1-0 victory over Indianapolis Roncalli. 

“I still pretty much remember everything from that season,” Burvan said.  “It’s still pretty vivid in my mind.”

Burvan scored the only run of the game, while McNamara was Lake Central’s winning pitcher. 

“Playing with Jimmy again will be awesome,” Burvan said.  “It will be good to play with him one more time.” 

Burvan will become the fifth Boilermaker to play for the Oilmen and the first since 2012.  Purdue players Kyle Wood, Bennett Oliver, Brandon Krieg and Joey Eichmann were all members of the 2012 Midwest Collegiate League championship club.

During his senior season at Lake Central, Burvan hit a robust .491 with 16 doubles, two home runs and 39 runs batted in.  He also swiped 10 bases in 10 attempts, while shattering school records for runs scored (51) and hits (57). 

Entering that breakout season, Burvan had enrolled in Alabama thinking that he would not play baseball after high school.  However, as he moved through his senior year, the idea of playing in the Big Ten became a reality.

“I wanted to play baseball in college, but I didn’t want to go to a small school,” Burvan said.  “Once I started getting looked at by bigger schools, I completely changed my mind.”

Burvan attended several Oilmen games during the 2013 season as a spectator to watch McNamara pitch.

“I like the field; I like how it’s close to home and how there are a lot of people that come to the games,” he said.  “It will be a very good atmosphere.”