Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week-3, 2007 High School 'Renegade' Poll

4-09-2007

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

CHESTERTON (4-09-2007) Cold weather stops a lot of sports, but softball isn't always one of them. Lowell played Andrean last Thursday in 38 degree weather. Crown Point battled West Central Saturday (April 7) in 29-degree 'comfort'. Meanwhile all baseball games in the 'Rail Cat Challenge' at the US Steelyard in Gary were postponed last week. It didn't rain for four days in a row so the only reasons for the postponements could have been the cold. I wouldn't conclude that girls are rough and tough while boys are wimps. There is a certain dexterity needed to play baseball that you just don't have when the temps or the wind chill is below freezing. With the bigger ball, the cold only truly bothers the pitcher, although outfielders who have to stand in wide open fields in winter-caliber cold might argue that point. Many times, baseball pitchers can't throw strikes in freezing conditions and that multiplies the time needed to play the game and makes it impossible to play.

You don't know how upset I get with the schools which don't inform you of postponements or insist on playing when its 29 degrees but it's not totally their fault. Since the IHSAA decided for selfish reasons (so everybody, including the IHSAA, can get an early start on vacation) that all spring sports must end in the 3rd week of June, it crushes the baseball and softball seasons into a tight window. The key thing to remember (and I try) is rain makes baseball and softball impossible and it will rain a certain amount of days in the spring. So, when you get a cold day, you try to force the game in no matter how insanely cold it may be.

The answer, as I've said before, is to push the end of the baseball and softball seasons back to the end of June the way they used to be. That way teams don't really have to play any games until mid-April. And push track back as well. Some schools only have two or three home track meets because there's just no point in scheduling them in April when the weather can be dangerous for runners.

Minimum damage was done to the 2007 season by the cold wave because some teams didn't schedule anything over Easter weekend anyway. The eight-team LaVille Invitational, including Morgan Township, Marquette and Hanover Central was canceled. The folks at LaVille are trying to piece together a four-team substitute for April 21, but Hanover won't be there. I think Portage's trip to Indianapolis for the Scecina tourney in Indianapolis was called off, which is a big loss because the Indians could have played two No. 1 teams. The only good side to this is that you can have some 'phone call' match ups in May. Those are games that are put together by a couple of phone calls matching teams that have extra games. There are others, but three teams that have at least one opening they might like to fill in the 2007 schedule are Merrillville, Hanover, Portage and Andrean.

It looks like a very rough weather spring. The long range forecast for this week was nothing to get excited about and chances of the temperatures suddenly jumping from the 40s to the 70s this month are about as good as Don Imus being named the new head of NAACP.

1. (4A) Chesterton (6-0)
30-2 (2006), 27-3-1 (2005), 20-7 (2004), 22-5 (2003), 21-4 (2002)

CHESTERTON - Chesterton continues to roll. Two more victories last week pushed the Trojans' regular season winning streak to 30 games, largely against 4A schools. Chesterton's Dawn McClellan (4-0) pitched a two-hit shutout against LaPorte and Nikki Gamblin (2-0) tossed a one-hit shutout against Merrillville. The Trojans averaged seven runs a games over the first six wins. This is a very strong right-handed hitting team and the challenge to hit McClellan, who is now 26-1 on the varsity, is just that. A challenge. The Trojans get Lake Central (5-0) and Hobart (5-1) in the next 10 days. When you are 63-5-1 over the last three seasons, you have to start looking at who else has had a run like this against big schools.

2. (4A) Lake Central (5-0)
25-8 (2006), 32-1 (2005), 29-3 (2004), 32-3-1 (2003), 28-1 (2002), 30-4 (2001)

St. JOHN - The LC girls started DAC play with shutouts 3-0 over Portage and 13-0 over Michigan City. Transfer Jessica Dobson (2-0) dominated Portage (2-1) and junior Rachel Weaver (2-0) one hit Michigan City with 11 strikeouts in five innings. Dobson, the 5-foot-10 sophomore, had a consecutive shutout inning string of 13 in her LC rookie season. Jennifer Kosinski had four extra base hits in her first five games. Allison Aguilera had four hits against Portage. But it's not real yet. The Indians have circled the calendar date of Thursday afternoon, April 12, for LC at Chesterton. LC was 0-3 against Chesterton in 2006. That's when it gets real.

3. (4A) Portage (2-1)
2006 (18-12), 2005 (20-9), 2004 (27-4-3), 2003 (19-9)

PORTAGE - Portage displayed its usually hitting woes but they did win two tight games with Crown Point and Lowell. Pitcher Meghan Gutierrez (2-1) tossed three complete games, striking out 18 and walking three in 21 innings. Gutierrez also decide to do something about her teams hitting troubles with an RBI triple against Lowell and an RBI double against Crown Point. But the Indians were no hit by Lake Central's Jessica Dobson and the Indians made six errors. You can get no hit in softball by a really good pitcher but you just cant make six errors in a game against a top league rival. Its embarrassing. The Indians may be looking for a make up game or two after weather shut down the Scecina tournament. They should call up Hanover or Andrean. Those teams never meet.

4. (4A) LOWELL (4-2)
23-7 (2006), 21-10 (2005), 20-9 (2004), 13-16 (2003), 14-15 (2002), 21-9 (2001)

LOWELL - Lowell rallied on unearned runs to beat Andrean 2-1 in eight innings after rallying in the seventh to beat Highland 2-0. For a week when they only scored five runs, the Devils' 2-1 record was pretty good. Obviously, Lowell is going to have to score more runs and they should with the players they have. But the promising thing here has been juniors Kaitlyn Bolanowski and Alyssa Reed. Bolanowski pitched a shutout against Highland in a 2-0 win. Reed had Portage and Andrean shut out until the sixth inning. Here's a team that may truly blossom offensively as the weather warms up because they have a half dozen good hitters. Nine errors in six games is a worry, but they have some rookie infielders who need to play a few games in wind chills that are above zero. Lowell plays Hobart (5-1), Crown Point (3-3) and Munster (3-0) in the next 10 days.

5. (3A) ANDREAN (2-1)
26-4 (2006), 32-3 (2005), 29-5 (2004), 27-2 (2003), 30-3 (2002), 26-7 (2001)

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean freshman Alyssa Mosely deserved a better fate in Thursday's 2-1 loss at Lowell (4-5-2007). Errors allowed hitters to bat with two outs that beat her and the 59ers 2-1. Christina Caldwell's homer was the only 59ers run. There's a lot of new players on the field for Andrean. But with Caldwell catching Mosely and Nicole Derezinski, the 59ers have a solid foundation. I'm not sure where the offense is going to come from. In the early going, the Niners clearly aren't manufacturing runs with bunts and singles like you need to against top teams. Andrean only scored seven runs in the 59ers' first three games. I just don't know the track record of some of their new players. But it's all about the pitcher and the catcher and Mosely pitched 12 2/3 innings in the first three games and allowed one earned run on just five hits. Derezinski's ERA was 0.00 after nine innings. So this team is hardly unarmed.

6. (3A) Griffith (3-2)
12-19 (2006), 19-15 (2005), 16-15 (2004), 18-14 (2003)

GRIFFITH - The Panthers have lost to Hobart (5-1) and Chesterton (6-0) but they did get out the big sticks in a 13-2 win over Kankakee Valley. You don't get credit for losing and you shouldn't ask for any, but the Panthers new lefty Katie Rone trailed Chesterton just 2-1 going to the seventh in a 4-1 loss. Annie Hernandez has had two 3-for-4 games so far. Junior right-hander Brittany Bridges struck out 13 in a 5-3 win over Morton Thursday (4-5-2007). Griffith has not allowed more than four runs in any game so far. Like Lowell, the Panthers are waiting for the offense to arrive. You'd rather be the team with a lot of pitching trying to find some runs than the team that can score a lot of runs trying to find some pitching.

7. (4A) Munster (3-0)
22-7 (2006), 25-3-1 (2005), 25-3-1 (2004), 22-7 (2003), 15-12 (2002), 23-10 (2001)

MUNSTER - Munster has three wins, 6-0 over Bishop Noll, 2-1 over Hanover and 3-1 over Hobart, all good wins. The key so far probably has been only two errors sin three games. They have not scored a lot of runs nor have they faced a good offensive team yet. But the Lady Ponies were looking for new pitchers and they may have found a couple in sophomore Phoebe Conner (ERA - 0.00 in five innings), junior Eleanor Kennedy (ERA - 0.00 in 10 innings). Noll is not what they were last year and Hanover is loaded with freshmen and sophomore but Hobart is an experienced team and Munster beat them on the road. They would probably say they expected to be 3-0 but this is still is a really good start for Munster. They have some postponed games to make up. One is with Lake Central (5-0) and another is with Homewood-Flossmoor (5-0) and undefeated pitcher Stacey Struzynski (5-0), who has two no-hitters this year. The Mustangs have McCutcheon and Cathedral to play at the Carmel tournament this month plus the Twin Lakes Invitational and their own Mustang Invitational in May. Good schedule.

8. (4A) Hobart (5-1)
2006 (12-15), 2005 (19-12), 2004 (15-10), 2003 (19-11)

HOBART - A big start for the Brickies and they've been able to play while other teams cant get on the field. The newspapers said that junior right-hander Brittany Spears struck out 14 against Crown Point but the correct total was 16. She also fanned 17 against LaPorte. Spears, who had an average freshman and sophomore seasons as a part time pitcher, had 47 Ks, in her first 25 innings in 2007, largely due to an improved rising fastball and probably a lot more confidence. the Brickies probably have more senior starters outside of Chesterton in Class 4A. But they need some big LAC wins and that would include Andrean, Lowell or Griffith. I like the schedule but until they get a big fish, they're just pretending. Hobart has Chesterton (6-0), Andrean (2-1) and Lowell (4-2) in the next 10 days so its time to grab that tackle box and head for the pond.

9. (3A) New Prairie (2-2)
2006 (31-4), 2005 (21-10), 2004 (26-4)

NEW CARLISLE - The defense is a problem in the early going for the Cougars who would be 4-0 if they could have made some lays. Six errors in the 5-4 loss to South Bend Adams was followed by five errors in the 4-2 road loss to South Bend Washington. Box scores show 16 officials errors by New Prairie in the first four games (28 innings) and you're going to have to be a lot better than they are to win with those numbers. In the 9-8 win over St. Joseph's, righthander Findley pitched a complete game and allowed only one earned run. Again, she won only 9-8. I don't accept that a team had suddenly run over to the dark side defensively or they've developed an allergic reaction to round yellow objects. This was a 31-4 Class 3A state finalist last season with most of these same players. I think they'll figure this out and get their act together. The schedule has been tough but those error numbers are beyond embarrassing.

10. (2A) HANOVER CENTRAL (1-2)
16-14 (2006), 26-5-3 (2005), 25-7 (2004), 25-6 (2003)

CEDAR LAKE - Hanover drops in the poll because no one's seen hide not hair of them for 10 days. They had no games scheduled April 2 to April 6 and Saturday's LaVille Invitational was postponed. At a school like Hanover, which has a very large indoor field house, this break might help an experienced team but this is not an experienced team. They need total games to get better and the LaVille Invitational is three games they will not get to play. They have some injury problems as well. The next few games are winnable with North Newton, Morgan Township, Bishop Noll, Hebron and Wheeler coming up. Wednesday's home game with Morgan Township (4-11-7) should tell some tales. As should the April 18 game at LAC leader Lowell (4-2) and the April 19 game with Illinois small school superpower Beecher (4-2), which has two D-1 players. The last two freshman classes at Hanover have brought in some pretty good-looking softball players. At least, they were good-looking last time anybody saw them. That was over a week ago.

On the outside looking in...

(1A) Whiting (2-1)
33-0 (2006), 11-16 (2005), 28-6 (2004), 21-10 (2003)

WHITING - Whiting stomped on Wheeler 6-0 with sophomore Mel Dumezich (2-1) striking out 11 and walked only two. Wheeler got only one hit. The Oilers displayed some offense here as Dumezich and Sarah Watkins both went 2-for-3. There is still some concern here, Whiting went 12 innings without scoring before busting out of it against Wheeler and even in that game, they struck out 13 times. Obviously, offense will be a problem fro Whiting all year. The Oilers may come out of the mind set that they want to bat Dumezich first because she bats with no one on base to start the game, a luxury they cant afford for a player who hit nine homers in 2006. Of course, when she's striking out almost two batters an inning (36 Ks in 20 innings), you only need one or two runs. A game-opening walk, steal bunt and flyball could be decisive in every game.

(4A) CROWN POINT (3-3)
2006 (13-14) 2005 (12-14), 2004 (8-19) 2003 (16-16), 2002 (11-16)

CROWN POINT - They are not a top-10 team yet but improvement is being shown. The losses are to New Prairie (2-2), Portage (2-1) and Hobart (5-1). Sophomore pitcher Kelsey Rather (2-2) is splitting time with up-and-coming freshman Jackie Beilfuss (1-1), who pitched a complete-game shutout against Michigan City on April 2. The team is fairly solid up the middle with veterans Amy Fairchild catching, Jessica Martinez at short and senior Anna Stephens in center field. Two left-handed hitters at the top of the order in Alison Adank (3-for-3 against MC, 4-for-4 against Morton) and Amber Pierce (2-for-3 against Portage) make them difficult to defense. Are they better than 1A powers South Central and Whiting? Yes. It's not that close. Are they better than Merrillville and Highland. That's much closer. But the reality is, this team has improved since opening day and they've probably got a greater upside than those four I just mentioned.

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