Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week-6, 2007 High School 'Renegade' Poll

5-04-2007

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

CHESTERTON (5-04-2007) Little changed in the final week of April as top teams continued to win. Munster (16-1) and Chesterton (16-2) headed towards their much anticipated next meeting in late May, although Munster has two tournaments between now and then. Lowell (16-3) beat Andrean (14-3) a second time with a third meeting looming at this weekend's Twin Lakes Invitational. South Central (10-5) beat Whiting (13-2), but they can do that game again at the 1A Regional in June.

Last week's Highland Invitational was not what organizers had hoped. The final game, a 1-0 victory over Andrean by Marian (15-3) was a fine conclusion. But Friday's play was postponed by wet grounds and rain and one of the eight teams, Hammond high, pulled out of the tourney Saturday due to lack of players. You can't do things like that. I can almost guarantee you that a new team will replace Hammond (Crown Point, Hanover Central, Whiting?) in the Highland Invitational in 2008.

NW Indiana softball needs the Highland Invitational where a local team can play six times without overnight travel. But top quality outsiders like Penn and Marian will find someplace else to go if Lake County teams disgrace the event by pulling out on the day of the tourney.

2A No. 1 Scecina (15-0) won a fourth Indianapolis City tournament. Four-time all-city pitcher Emily Wethington (9-0, 0.00 ERA) and Amy Tamer (6-0, 0.00 ERA) were the pitchers. That's right. Scecina reportedly has not allowed an earned run all season.

1. (4A) Chesterton (16-2)
30-2 (2006), 27-3-1 (2005), 20-7 (2004), 22-5 (2003), 21-4 (2002)

CHESTERTON - The Trojans finally got beat 6-3 by Lake Central in a game Wednesday where LC rallied from a 3-1 deficit. A 6-3 score in not a good game either way. Dawn McClellan (11-1) gave up only three hits but waked four, losing for the first time ever to a NW Indiana team. The Trojans had continued to roll with shutout victories 1-0 over LaPorte, 6-0 over Valparaiso and 11-0 over Merrillville, extending their Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) win streak to 24. RHP Dawn McClellan (11-0) pitched a two-hit shutout against LaPorte and a four hit shut out against Valpo. They'll take on an improving Crown Point team Friday at CP. Do they need a bigger challenge than that? The Trojans have a make-up game to play with 4A No. 5 Mishawaka (13-0) and a late May game with Munster (16-1). After 18 games, the Trojans had scored 103 runs and allowed 23. It's hard to lose many games at all with that type of run ratio. I like their schedule the rest of the way. There are challenges, but they also have lost games to the weather and they can schedule an extra game if they wish. For a year and a half (two-year mark of 46-3), they have been the top team in this region and one game cannot change that.

2. (4A) Lake Central (16-3)
25-8 (2006), 32-1 (2005), 29-3 (2004), 32-3-1 (2003), 28-1 (2002), 30-4 (2001)

St. JOHN - Lake Central got a big lift with a come-from-behind 6-3 win at Chesterton. The boost comes from the breaking of a 4-game win steak by the Trojans against LC. LC did not play a great game against Chesterton, collecting only three base hits. Pitcher Rachel Weaver walked six and gave up three runs in the first inning. But she contained the Trojans the rest of the way and got the win to pull LC even with Chesterton in the 14-game DAC race. LC lost 2-0 at Carmel Saturday, but that's the kind of scheduling that wins in the post-season. Weaver (9-1) was the loser in that game, but she came back to beat Crown Point 2-1 in eight-innings Monday. Soph Jessica Dobson (6-2) held on to win 4-3 against Brownsburg last week. The Indians are not scoring runs as they have in the past. In a six-game span in the final week of April, LC outscored six foes 9-6. That's not too good. The Indians needed an eighth inning Crown Point error to beat CP 2-1 in eight innings. LC always judges themselves (as they should) by the state's elite standards. With that as the judge, and forgetting Wednesday's game, they don't score enough runs to hang with the best teams. Since their schedule is locked in with the 14-game DAC schedule, it wouldn't hurt LC to host a tournament in May to get them ready for the post-season.

3. (4A) Munster (16-1)
22-7 (2006), 25-3-1 (2005), 25-3-1 (2004), 22-7 (2003), 15-12 (2002), 23-10 (2001)

MUNSTER - The Mustangs had the weekend off after an 8-1 win over Hobart and they came back to snuff Griffith 2-0 Monday (4-30-2007). Kelly Mashura hit a grand slam against Hobart. The Lady Ponies have allowed only 16 runs all season, something that will be put to the test this weekend at the 16-team Twin Lakes Invitational. Munster hosts its own Invitational later this month, so they have a very adventurous schedule left to play. Hopefully, no one has college entrance exams or prom this week so everybody at Twin Lakes can be at full strength. Munster takes on 2A No. 10 Lewis Cass at Twin Lakes Friday night at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). Munster has already swept the Carmel Tournament so there's no doubt they are a favorite this weekend. It was a quiet week at the corral but this was definitely the calm before the storm.

4. (4A) LOWELL (15-3)
23-7 (2006), 21-10 (2005), 20-9 (2004), 13-16 (2003), 14-15 (2002), 21-9 (2001)

LOWELL - The Red Devils extended their winning steak to eight games with an 11-0 win over injury-weakened Boone Grove, a 9-1 win over Pioneer, a 9-2 win over West Lafayette, and wins 2-1 over Highland and 4-0 over Andrean. The Red Devils have a fine pitcher in Kaitlyn Bolanowski (6-2) but they are riding a hot streak with junior pitcher Alyssa Reed (8-1), who has shut out Boone and Andrean in the last 10 days. The Devils outscored six teams 41-4 to end the month... and started May with a 4-0 shutout of Andrean. This is a very good year for Lowell so far. All-stater Kelly Johnson was batting .400 (22-of-55) after 17 games, outfielder Becca Nida was hitting .410 (16 of 39) and catcher Katherine Allert sitting at .390 (16 of 41). Freshman leadoff batter Jacki Fletcher was sitting at .440 (22 of 50). Lowell drew Frontier at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) in the opening night of the Twin Lakes Invitational and they should reach the semifinals Saturday.

5. (4A) Portage (13-6)
2006 (18-12), 2005 (20-9), 2004 (27-4-3), 2003 (19-9)

PORTAGE - Portage ran over out-manned Michigan City 11-0 Tuesday night to go to 12-6. I'm not sure what happened to them over the weekend in a tournament at Lakeshore high in Michigan. The Indians split two games but the scores are a well-kept secret. This team will be a factor in the post-season because RHP Meagan Gutierrez, who pitched a 12-2 victory over Crown Point last Friday, has more post-season experience than anyone in this area. Gutierrez dominated Penn 3-0 Tuesday night, a one-hit shutout on the road. The Indians have shown signs of a little more offense lately. They are 0-2 against Lake Central and 0-1 against Chesterton, but these games are always close and you do feel Portage is close to a major upset. The Indians had an early season tourney at 2A No. 1 Scecina rained out and that probably won't be made up. But they always know what they have to do. The teams they meet in sectional play are pretty much the same ones they play during the DAC season.

6. (3A) ANDREAN (13-3-1)
26-4 (2006), 32-3 (2005), 29-5 (2004), 27-2 (2003), 30-3 (2002), 26-7 (2001)

MERRILLVILLE - The Niners record is listed as 14-3, but it is actually includes a 4-4 tie with Penn at the Highland Invitational, which the 59ers won on a tiebreaker. I'm not sure that's a win. After beating Griffith 3-1 and Morton 6-3 in the rain-shortened Highland Invite, the Niners lost the Highland title game 1-0 to Marian (15-3), but the four games played was a positive for Andrean. The 59ers then lost 4-0 to Lowell (15-3), a game where the Niners made an ugly five errors. Freshman Alyssa Mosely (7-1) and junior Nicole Derezinski (8-2) have pitched very well but again, judging them by elite standards, this team doesn't hit that well and the defensive problems are surprising. Andrean is a three-time champion at the Twin Lakes Invitational in Monticello, which also hosts the 3A regional, so this is the time the Niners traditionally turn it on. Andrean does not have a tough path to the semifinals so they should rebound this weekend. The Niners' three losses are 1-0, 2-1 and 4-0. You have to be able to scratch out at least one run, rain or shine, against anyone in any game. You know you have a top program when 13-3-1 is struggling.

7. (2A) HANOVER CENTRAL (9-5)
16-14 (2006), 26-5-3 (2005), 25-7 (2004), 25-6 (2003)

CEDAR LAKE - Strange season for Hanover Central as their schedule has been jumbled badly by the weather. The Lady Cats took a major step towards the PCC regular season title with a 4-1 win on the road at South Central (10-5). Right-hander Jessica Toth allowed just four singles and no walks in the win in LaPorte County. With the injury to Boone's No. 1 pitcher Lauren Denhert, it will be difficult for anyone but Morgan Township (10-2) to stop Hanover. HC rolled over LaCrosse 1-0 Wednesday as freshman Kelsey Jankowski (4-3) pitched a shutout and hit a homer. I cannot find more than nine wins for Hanover although the local newspapers say they have 10. HC is in the middle of a seven-game week.

The season really starts for Hanover this weekend at the Twin Lakes invitational when they are challenged by bigger schools again. HC was 0-3 against 4A powers Lowell (15-3), Munster (16-1) and Chesterton (16-1) and they lost to Wheeler (12-3) and Illinois small school superpower Beecher (16-2). Toth (4-2) is very promising. She also pitched a complete-game shutout 12-0 over Kouts. But they still have not played regularly. HC has a five game win streak but they keep getting postponed. The McCutcheon game Saturday morning is a highlight. Hanover has never beaten McCutcheon. Hanover got a very difficult draw this weekend facing 2A No. 3 Eastern, 4A No. 6 McCutcheon and 3A Western. Here's how you'll know about HC. They have never survived pool play at Twin Lakes in seven tries. If the Lady Cats reach the semifinals Saturday, this is a top-10 team in the 2A bracket.

8. (3A) Griffith (11-10)
12-19 (2006), 19-15 (2005), 16-15 (2004), 18-14 (2003)

GRIFFITH - Griffith apparently split four games in the Highland Invitational. I say 'apparently' because the results of that tournament are again simply not distributed anywhere. The Panthers lost 2-0 to Munster Tuesday, but that's just another situation where the Panthers are playing a difficult schedule. With 21 games played in early May, Griffith's season is pretty much in the bank. The Panthers only have seven games left after this weekend. That's to a great extent, the schedule they've played throughout this decade and it's worked well for them. The Panthers have already faced the toughest teams they'll see in Munster, Chesterton and Andrean. Despite their record here, Griffith will definitely finish with a winning record.

9. (4A) CROWN POINT (12-8)
2006 (13-14) 2005 (12-14), 2004 (8-19) 2003 (16-16), 2002 (11-16)

CROWN POINT - The Bulldogs continued to creep upward in the DAC. They lost to Lake Central (16-3) in the eighth inning when an error led to two unearned runs. But CPrecorded a double win 7-2 and 2-0 over 1A No. 3 Morgan Township (10-2). Freshman pitcher Jackie Taylor (2-0) has been added to the staff after two impressive audition starts. Jackie Bielfuss was the victim of the unearned runs at LC after losing just 2-0 to Chesterton. Soph Kelsey Rather (6-2) was the beneficiary of 11 runs in a 11-0 five-inning shutout of Valpo Saturday (4-28-2007). CP still has some second-division moments defensively, but the team is getting better and the record slowly is showing that. Here's a team that doesn't have many games left. Only six after this weekend. A late May game against Hanover Central (10-5) is one of the only non-DAC highlights left. The Bulldogs need to rework their schedule where they have some big games outside the DAC. It would help the program not to play Merrillville, Chesterton and Portage all the time. But the two lefty hitters at the top of the order and the three pitchers are the foundation of a very good team.

10. (2A) Wheeler (11-2)
2006 (14-16), 2005 (10-18), 2004 (7-21), 2003 (7-18), 2002 (11-14)

UNION TOWNSHIP - They were stomped by Boone, but the Bearcat girls have shut out Hanover Central 2-0 and Whiting 3-0. Freshman pitcher Lanay Parks (8-1) struck out 17 against Whiting in a 3-0 domination Wednesday. This team doesn't score runs on good teams, but with Parks, a 5-foot-10 basketball player, they don't have to. Parks has had eight games where she has struck out 10 or more. She struck out 15 in an 8-0 win over Clark Tuesday. Now some of these numbers are skewed because of the very weak LAC Blue Division schedule that Wheeler plays 14 times. But the Bearcats have outscored the opposition 98-21. When they did not pitch Parks, they got beat 13-0 by Boone on April 21. They have six starters back from last year, but I don't think anybody knows how good this team is. Right now it looks like the Wheeler-Hanover sectional winner will advance deep into the state playoffs. But there's a half season left and Hanover will face tough teams down the stretch while Wheeler truthfully will not.

On the outside looking in...

(1A) Whiting (13-3)
33-0 (2006), 11-16 (2005), 28-6 (2004), 21-10 (2003)

WHITING - Whiting lost twice 3-1 to South Central and 3-0 to Wheeler. This isn't a surprise. You have to have great good fortune to go through the schedule undefeated as Whiting did in 2006. An example of that is Whiting's 3-0 loss Wednesday. Soph pitcher Mel Dumezich struck out 18, which means she struck out 18 of the 21 outs. Still, Wheeler got five hits and won. Anybody who plays on an undefeated team and says luck doesn't have anything to do with it is lying through their teeth. The Oilers now have to rebound to losses, something they never went through last season. It might take a couple more losses to get back on track. But the schedule simply is not tough and, other than Hanover, there aren't any teams left on the schedule that could beat Whiting. It's my theory that a couple of losses help a team. Unless they just have major flaws (you can't always tell when a team has an ace pitcher), I believe that will be the case with Whiting. This could end up being a better Oiler team than it was last season. But they might not be as lucky.

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