Northwest Indiana Top-10,

Week-4, 2009 High School 'Renegade' Poll

4-30-2009

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

ST. JOHN (4-30-2009) More rain. More postponements. But the weekends have been clear and most teams are piling up games. How has Lake Central played 18 games and everybody else is stumbling around trying to reschedule?

Whiting's Mel Dumezich returned from an ACL injury and no-hit sub-.500 Pioneer as part of a double-header sweep. Whiting, the defending 1A state champ, has a load of games to play in May and they should be at full strength.

Overall, it's not a great year so far. The Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) is down with Michigan City and Merrillville coughing up automatic wins for the other side. The Northwest Crossroads Conference is not as strong as had been hoped with Lowell scoring only three runs a game and Munster and Highland living on the dark side of the .500 mark. The Greater South Shore Conference is largely Whiting, Wheeler, Bishop Noll and five sub-.500 squads. The Porter County Conference is much the same with Boone Grove, Hebron and Hanover Central leading five teams that have issues. But Hanover and Boone play 4A teams while Whiting ducks them. The Oilers simply don't play enough tough teams to make this poll. With that said, the weak sisters on Whiting's schedule have had their chance to beat the Oilers. Like the Chicago Bulls, if you can't beat the champs when they're crippled, you just aren't very good.

The big game this week should be the match up of Andrean (10-3) and LaPorte (8-1) in the LaPorte Invitational. Lake Central and Crown Point have a rain postponement to make up on Friday, May 1. Otherwise, CP, Munster, Lowell, Andrean and Hanover are packing their bags for the Twin Lakes Invitational on May 7-8. Hanover and Andrean meet in the first pool play game at Twin Lakes, while Crown Point will have to get by the host school in pool play Saturday morning.

Downstate, Class 4A No. 1 Avon is up to 13-0 after several impressive wins, including a 3-1 victory over 4A No. 2 Center Grove (15-2). 4A No. 5 Homestead (12-0) handed 3A No. 4 Marian (10-2) their first loss 11-1. In 2A, it's possible for No. 2 Jimtown, No. 3 Boone Grove, No. 11 Eastside and No. 5 Hanover Central to meet at the 2A LaVille Regional. At mid-season, let's look at how teams graded out against their expectations.

1. LAKE CENTRAL (15-3)
25-7 (2008) 21-6 (2007), 25-8 (2006), 32-1 (2005), 29-3 (2004)

ST. JOHN: Lake Central stopped Harrison 1-0 and Jefferson 10-2 in their annual Lafayette weekend. LC lost 9-3 to LaPorte when Jessica Dobson (10-2) was injured in the first inning. The Injuns' losses are to Lowell (8-5), Franklin Central and LaPorte (11-1). Not bad. Track star Jessica Morgan is apparently pinch running with a broken left hand. She could be back before the post-season. LC and CP were postponed by rain Tuesday, April 28.

GRADE (A): Lake Central replaced all eight position players after last season. I keep hearing how they aren't that good, but they're 15-3 against big school competition. The grade cannot be anything else but an 'A'.

2. CROWN POINT (11-2)
18-11 (2008), 16-14 (2007), 13-14 (2006), 12-14 (2005), 8-19 (2004)

CROWN POINT: The Lady Bulldogs rolled to a triple victory in the first Crown Point invitational, beating 2A Hanover Central 1-0, 3A St Joseph's 10-0 and 3A neighbor Andrean 3-1.
Pitchers Jackie Beilfuss (5-2) and Taylor Perry (6-0) have both been excellent in most starts. Catcher Katrina Klingberg is much improved and this team has loaded up the schedule. The losses have been to Portage and Lake Central, but both can be avenged. This team has lots of road games including stops at LaPorte (10-10), at Chesterton (8-8), at Boone Grove (10-3) and at Griffith. CP is 10-0 at home.

GRADE (A): This is another easy choice. Both losses have been on the road by one run. CP could be 13-0. Crown Point is more athletic than in past years and more confident. All they haven't done is beat Lake Central yet.

3. ANDREAN (11-3)
18-10 (2008), 29-3 (2007), 26-4 (2006), 32-3 (2005), 29-5 (2004)

MERRILLVILLE: The Niners lost 3-1 in the title game of the Crown Point Invitational. That's the second consecutive week that Andrean has lost in a tourney title game and that's good. Andean pitching has not allowed more than three runs in any game so far. Alyssa Moseley (6-3) leads the pitching staff with freshmen Morgan Moseley (2-0) and Nicole Steinbach (2-0). The Niners' losses are to Marian (10-0), Crown Point (11-2) and Munster. Many of these girls played on the 2007 state title team.

GRADE (A): It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure this grade. Coach Russ Serrato has gotten his team to play his way after a rocky first year. Always judge the 59ers on the curve. They have just seven home games. But the expectations here are very high and this team should reach the 3A regional championship game. 11-3 isn't better than this group of players but its very good.

4. (4A) LaPorte (8-1)
2009 (20-14), 2007 (17-11), 2006 (16-11-1), 2005 (13-16)

LaPORTE: The Slicers beat Lake Central 10-3 after LC star Jessica Dobson was injured in the first inning. But with just a 6-1 loss to Crown Point, the Slicers have won four in a row after a season opening six-game win streak. Kayla Bauer was credited with three home runs in an 8-0 win over Merrillville last week. I do not remember a NW Indiana softball player hitting three homers in the same game. This may be a result of this being a down year in the DAC, but at the halfway mark, LaPorte has been the biggest surprise. I'm still not sure I believe they are a state Top-10 team. They weren't close to being Top-10 last season. Its not that easy

GRADE (A+): Far better than I thought. Probably better than they thought. Even though this team went to the state finals last year, remember, they won just 20 of 34 games and they graduated their best offensive player. The second half will tell the real story here.

5. LOWELL (9-6)
20-10 (2008), 30-7 (2007), 23-7 (2006), 21-10 (2005), 20-9 (2004)

LOWELL: How can a team that has allowed just 18 runs in 15 games be 9-6? I can't explain it. The Devils must lead the world in runners left on base. Lowell pitchers have six shutouts and they have given up 15 total runs. There's not much to say there. Lowell lost 4-3 to KV last week, the first time ever they've lost to Kankakee Valley. One thing about sports that's almost always true. In Major league baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays went to the World Series last year with a team batting average of .260 and an ERA of 3.82. That's a fluke. Those numbers don't add up. This year, they're back in last place. When something mathematically does not make sense, it usually turns around. If Lowell's pitching holds up, they'll win a lot more than nine games the rest of the way.

GRADE (C): The Devils have had the best pitching in the area over the first half (even better than CP and LC) but they have five losses and the Northwest Crossroads title is no longer a possibility. As good as the pitching has been, it has not been a good first half, considering the players they have.

6. BOONE GROVE (10-3)
22-6 (2008), 16-11 (2007), 14-16 (2006), 9-19 (2005)

PORTER TOWNSHIP: Boone Grove has allowed just 23 runs in 13 games with pitchers Taylor Johnson and Roxanne Miniuk. Like Lowell and Hanover, the offense has been a little soft. Take away a 16-0 win over Kouts and a 14-2 win over South Central and the Lady Wolves haven't scored very many runs at all. But Boone's 3-2 win over Wheeler (9-1) had to be a big lift. Miniuk (5-1) struck out 11 in that game and she has teamed with Taylor Johnson (5-2) to give Boone top pitching. Caitlin Wilcox (.375, 8 homers, 28 RBIs) is reportedly back playing after a pre-season basketball knee injury. Boone does not have a lot of tough games before the PCC tournament on May 15-16.

GRADE (B): This is what they were expected to do. Boone's schedule is not that tough. They don't play in the Twin Lakes Invitational because that's their prom weekend. (For those of you who don't know, Democrats and Republicans will agree on everything and live in peace before anybody EVER moves the high school prom). Hanover and Wheeler are in the same sectional, but Boone is a clear cut sectional favorite. They are on course.

7. HANOVER CENTRAL (8-3)
20-10 (2008), 20-10 (2007), 16-4 (2006), 26-5-3 (2005), 25-7 (2004)

CEDAR LAKE: Hanover lost to three bigger schools at the Crown Point Invitational, but with all the games they've had rained out, it's good they got the three losses in. HC lost 1-0 to Crown Point (11-2), 2-1 to Andraen (10-3) and 3-2 to (South Bend) St. Joseph's (7-6). But that isn't why I've dropped them in this poll. Hanover is short on players. There were only 11 Lady Cats total against Andrean. There's been a couple of injuries and a couple of 'early retirements here'. Hanover cannot have anyone get injured and they can't even have anyone get tired. Outfielder Danielle Nowak and third baseman Vanessa Rainwater are out for the year. The Lady Cats have had batting problems (38 runs in 10 games), but that will change as they play more regularly. This starting lineup may be Hanover's best ever. But the bench is a lonely place. They have done what they should have done. There is doubt about what more they can do in the second half. They may finish the year 15-15. But, so far, this is where they should be.

GRADE (B): Hanover has defeated Boone Grove, Griffith and Beecher, Illinois (11-6) and they do lead the Porter County Conference. But they also have as many as 16 regular season games left on the schedule in May. Tournaments like the PCC finals and Twin Lakes will be a challenge with just 11 varsity players. Wheeler (9-1), a rainout on April 28, Chesterton (8-8), a rainout on April 3 and Whiting (7-1) on May 22 remain on the schedule.

8. Chesterton (8-8)
2008 (17-10), 2007 (20-6), 2006 (30-2), 2005 (27-3-1), 2004 (20-7)

CHESTERTON: The losses have been to LaPorte (10-1), Lowell (9-5), Lake Central (12-2) twice, Mishawaka, Washington Adams and Portage. The Trojans are getting good pitching from Taylor Harlow and they are surviving a difficult non-conference schedule. Harlow pitched a no-hitter against Merrillville last week and lost 2-1 to Lake Central. I like to think the schedule is building these girls up for the post-season. There's a lot of first year starters here, and like most teams this season, they do not have a prolific offense.

GRADE (C): They have done what they should have done. There is doubt about what more they can do in the second half. They may finish the year 15-15. But, so far, this is where they should be.

9. (3A) Griffith (7-8)
2008 (21-8), 2007 (16-14), 2006 (12-19), 2005 (19-15), 2004 (16-15)

GRIFFITH: Griffith has a small roster like Hanover due to injuries, but they swept the Blackford Tournament last week topping Bellmont 3-0 and Frankfort 14-0. I don't know how strong a tourney that is. Pitcher Alex Latronica (5-3) won both games easily. I'd like to see Griffith drop out of this tournament and host a tourney in the tree-lined park on Broad Street. I think it would be very popular. The Panthers have scored just 49 runs in 14 games and 14 of those came against Frankfort.

GRADE (C+): Not much was expected here and the team is at .500. Alex Latronica can keep them close in any game, but this team needs to find some offense. They don't have an especially tough schedule the rest of the way. Nobody else can get injured here.

10. Wheeler (10-1)
2008 (20-7), 2007 (25-4), 2006 (14-16), 2005 (10-18), 2004 (7-21)

UNION TOWNSHIP: It may be now or never for this group led by pitcher Lanay Parks (8-0) and shortstop Marcy Medina. Wheeler has defeated Whiting and Bishop Noll (10-2), but I'm not going to pretend they've played the schedule of 2A Sectional rival Hanover Central. I just think Parks is tougher to hit than Noll (10-2) and star freshman Vanessa Hartzell and the Bearcats players in the field are superior to Whiting (8-2). A game this week with Hanover was rained out and a rematch with Whiting is coming.

GRADE (B): They should be where they are. But they have to know that Judgement Day is coming. In a 5-team sectional, they will probably have to defeat Bishop Noll (10-2) and Hanover Central (8-3), most likely in a two-day span. With the soft schedule they play, the grade here is somewhat incomplete.

On the outside looking in...

(2A) Bishop Noll (11-2)
2008 (19-10), 2007 (9-19), 2006 (16-16)

HAMMOND: Local softball history is full of freshman pitchers who come in and dominate immediately when no one has faced them. That's the case here as 5-foot-9 freshman Vanessa Hartzell has not had a bad outing for the Warriors, who rolled over North Newton 11-1 Wednesday (4-29-2009). Hartzell struck out 17 in a 2-0 win over Whiting on April 23. Noll is held back by the Greater South Shore Conference schedule, which isn't strong. That's why you consistently see pitchers striking out 10 or more in GSSC games. But when you strike out 15 or more in a seven inning game it's hard for your side to lose.

GRADE (A): I didn't think they'd be 11-2 at mid season. It's hard to see them winning against much more experienced teams like Wheeler (11-1) and Hanover (8-3) in the upcoming 2A Hanover Central Sectional, but before the season began, Noll wasn't even in that discussion.

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