Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week-4, 2005 High School Rankings

4-20-2005

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

CROWN POINT (4-19-2005) No change at the top as Munster and Lake Central, both continue to win. Andrean took two one-run losses on the road, while Lowell and Hanover Central continued to win in front of their meeting, tentatively scheduled (so is some rain) for Wednesday.

Chesterton bounced back from a loss to LC, while Portage also seems on the rise.

Beyond that, many teams are hurting defensively or are so weak at the plate that they can't be counted on. I'd like to think that the great pitching records of Munster and Hanover are because of their awesome superstars. Truth is, some of it has to do with batters who couldn't hit a beach ball if they had bats in both hands. The struggles of Brooke Baker (13-11, 2.45 ERA) at Purdue should again indicate that the high school distances between the pitcher and the batter are too short. Baker didn't have to pitch in high school. She was so gifted, she could simply throw the ball by everybody from 40 feet away. In the Big-10, pitching from 43 feet away against scholarship batters, Brooke has been very average. Prep coaches have looked the other way on this problem for years and it's long past time to bring the high school game in line with the college game.

In the early going this year, no 4A team seems especially formidable in the South Bend-Elkhart area which is good for the NW Indiana champion.

South Central has not been as strong as they were projected and that's good news for struggling Whiting and Hebron. The improvement of Merrillville and Crown Point has not manifested itself in victories, as of yet.

1.) 4A Munster (6-0-1)

25-3-1 (2004), 22-7 (2003), 15-12 (2002), 23-10 (2001), 22-8 (2000)

MUNSTER – The Mustangs coasted during the week, winning 10-1 Thursday (4-14-2005) over a decent Bishop Noll team. Some teams have had trouble with Noll right-hander Kristen Chico, but the Lady Ponies were not one of them.

Lori Andjelich (4-0) struck out 14 while Hallie Gibbs hit a home run. Andjelich no-hit Lake Central through six innings and LC is now 12-0.

The schedule gets real again for Munster when they play Andrean (12-2) Thursday in a pivotal Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) league game.

2.) 4A Lake Central (12-0-1)

29-3 (2004), 32-3-1 (2003), 28-1 (2002), 32-4 (2001), 23-6 (2000)

ST. JOHN – Lake Central won three over the weekend in between 6-0 wins over Valparaiso Thursday (4-14-2005) and Crown Point 6-0 Monday (4-18-2005) to stay at the top of the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC). LC (12-0-1) is listed as having a 12-0 record but unless (and until) a tie is replayed, it counts as a tie. The LC-Munster scoreless tie is unlikely to be replayed in the short softball season.

LC won the McCutcheon Invitational with a 7-0 victory over short-handed McCutcheon (10-3). The Mavericks were without two players including state class hitter SS Alicia Garza (.518 last season), the Lafayette-area triple crown champion (average, HR, RBIs) in 2004. But none of the injured players for McCutcheon were pitchers and LC still got seven runs. Let the record show that the pitcher LC defeated, Marie Badylak (7-3), was 13-0 last season. Saturday's title game was 2-0 when Badylak left the game after five innings. LC scored five more off freshman Tori Collins.

At McCutcheon, LC also tapped Turkey Run 2-0 and wasted Western 10-0. This was the second three-game sweep of a 'traveling' weekend for LC and that's proof those trips are the only way you know if you can really play.

Katie Golden improved to 5-0 in the win over CP and with Valpo and Merrillville off to mediocre starts, the prospect for another 14-0 DAC season is at hand.

But as they slap everybody else around, the question gets louder, why didn't they hit Munster's Andjelich? Was it a fluke? Was she too good? Will they bomb her next time? Or will she smoke them like a Christmas ham? Until they answer that question, LC is probably second in the poll.

3.) 4A Chesterton (10-1-1)

20-7 (2004), 22-5 (2003), 21-4 (2002), 14-14 (2001) 18-10 (2000)

CHESTERTON – Chesterton got beat 4-0 by Lake Central an intimidating whipping for a Trojan team that had not allowed more than one run in 10 of their other 11 games. The four errors in that LC loss are probably more disturbing than the four runs allowed. Chesterton crushed Valparaiso 10-1 Monday (4-18-2005) to go to 4-1 in the DAC. Chesterton will take on undefeated Lafayette Catholic (7-0) in the four-team Chesterton Invitational this weekend.

Chesterton lost three times to LC last year and they have to find a way to get by them. There are a lot of good teams on their schedule, but it's all about LC.

4.) 3A Andrean (12-2)

29-5 (2004), 27-2 (2003), 30-3 (2002), 26-7 (2001), 28-3 (2000)

MERRILLVILLE – The Andrean “World Tour' put a lot of miles on the board with mixed results. The 59ers lost a Dowagiac Invitational semifinal 1-0 to the host team on an unearned run. Andrean won two out of three up in southwest lower Michigan and placed third. Kalamazoo Christian beat Dowagiac 3-1 to win that annual eight-team intra-state tournament.

Monday (4-18-2005), the 59ers traveled to Culver and lost 2-1 on a first inning two-run homer by Culver star Alexis Clay. Culver's two-time 20-game winner Jackie Lawrence beat Andrean for the first time in her career.

Some at Andrean may not agree but these are not bad losses. Two one-run losses many miles from home aren't going to change the 59ers' season (or their ranking). Senior Lori Knopf (7-0) pitched two more shutouts in Michigan. Knopf had eight strikeouts and no walks in six innings in the 11-0 win over Portage Northern. She followed with nine strikeouts and a walk in a 3-0 win over Grandville, Michigan.

The 59ers have Munster (6-0-1) on the schedule this Thursday, so last weekend's games are quickly forgotten.

5.) 4A Lowell (7-1)

20-7 (2004), 13-15 (2003), 14-15 (2002),

21-9 (2001), 24-10-1 (2000)

LOWELL – Lowell ran their winning streak to six with a 5-0 win over Crown Point Saturday and a 9-1 win over Gavit Monday. The Red Devils should be undefeated and they know the second half of the schedule is much more difficult. The Red Devils host Class 2A No. 2 Hanover Central (6-2-1) in a big neighborhood matchup Wednesday.

Hannah Penman had a home run and three RBIs in an 11-0 win over Calumet, but these games just aren't a challenge. Ryssa Nord pitched a perfect game in that contest.

Senior Vanessa Esenberg (4-0) pitched two more complete game shutouts, but it will be hard-throwing Cristin Just (2-1) on the mound against Hanover. You do not have to have great athletic ability to play softball, but Lowell has above average speed and should benefit from warmer weather.

The Devils look good, but other than semi-tough Hobart (7-4) and Calumet (5-4), Lowell has not beaten anyone with a winning record.

HC's Amanda Wendlinger will be the first top pitcher Lowell has faced since they lost 3-0 to Meghan Gutierrez and Portage.

6.) 4A Portage (6-3)

27-4-3 (2004), 19-9 (2003), 23-9 (2002),

26-4 (2001), 30-4 (2000), 30-2 (1999), 31-4 (1998)

PORTAGE – As expected, Portage is getting better. Soph right-hander Meghan Gutierrez pitched a perfect game against Harrison Saturday as the Indians beat LaPorte 14-0, Harrison 5-0 and Michigan City 7-1.

There's just no way this team can lose consistently with the pitching they have. Gutierrez is as good a pure pitcher as has come along in a half dozen years. The Indians have some very young starters and the wins are starting to collect.

There are probably two pitchers in the entire DAC that could shut down LC and Portage has one of them.

7.) 2A HANOVER CENTRAL (6-2-1)

27-7 (2004), 25-8 (2003), 24-5 (2002)

28-3 (2001), 16-9-1 (2000), 23-2 (1999)

CEDAR LAKE – The Lady Cats completed the first third of their schedule. Hanover Central nipped Clark 1-0, tipped Hebron and snipped Wheeler 5-0.

(I got a rhyming dictionary, Okay???)

Amanda Wendlinger (3-2) is having her best season with 77 strikeouts in 42 innings. Going into the game against Lowell, Wendlinger will carry a 21-inning scoreless streak.

No. 2 pitcher Kelly Lapota (3-0) also has three shutouts and she'll probably get a prime-time shot against defending Illinois small school state champion Beecher (12-0) Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Combined, Wendlinger and Lapota have posted five consecutive shutouts. This may be the best pitching HC has had since 2002 where Beth (now starring at the University of Indianapolis) and Amanda Wendlinger both were on the roster.

HC simply cannot be as bad an offensive team as they appear to be. When you watch some of the base running follies they are hard to believe. Some of the girls are obviously very nervous about playing for a state championship team.

But the Lady Cats have a lot of new starting players and they don't have to be really good for another four weeks.

8.) 3A New Prairie (5-2)

26-4 (2004), 22-8 (2003)

NEW CARLISLE – New Prairie used back-up pitching in a 12-7 win at LaPorte (4-5) Saturday. Brittney Curless and LeeAnn Collins both had three hits. The losses are 2-0 to St. Josephs (6-4) and 6-2 to South Bend Washington (7-2). No. 1 starter Shaina Smith (4-0) is undefeated and has a 13-inning, complete game 3-2 win over Mishawaka Marian There's no way to drop them in the poll until somebody beats her.

9.) 1A South Central (6-3)

23-7 (2004), 20-9 (2003), 26-5 (2002),

25-5 (2001), 16-11 (2000)

UNION MILLS - Something's wrong here as SC lost to New Prairie 1-0, 6-3 to Morgan Township, a team they should have stomped and to South Bend Washington 3-1.

The offense has gone south after scoring 66 runs in five games. To be fair, SC did not start No. 1 pitcher Chantal Gross (4-2) against Morgan and they could not come from behind. That means that SC is going to have to win every other game in the Porter County Conference to tie for the league crown. That's a very tall order. They did start with an 11-0 win over LaCrosse Monday,

Still, this is an experienced squad that should bounce back. The chance for redemption is Tuesday, May 3 against Hanover Central.

10.) 4A Merrillville (5-5)

15-16 (2004), 8-20 (2003), 8-23 (2002)

5-25 (2001), 15-15 (2000)

MERRILLVILLE - The Pirates beat Michigan City 6-5 in nine innings on an RBI single by Tiffany Owen. Merrillville stopped LaPorte Monday (4-18-2005) to get back to .500.

Two factors are at work here. One, the Pirates' losses include a 10-0 loss to No.1 LC and a 4-1 loss to Michigan power Brandywine. The wins include Penn and Jefferson.

Two, there really isn't a 10^th top team in NW Indiana.

On the horizon ...

3A West Lafayette (10-3)

26-7 (2004), 23-8 (2003)

WEST LAFAYETTE – The Red Devils have 9 of 10 starters back from a state finalist in 2004. Pitcher Brittany Stanley was 21-7 with a 1.29 ERA in 2004, but she was out of the lineup the first three weeks of this season.

Junior Katie Mowery (7-2) has given her side a chance to win.

Stanley pitched a no-hit game in an 11-0 double-header first game win over Sheridan Saturday and Mowery pitched another no-hitter in a 13-0 win in game two.

Junior shortstop Olivia Ghiselli (.411, 4 Hrs, 34 RBIs in 2004) leads the attack and four year catcher Alicia Spack backs up the pitching staff. West Lafayette lost to Hanover Central in the regional title game in 2003 (they were 2A at that time) and WL defeated Andrean in the 3A regional championship game last season.

This team has more weapons than North Korea. The Red Devils, who host Lowell's Red Devils on April 30, play in several regular season road tournaments and it will be a major surprise (arch-rival Twin Lakes would meet them at the sectional) if they do not confront Andrean at the regional level.

(Return to Top)