Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week-1, 2006 High School Rankings

4-1-2006

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

ST. JOHN (3-30-2006) This will be a season of change in girls softball as some of the perennial powers like Chesterton, Hanover Central and South Central will have to replace ace pitchers and core players. We're waiting for NW Indiana powers of past years like Merrillville, Valparaiso and Whiting to come back to power and they need to get to steppin' because the level of play is picking up outside of this region. It used to be that a lot of schools had weaker resumes than George Mason when it came to post-season success.

Class 3A powers like Northridge (29-2), Culver (29-3) and West Lafayette (25-6) pose serious problems for Andrean in 3A and Lake Central will again be confronted by Penn (25-9) or South Bend Washington (18-5) in 4A. Bremen and 20-game winner Val Bollenbacher (20-9) return to confront anyone coming out of Lake County in 2A and 1A powers like Whiting, Morgan and Hebron know that 1A is a very tough road beginning with Pioneer, a perennial power.

The most interesting story this season will probably be in the PCC where Hebron, Morgan Township and Boone Grove all have reason to believe they can succeed five-time defending league champion Hanover Central. Any of the three could ride strong pitching, but all three are mediocre offensive teams at best. That leaves the door open if Hanover can find an offense they didn't have in the last few seasons. That could happen.

Eyes will have to stay open for freshmen at Hanover, Whiting, Gavit and Bishop Noll who could make immediate impacts. State title possibilities? Lake Central again is well equipped for multiple playoff games in quick succession, even in 4A. Andrean is a prohibitive favorite at the sectional level so that state finals are well within reach. 1A and 2A are always longshots and the roster is about as changeable as President Bush's cabinet.

Another year passes without a large in-season tournament for the Lake or Duneland Conference. The idea of a Lake County championship that would bring everybody from Whiting to Lake Central under the same umbrella also lays on the shelf. The sport needs a boost and double round robins, good for schedule makers, frankly bore anybody who cares about the sports. Players and fans prefer tournaments, not an endless string of late afternoon weekday league games in front of empty stands.

Some results of early games will be skewed, as always, due to spring break. Many softball teams, especially at small schools, don't have much choice but to allow girls to go on spring break. It's something boy baseball players just don't do. But the weather will warm up with the start of April and the very short season (9 weeks) is underway.

1.) Lake Central

32-1 in 2005, 29-3 in 2004, 32-3-1 in 2003, 28-1 in 2002, 30-4 in 2001

St. JOHN - Nobody has more coming back than Lake Central, which will roll out senior pitcher Angie Funston (11-1, 0.26 ERA), junior pitcher Katie Golden (12-0, 0.16 ERA) and up-and-comer Rachel Weaver who, more than one source says, throws harder than the first two I mentioned. LC does a good job of directing pitchers to other positions early in life so they don't have four seniors pitchers in the program every year.

LC graduated Katie Mitchell (.396), who is off to a good start at Purdue but Mitchell was probably not LC's top offensive player last year. Funston (.389, 31 runs scored) and Alyssa Duncan (.407, 25 RBIs) carried as much of the load. Catcher Melissa Shofroth (.415) and 2B Michelle Nero (.314) all return.

LC has graduated Purdue players Katie Mitchell and Brooke Baker in the last two years and knee jerk folks are surprised the Lady Indians keep winning. But LC graduated players better than Mitchell and Baker in the 90s and they never stopped winning. LC has won at least 24 of 35 games for 10 years in a row.

LC lost the season opener 7-2 to Munster Tuesday (3-28-6), but it would be a mistake to put too much weight on the season opener during spring break. This will be another peak year, but the Indians can't look at past records and get ahead of themselves. Portage has the capability to beat LC in the Duneland Athletic Conference and Munster obviously beat them in the sectional. But on most days, the only team that can beat LC is themselves. This team's biggest challenge will be to manufacture thrills. They can't get jaded over all the success they've had and give less than 100%. In that respect, the loss to Munster and a 7-5 loss at Penn Wednesday (3-29-6) might do LC good. All this team ever hears is how awesome they are and now that noise can finally tone down for a few weeks.

2.) Portage

20-9 in 2005, 27-4-3 in 2004, 19-9 in 2003

PORTAGE - Portage might not have the second best collection of position players, but they have NW Indiana's No. 1 pitcher in junior right-hander Meghan Gutierrez (18-5, 0.48, 119 strikeouts, nine walks in 2005). When you have an all-state pitcher and a veteran catcher like Samantha Griffith (.320), you will be playing a lot of 1-0, 2-0 games. Gutierrez has had inconsistent offensive and defensive support for two years and that may change now. Second baseman Sammy Meints (.306) will try to start the attack and the team may be a little more athletic than last year.

Portage's schedule is very formidable, so they won't win 30 games. But, the Indians won 20 last year without a lot of offense and it's still all about the pitching. Gutierrez is one of those pitching prodigies who is used to pitching all the time. This is her only sport and she's 5-9 and getting bigger and stronger. It may get to the point where you have to bunt twice every inning to try to score one run. Every team that faces Portage will have to concede an edge on the mound.

On a good day, the Indians not only can beat anyone in this part of the state, they can shut them out. But we need to see some offense here. They don't have the bats LC and Munster do. You can't win 15 games 1-0. It will take some sticks to stick with Penn (25-9) or LC (32-1) at regional time, but Portage should be there.

3.) ANDREAN

32-3 in 2005, 29-5 in 2004, 27-2 in 2003, 30-3 in 2002, 26-7 in 2001

MERRILLVILLE - The 59ers will ride again with senior right-hander Katie Ivancich (11-2, 0.33). Andrean only graduated three players off a 32-3 team last season. The key will be Christina Caldwell (.395) the new catcher, who must be solid defensively.

Stephanie Rister (.387), Taylor Kendra (. 306), Bekki Rosenow (.403), Kara Kristoff (.349) and Chanel Brant (.295) are all soldiers in what should be a very run-producing army. Andrean may not be happy with the new double-round-robin Lake Athletic Conference (LAC) Black Division schedule, although that's what they'll face when the LAC breaks up in 2008.

Andrean still embarks on the 59er softball "World Tour" which sees them travel to South Bend St. Joseph's, (April 1), Dowagiac, Michigan (April 15), the strong LaVille Invitational (April 8), the Valparaiso Invitational (April 29), Monticello's Twin Lakes Invitational (May 5-6), and something called the "Bishop's Cup" at Mishawaka Marian on May 20. Other coaches puff up their chests and get all high and mighty, but show me where anybody else in the northern part of the state plays this schedule.

I don't know if I see a pure No. 3 hitter, a core player that others must pitch around like Lowell's Kelly Johnson (.421, 17 extra base hits) or Culver's home run champion Alexia Clay (.511, 11 HRs), but Andrean has reached the state finals without that player before. The 59ers could see Culver three times this season, but they may not see powerful West Lafayette and those two should decide their state finals hopes. I don't know if Andrean has even met Northridge (29-2), which emerged last year behind gold dust twins Ashley Hamilton (.520, 44 RBIs) and Morgan Hackman (16-1) but the Raiders returned 10 players from last year's Northern Lakes Conference champs.

I would think that Ivancich will pitch virtually every game as Katie Sheaks did for Andrean three years ago. She's about as big as Eva Longoria so there is a question of how she'll fare pitching on back-to-back days or twice in one day. But, unless a No. 2 emerges, it will be all-Katie, all the time. Remember the bar here is set very high at Andrean. It is the best thing about that school. Anything short of the finals will be a 'down' year.

4.) Munster

25-3-1 in 2005, 25-3-1 in 2004, 22-7 in 2003, 15-12 in 2002, 23-10 in 2001

MUNSTER - Munster was not quite the offensive force last year that I thought they would be, but I think that was a fluke and it has to be. Jackie Yerga (7-1, 0.36 ERA) and Mary Ann Spolnik (2-0, 0.33 ERA) can make up for the graduation loss of all-stater Lori Andjelich only if the Lady Ponies can amp up the attack.

Munster returns Yerga (.246), Hallie Gibbs (.364, 5 HRs), Lauren Parker (.337) and center fielder Megan Paradzinski (.400). But they're going to have to do better than those numbers because Munster won't shut everybody out like they used to now that they'll play a double round robin LAC schedule. Most girls softball teams can't hit but Munster can.

The Ponies opened the season with a 7-3 win over Homewood-Flossmoor and got a lot of satisfaction out of that 7-2 win over LC Tuesday (3-28-6). They should not be fooled into thinking the LC team that showed up for game one will be the team they'll see at the sectional. Munster has defeated LC before, just not in the post-season.

Yerga was 12-0 in 2004 before losing to Lake Central in the sectional. I don't know how good a defensive team this is because they've always had top pitching the last three years. But the Mustangs' schedule isn't what it was. Hanover Central and Chesterton, two teams that have had good long runs, will be down in 2006. Munster could see Andrean and Lowell three times. So it all comes down to Lake Central. Whether they are 28-0 or 0-28, the season rests on the sectional meeting with Lake Central. Munster gets two shots at them and they need to win the second one a lot more than they do the first.

5.) LOWELL

21-10 in 2005, 20-9 in 2004, 13-16 in 2003, 14-15 in 2002, 21-9 in 2001

LOWELL - Lowell has pointed to this season and the lineup is solid. The top five of Becca Nida (.403), Carrie Shelhart (.355, 31 runs scored) SS Kelly Johnson (.421, 17 extra base hits), clean-up hitter Meghan Austgen and Nicole Fletcher (.387, 15 RBIs) is unmatched for speed, lefty hitters, slappers, power and experience in NW Indiana. No team has this solid an infield as Shelhart, Johnson and Fletcher and are, or should be, all-area players. And Michelle Johnson moves in at first base adding skill and quickness.

But without senior pitcher Cristin Just, who is out for the season, the Devils will rely on senior Ryssa Nord (10-2) and sophomore rookie Kaitlyn Bolanowski, who has already won her first two games in 2006. Nord's success and Bolanowski's promise notwithstanding, Lowell is going to have to score three or four runs in every game, a tough task in softball. The Devils are built to handle good pitching because the top two hitters are lefty slice and slap specialists who are just trying to put the ball in play.

Junior shortstop Kelly Johnson is the premier position player in NW Indiana. She has batted ,400 for two season and she is healthier now than she was all last season. But Lowell's key player is Austgen, a three-year starter at catcher who must get hits when Johnson is intentionally walked and must handle the sophomore pitcher Bolanowski who will be called on to win every other game. Nida moves to center field and senior Whitney Magley will be called on defensively in left. The outfield is a little shaky and that may be a problem, because neither Bolanowski or Nida are strikeout pitchers. Portage and Andrean simply won't get a lot of balls hit to their outfields. Lowell will and they've got to make plays. That's why, even with the best set of position players, you don't rank Lowell any higher than this right now.

Lowell plays in only one tournament, but it is the big 16-team Twin Lakes Invitational. The Devils annually play West Lafayette, a perennial 3A power. Lowell also plays half the DAC including Portage and Lake Central, the co-favorites. Lowell lost 1-0 to Munster in 11 innings at the sectional last year and they could play Munster four times in 2006. Those will be very interesting games. But Lowell shares Munster's fate. They must beat LC in the post-season. Many have tried. Many have died. Now they're buried together on the country side.

6.) Bishop Noll

17-12 in 2005, 17-14 in 2004, 18-13 in 2003

HAMMOND - Noll returns seven starters including ace pitcher Kristen Chico (15-6, 0.91) and catcher Mandy Miles (.307). They don't hit well, but in the LAC Blue and Class 2A you don't have to. Mandy Miles' sister Jessica is said to be a top freshman. The double round robin LAC Black schedule will keep Noll under 20 wins, but it will help them in the post-season and partially why they are ranked this high.

This team will not have long winning streaks, but with core hitter Allison Rokosz (.494), this team can be a sectional and regional champion in 2A. It has to be now. Chico is a senior and five-time defending sectional champ Hanover, which will be down from their top-10 form this year, has top pitching on the way. But Bishop Noll is helped in all sports because they play bigger, tougher schools all year and then slide down for the playoffs. The Warriors will be very young in 2006 and they may be .500 when the season ends.

But here is the surprise team in NW Indiana if they are lucky enough to avoid injuries. What do you need to win? A good experienced pitcher, a good experienced catcher and a dominant No. 3 hitter. Bishop Noll has all of that.

7.) MERRILLVILLE

9-19 in 2005, 15-16 in 2004, 8-20 in 2003

MERRILLVILLE - Okay, 9-19 is really bad, but pitcher Amy Vargas (6-12, 1.57 ERA) should allow the Pirates the chance to get back over .500. The Pirates batted .169 as a team last season and that's why they lost so many. But the young Pirates were overmatched in the DAC against the pitching of LC, Chesterton and Portage and, that trio will not be so scary in 2006.

The great thing about young players in high school is that, if they don't give up, they eventually outlast the older players. That's the big hope for Merrillville because they were not quite as bad as the record indicated. This isn't a good offensive team and they displayed that Tuesday in a season opening 2-0 loss to Griffith. Offensively, Merrillville is about as dangerous as a car load of warm puppies. The Pirates need a core hitter to bat third. That's a gaping hole in their lineup and, unless that person emerges, it will keep them from any league or sectional title chances this year.

8.) Chesterton

27-3-1 in 2005, 20-7 in 2004, 22-5 in 2003, 21-4 in 2002

CHESTERTON - The Trojans will again be strong with pitchers Ashley Thomas (4-0, 0.74) and Emma Lawson (4-0) taking over for Laura DeLeon. The situation here is a little similar to Munster where the remaining pitching is good, but the strikeouts won't be there as the defense has to be.

Few good softball teams truly have a good defense. Most of them think they do because they have top flight pitching and the ball never gets hit that hard. Chesterton, like Lowell, won't have that -- they have to catch the ball. Amber Paz (.295, 16 steals) and Julie Farmer (.350, 15 RBIs) will create runs. This team lost the season opener 3-2 to Lowell so they're not too far off the leaders' pace here. The Trojan, who split their fist two games, will improve after the first 15-20 games and they'll have a shot at Portage by sectional time.

9.) Highland

20-9 in 2005, 19-6-1 in 2004, 22-8 in 2003

HIGHLAND - Highland will benefit from the double-round robin LAC schedule because they need to face Andrean, Lowell and Munster twice to jack up their schedule. Pitchers Beth Haley (9-6, 1.74) and Breanne LaPlante (7-2, 0.13) are largely unproven and will have to be strong for Highland to come anywhere near 20 wins again.

Center fielder Carrie Sheaks (.326) and catcher Lauren Olivio (.274, 21 RBIs) both return for a team that might be a year away. All the players mentioned here are juniors and none is the true No. 3 impact hitter they need. Here's another team that swings the bats like they're auditioning for "Walking Tall II." And they're going to have to hit the ball up against the new double round robin LAC schedule. Highland is like Lowell. They win 20 every other year but they don't go anywhere when the playoffs start. That has to end, but the Trojans are in a sectional that is very unforgiving.

10.) Griffith

19-15 in 2005, 16-15 in 2004, 18-14 in 2003

GRIFFITH - Injuries low-bridged Griffith last May, but soph pitcher Brittany Bridges and senior catcher Nicole Kubacki should give the Panthers a chance to win most games. This team is a little shy offensively even with junior Molly Orzechowicz (.488, 22 stolen bases). Lisa Worley opened the season with a 2-0 win over Merrillville. It was a no-hitter, but to be honest, no-hitting Merrillville is not that tough right now. Worley can carry the load pitching-wise when Bridges cannot, but the Panthers are going to have to win 2-1 or 3-2 often, because runs won't be coming by the six pack here either. Here's another bad offensive team. But Griffith is in the LAC Black and that 14-game double round robin should get them ready for playing weaker LAC Blue teams in the sectional. The Panthers should be in the Twin Lakes 3A regional in June.

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