Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week-6, 2006 High School Rankings

5-12-2006

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

MERRILLVILLE (5-12-2006) - We got a clear view of what is coming last week when Andrean won five times in a row to take the 16-team Twin Lakes Invitational and Lowell won four of five, losing 2-0 to the 59ers in the title game.

It's hard to get lucky five times. The 59ers, again on the road, established themselves as a team that's a small notch above everyone else despite the lack of an impact hitter in the middle of the lineup. Lowell, in the middle of a crazy, nine games in seven day stretch, appeared to thrive on it, increasing their record to 21-5 in front of Thursday's game (canceled due to rain) at Munster.

But the real news came Wednesday with the state tournament draw that matched Lowell and perennial regional champ Lake Central (18-7) in the opening quarterfinal game at the 4A Lake Central Sectional. Munster drew Gary West Side which means that unless the world ends, they will advance further than either LC or Lowell. The other big news in the draw was that Chesterton (21-1), the DAC champion, drew Portage and all-state pitcher Meghan Gutierrez, who has eight shutouts, in the opening game of the 4A Portage Sectional. That means LC and Chesterton, the 2005 regional finalists, will be hard pressed to survive the sectional quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Penn (23-2), got a first round bye at the 4A Penn Sectional.

In 3A, Calumet (14-8) got a bye and weak Clark in the semifinals of the Hammond Sectional. Superpower Culver Academy (20-1) led by senior Division I all-staters Jackie Lawrence (20-1, 0.30 ERA, 260 strikeouts, 136 innings) and catcher Alexis Clay (35-57, 9 HRs, 32 RBIs) got a first round bye and a semifinal against St. Joseph's at the South Bend Sectional. Clay and Lawrence (40-75, .533, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs) are the top pitcher-catcher combination in the state and it is almost certain they will face Andrean in the Twin Lakes Regional semifinals.

In 2A, 5-time defending sectional champ Hanover got a bad draw. The Lady Cats (13-11) must beat Wheeler (14-8), Bishop Noll (11-11) and Boone Grove (11-12) and make five 25-30-mile trips to Lake Station to win the Lake Station Sectional.

And in 1A, Whiting and freshman Melanie Dumezich (20-0, 0.43 ERA, 216 Ks, 23 walks) will face a test in the opening game when they take on Hebron (15-2) and senior Maggie Riggs (13-2, 0.28 ERA, 153 Ks, 15 walks) in the semifinals.

Before the tournament, the showdown is still on in Indianapolis. 3A No. 1 Pendleton Heights (23-0) and 2A No. 1 Indianapolis Scecina (20-0) are still on a collision course for Monday night, May 15. Locally, its the PCC tournament beginning Friday on four sites and ending with semifinals (10 a.m.) and finals (3 p.m.) Saturday in LaCrosse.

1. (3A) ANDREAN (22-3)

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

MERRILLVILLE - Andrean swept five teams in Monticello including a 2-0 win over Lowell in the Twin Lakes Invitational championship game. The 59ers have won three multiple team tournaments (Dowagiac, Valparaiso, Twin Lakes) and lost in the finals of a third at LaVille.

Katie Ivancich (15-3) struck out nine in a 12-1 win over Griffith Tuesday (5-9-2006) and she struck out eight in the win over Lowell late Saturday (5-6-2006). The Niners are being careful not to wear out Ivancich, who has had some physical problems, in the final weeks. They know she must battle all-state pitchers Jackie Lawrence (20-1) and Brittany Stanley (15-3) at the Twin Lakes Regional. Expect to see freshman left-hander Kate Rone (6-0) in more than one game in these final days.

The 59ers have a very light schedule until they travel to play in the President's Cup tournament at Mishawaka on May 20. Andrean has two open dates due to a canceled double-header with St. Joseph's. Two intriguing candidates are in the wind: 1A No. 1 Whiting (21-0) or (Illinois) Class A No. 1 Beecher, IL (30-0). Andrean plays a 'state finals' schedule which is why they'll never go undefeated.

2. (4A) Chesterton (21-1)

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

CHESTERTON - Chesterton rolls along scoring 10 runs in the sixth inning to blow out Valparasiso 11-0 Tuesday (5-9-2006). Dawn McClellan (15-0) struck out 14 as Valpo was held to two singles. McClellan has 10 shutouts, fueling the Trojans school-record 21-game winning streak. Consecutive wins last week were 10-0 over Michigan City, 5-0 over Crown Point and 11-0 over Valparaiso. They are not giving any of the average teams any chance at all to beat them.

I do not assume that because they've won every game since March that they are automatically the best team. There is a smell of 'I don't know how we're doing this' in some of their public comments and that's just being honest. If you selected a nine player all-star team, outside of pitcher Dawn McClellan (and she would be hard-pressed to get the nod over Gutierrez of Portage), you would probably not include anyone on Chesterton. But the 11-0 record in the DAC speaks volumes and they have a very good chance to go 14-0.

The Trojans have a game with Munster (19-4) left and they need a close matchup because the game with Portage in the 4A Portage Sectional quarterfinals will be close. The first Portage-Chesterton matchup (there is another one this week) was a 1-0 win for the Trojans. I don't know if Chesterton wants to be ranked No. 1 state wide, but they are stuck with that 'honor.' An honor Chesterton probably prefers is a type of 'five-peat' a fifth consecutive 20-win season for the first time in the history of the program.

3. (4A) Munster (19-4)

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

MUNSTER - Munster went 1-2 in the Twin Lakes Tourney in Monticello, losing the opener 3-2 to Lewis Cass (16-2). The Lady Ponies were shorthanded by injury and SAT obligations in Monticello and right-hander Jackie Yerga may not be able to pitch the rest of the regular season due to a leg injury. Mary Ann Spolnik (8-2) pitched a shutout in a 1-0 win over Andrean last Thursday (5-4-2006) and she'll have to go the rest of the regular season. Hallie Gibbs drove in the winning run against Andrean and she added a home run in Monticello. Munster has a home multiple team tournament this weekend including Hobart, Harrison, Mishawaka and Jefferson, all teams having down years. But the weather may not allow those games to be played. The Mustangs have to be quietly very pleased with the sectional draw which pits rivals Lowell and LC against each other at the 4A LC sectional and they get a guaranteed victory in the quarterfinals against West Side, a team that hasn't been seen in weeks and may be in the FBI's Witness Protection program. Munster has lost to Benton Central, Lewis Cass, Andrean and Carmel, all winning teams. Anyone who ranks 1A Whiting ahead of Munster is simply and quite truthfully kidding you.

But Munster has had shorter playoff runs than the Chicago Bulls in recent years so they have to be overjoyed to get a ticket to hide in the weeds at the LC Sectional while the Devils and Indians go to war. This is a rare girls softball team that can hit and that gives them a chance to go far.

4. (4A) Lake Central (19-7)

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

St. JOHN - Lake Central has a match with Lowell in the final week which will be awkward because they also drew Lowell in the opening game of the LC 4A Sectional at 5 p.m. on May 23.

LC has developed some consistency with senior Angie Funston (12-3) and junior Katie Golden (6-3) and they have won seven of their last eight. No one has noticed, but LC is 16-3 since a 3-4 start and they are apparently nearly 100% healthy. Funston has two consecutive shutouts in the last 10 days and Golden's only recent loss was 1-0 to Portage.

The Indians clearly drew the short straw in the draw. They will have to beat Lowell (21-6), Munster (19-4) and Highland (10-11) just to get out of the sectional. LC has had some offensive problems, but if Jackie Yerga is injured for Munster, LC won't see a great pitcher at the sectional. The Indians have lost to Munster, Chesterton and Penn (23-2), teams they must beat to return to the state finals. But McCutcheon advanced to the state finals with nine losses last year and this is where LC, a five-time sectional champ, has traditionally excelled. LC could not have odds more stacked against them.

5. (4A) LOWELL (21-6)

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

LOWELL - Lowell has finally started to play up to their potential. After quiet losses to Munster and Highland last month, the Devils hit a stretch of nine games in seven days and went 7-1 with a rainout. Juggling the batting order to create a 'perpetual leadoff' situation with leadoff batters batting 1st, 4th and 7th sparked the Devils lineup. Lowell scored 20 runs against Merrillville and added eight more against Hobart Wednesday (5-10-2006) in an 8-1 win before the rain.

Quietly, Alyssa Reed (6-1) has come off the JV to pitch no-hitters against Noll and Hobart. She has not beaten great teams, but Noll and Hobart have seen good pitching and they couldn't hit Reed. It is unlikely she will pitch in the state tournament, barring injury, but she will be prominent in 2007.

The Devils were finally confronted with the task ahead, in no uncertain terms. They have Munster and LC left in the regular season and they then must beat LC, Munster and Highland to win the 4A Lake Central Sectional. Nobody has a path that tough. Lowell has 21 wins, but only one (an early win over Highland) of them are against any of the teams they must now beat. If they can make up the rainout Thursday (5-11-6) against Munster, Lowell will play 31 regular season games, the absolute IHSAA maximum. They have developed young players this year that will stock them for seasons to come. But the Devils have not yet shown they are good enough to do what has to be done in the next two weeks.

Lowell still has to lift their game, especially offensively. The Devils cannot play long scoreless ties against the 4A top-10s they will meet. Their strength is to simply put the ball in play, but Lowell must score early on everyone. The Devils have the reverse of LC's very difficult draw and they must be a great team. They don't have a choice.

6. (4A) Portage (17-8)

2005 (20-9), 2004 (27-4-3), 2003 (19-9)

PORTAGE - Portage got back-to-back complete game victories from junior Meghan Gutierrrez and sophomore Olivia Leggett (5-0) as the Indians began to roll this week. Gutierrez had an injured hand and she didn't pitch for 10 days. But Leggett did more than just fill in, posting a 1-0 win over Lake Central last Thursday (5-4-2006). Gutierrez is back and she posted her eighth and ninth shutouts of the season, the latter a 3-0 win over Griffith where she struck out 11. Only LC and Chesterton have displayed pitching like this against decent competition.

Samantha Griffith has posted three two-hit games in the last 10 days. The Indians drew Chesterton (21-1) in the 4A Portage Sectional quarterfinals and I think they quietly welcome them. Although Olivia Leggett, who had a home run Wednesday, has added some offense, Portage is one of the myriad of softball teams that just can't hit. But they drew Chesterton (21-1) in the opening game of the Portage sectional and since anyone could upset them, they quietly have to be very happy about that.

Here is a sleeper. If the Indians can find some way to get by Chesterton, and Gutierrez and Leggett keep popping out shutouts like Britney keeps popping out kids, Portage could be playing in Indianapolis in June.

7. (4A) LaPorte (13-8)

2005 (13-16), 2004 (3-21)

LaPORTE - The Slicers lost 4-0 to 1A LaPorte County neighbor South Central last week and that's not a good sign. They have just not been able to correct defensive problems. The Slicers beat Michigan City 4-1 and played a 4-4 tie with Crown Point that was apparently stopped by darkness. But LaPorte made seven errors in those two games (5 against CP) and they still have not solved severe defensive problems. They certainly know that a post-season game where you make five errors is usually followed immediately by the off-season.

Sophomore Tara Buchanan (33-61, .541, 20 RBIs) is an anchor in the batting order, while junior Bre Smith (7-5, 2.56 ERA, 8 CGs) leads the pitchers. LaPorte is better than the South Bend schools. They have defeated the South Bend schools and can do it again, but the Slicers are so mistake prone that they could also disappear in the blink of an eye.

8. (2A) Bishop Noll (10-12)

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

HAMMOND - Noll has been shut out nine times after a 3-0 loss to Highland Tuesday (5-9-2006) and, while they have a solid pitcher in senior Kristen Chico (7-7, 1.51 ERA) and an impact hitter in senior Allison Rokosz (20-59, .339), the offense is scary. If they need three runs a game to win in the 2A playoffs, where will they come from?

Noll opens against Mishawaka Marian in the President's Cup tournament on May 20. But they may look at a third meeting with catholic rival Andrean. Once again, four losses of Noll's record have ben at the hands of the Niners (10-3 and 8-0) and to Munster by scores of 2-0 and 12-0. Both those are far better teams than what Noll will see in the 2A playoffs.

The Bishop Noll-Whiting parallel will be interesting to watch in the next three weeks. Whiting has played no one. The first really good team they confront in the playoffs with be the first really good team they see all year. Noll has played 10-15 games against teams which are superior to anyone in Class 2A in the northern half of the state tournament bracket. But there are no guarantees. Noll drew five-time sectional champ Hanover Central (13-11) immediately in the 2A Lake Station Sectional and that's probably okay with them.

9. (3A) Griffith (10-14)

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

GRIFFITH - The Panthers lost 12-1 to Griffith and 3-0 to Portage this week and they have mounted a 4-game losing streak. Why are they still ahead of Whiting (21-0)? Because you can't seriously compare losses to Andrean, Portage and Munster to wins over Wheeler and Washington Township. It's not about who you beat, it's about who you play.

The Panthers offense, like Bishop Noll's has fallen on hard times again, and Griffith will need three wins to get through the Morton Sectional. But they have the pitching to win three games in four days and games against Munster and Andrean help you get that done. Griffith, which has lost twice to Andrean and twice to Munster, has defeated Morton 11-0. The Panthers still have Lowell (21-6) to play and they'll host the heavy hitters right up to playoff time. With the rainouts, they might even call Whiting, a team that dropped them after the 2005 season. Don't let the records sway you. This is the 3A sectional favorite.

10. (1A) Whiting (21-0)

11-16 in 2005, 28-6 in 2004, 21-10 in 2003

WHITING - The Oilers nipped Wheeler 1-0 and coasted by Washington Township 11-0 to stay undefeated. Coach Paul Laub recorded his 400th win over two decades of coaching. Freshman Mel Dumezich (20-0, 0.43 ERA, 216 Ks, 23 walks in 130 innings) struck out 16 against Wheeler in a two-hit shutout. The Oilers' offense needs to find an answer when foes pitch around Dumezich (39-67, .582) in the leadoff spot. The Oilers only have two other batters, Liz Curosh (29-55, .364) and Lee Ann Martinez (20-62, .323) batting over .300 and that means that some poor hitters are going to have to get hits in the playoffs because Dumezich is going to get a lot of walks.

Here's the cold, hard truth. Whiting's record is as misleading as Gov. ('My Man') Mitch Daniels' agenda. There are eight teams in the Duneland Conference. There are eight teams in the competitive LAC Black Division. Other than Michigan City, the absolute cellar-dweller in the DAC, Whiting has not played any of those other 15 teams. Their biggest win is 6-3 over PCC regular season champion South Central (15-8). Whiting might be a state contender, but they also might not be very good at all. We just don't know. They play average teams and the ball is rarely hit into the field. Whiting should call Andrean (22-3), which has schedule openings left, but this close to an undefeated season, the Oilers almost certainly would not want to risk that undefeated slate by playing anybody good.

Whiting has Hebron (15-2) left on the schedule next Monday (5-15-2006), but the Hawks have many of the same schedule issues the Oilers have. As it stands, only the Hawks and a May 19 home game with Hanover Central (13-11) appear to stand between Whiting and an undefeated 29-0 regular season.

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