Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week 4 High School Rankings

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Before the season began we predicted Lake County could send three teams to the state finals. Here are our (4-20-2003) picks for the USA-365.com Week #4 High School Girls Softball Top-10 teams for Northwest Indiana:

1. LAKE CENTRAL (9-2)

LC took a 2-1 loss to fifth-ranked McCutcheon last Saturday, winning 2-of-3 in a Saturday visit to Lafayette. The loss itself is not a big deal. McCutcheon (11-1) has not allowed more than two runs in any game this season. The two runs were unearned due to two LC errors and here is a problem all teams with overpowering pitchers have. The ball is hit into the field so rarely that it's hard to get into any type of defensive rhythm. LC's losses are to No. 5 McCutcheon and top-ranked Castle but they have wins over No. 2 (Class 1A) Clarksville, No. 7 (1A) Pioneer and No. 9 (3A) Munster. LC travels to Harrison (7-1) this week. Unranked (although who knows why?) Penn (8-1) is next. LC plays without question the toughest schedule in this area.

2. ANDREAN (10-0)

The 59ers are still at a peak. Andrean has allowed only eight runs all season and it's hard to lose that way. They are scheduled to play rival Lake Central Wednesday (April 23) but the next big thing is the Valparaiso Invitational on May 3. The 59ers have won 40 of their last 43 games.

3. Portage (4-2)

There is still a gap between the No. 2 and no. 3 teams in this area. Portage has lost two one-run games, one a 1-0 loss to Chesterton in 11 innings. Cristin Zaragoza had her 40 strikeouts in her first four starts. 10 errors in six games is too many, though.

4. Chesterton (7-1)

Chesterton continues to have defensive problems with 14 errors in their last 5 games, but they overmatched Morton and Michigan City. The only loss is to Harrison and the Raiders are 7-1 on the year. Laura DeLeon made her pitching debut with a win and a save for the Trojans.

5. Griffith (6-3)

Back-to-back 7-0 losses to Andrean and Hobart slowed the Panthers, but there's not much doubt they'll turn it around. The Panthers have 2-1 wins over Highland and Valparaiso. Griffith has only nine errors in nine games this season. They are too solid to lose too many.

6. Valparaiso (3-6)

There continues to be an offensive problem here. Valparaiso ended the week on the wrong end of 16 consecutive scoreless innings. To be fair, the opponents were superpowers Portage and Penn. But take away a 17-0 rout of Michigan City, the Viking girls have scored only 19 runs in 8 games.

7. Highland (5-1)

Highland's 1-0 win over Hobart (6-2) looks better all the time, but last week's wins over Hammond and Lake Station were not competitive contests and were two wastes of time. The uneven LAC schedule hurts all good LAC teams. And 11 errors in six games is far too many with all the strikeouts (43 in 33 innings) Stephanie Zimny gets.

8. Hobart (6-2)

Hobart pitching has six shutouts including four in a row last week. The Brickies are playing up to their capability but they've only beaten one team with a winning record. Hobart has not faced any of the DAC's big-3: Portage, Valparaiso or Chesterton yet. The Brickies have only scored 38 runs in eight games (4.7) which, against five losing teams, is not a lot.

9. Munster (6-2)

Munster has lost only 2-0 to Munster and 4-0 to Lake Central. The Mustang pitchers have three shutouts but none against anyone with a winning record. The wins over Clinton Prairie (5-2) and Jefferson (5-3) are deceptive because those teams used back-up pitchers in those games. Nine errors in eight games with low-strikeout pitchers is good defense.

10. Hanover Central (6-2)

Like Munster, Hanover's record is deceptive. The Lady Cats scored consecutive victories 11-0 over North Newton, 11-0 over Morgan Township, 11-0 over Clark and 20-2 over Hebron. Soph pitcher Amanda Wendlinger is 6-1 with an outrageous 70 strikeouts in 38 innings but HC has no wins over any winning teams. They still have a lot to prove. 15 errors in eight games with all those strikeouts is far too many. The rained-out game Monday with Wheeler was a key in the PCC but the May 9-10 Twin Lakes Invitational and the May 16-17 PCC championship are the big weekends.

Others to watch

*** Whiting (6-0)

This team has the capability to reach the state finals but, other than a 6-5 win over Griffith, they haven't played anybody. That will change. Ace pitchers Katie Sheaks (Andrean), Amanda Wendlinger (HC) and Stephanie Zimny (Highland) get a shot at The unbeaten Oilers in the next five weeks.

*** Crown Point (5-4)

The sweep of Lowell 6-4 and 2-1 Saturday was well-played but the 5-4 loss to LaPorte (3-3) last week was not. Erin Hostinsky (2-0) has tossed two complete games, but she won't pitch that much because she's also CP's best catcher. Jen McMullin was a combined 3-for-5 in two games Saturday. It gets no easier as CP plays a brutal schedule with Hobart (6-2), Andrean (10-0), Highland (5-1), Hanover (6-2) and two games with Chesterton (7-1) and Portage (5-2) still to come.

*** South Central (6-1)

The schedule has been very weak so far. South Central's 10-1 loss to New Prairie can't be overlooked until the Satellites beat a winning team.

SOFT NOTES: Crown Point revisits last season's 'week of doom' when they play Chesterton, Andrean and Hanover Central on consecutive days May 1, 2 and 3. Last year, it was Andrean, Valparaiso and Hanover in 72 hours. The CP girls follow that up this time with Munster, Portage and Hobart in a 4-day span May 12-15. Portage's game with (West Lafayette) Harrison was canceled Saturday when two Harrison players collided chasing a popup and had to be taken to the hospital.
It's unlikely the game will be replayed.

Andrean has regained the state's No. 1 ranking in Class 2A. LC faces No. 1 Andrean (10-0) Wednesday, April 23, Penn (7-1) on May 25 and Harrison (7-1) on May 26.

The Dowagiac team that Andrean beat 19-0 in the title game of the Dowagiac Invitational won three times Saturday to take a tournament in Coloma and improved to 7-1 on the year. Dowagiac in ranked 6th in Michigan's Div. II, the equivalent of Indiana's Class 2A. The (Stevensville, Michigan) Lakeshore, team Lake Central defeated 3-1 this month is ranked ninth in Michigan's Div. II . The Portage Northern team that Andrean beat 9-0 is no longer ranked. Kalamazoo Christian, which beat CP 5-1 but lost to Andrean 5-2 is presently 6th in Michigan's Division III.