Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week 5 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 (4-27-2003) picks for the USA-365.com Week #5 High School Girls Softball Top-10 teams for Northwest Indiana:

1. LAKE CENTRAL (14-2-1)

LC was 5-0-1 last week with a 16-0 inning 1-1 tie with Andrean. Right-hander Brook Baker (8-2) pitched two consecutive road shutouts over top-level programs (Harrison and Jefferson) one day after a 6-2 win over Penn (10-2). THe right-hander had 36 strikeouts in those three games. What was equally important was the fact that LC got at least nine hits in each of those games. In 17 games, LC has played 16 teams (TF South is the exception) with winning records. That's what ranks them ahead of Andrean.

2. ANDREAN (12-0-1)

The 59ers are coasting. The schedule hurts them. Wrapped around the 1-1 tie with LC, the 59ers played Hammond and Lake Station. That's not competition. Lori Knopf (5-0) pitched both the LAC games. The hard-throwing right-hander looks like Andrean's lead starting pitcher next season. The Valparaiso Invitational (May 3) and the Twin Lakes Invitational (May 9-10) will create the type of competition the 59ers need.

3. Portage (8-3)

Portage won four times last week and the 4-0 win over Griffith with no errors was a highlight. Cristin Zaragoza pitched three complete game shutouts against Highland, Crown Point and Griffith, three 'mid-majors'. Here's another case where strength of schedule starts to pay off. Portage has only been shut out once. You simply can't be shut out late in the year. Regional contenders have to find a way to score.

4. Chesterton (9-2)

Chesterton lost 2-0 to Valparaiso and, again, big schools that want to go to the regional cannot be shut out. Chesterton had a streak of Morton, Michigan City, LaPorte and Merrillville (four losing teams) going into the Valpo game and weak competition usually precedes a loss. I don't understand what's happened to their defense. 16 errors in the last eight games at the end of last week.

5. Valparaiso (8-6)

Valparaiso won six games last week, allowing a total of two runs. Ashlee Blankenbaker was in peak form in the 2-0 shutout of a good-hitting Chesterton team. The trip to Warsaw and Plymouth Saturday was largely a waste of time for a team of VHS' caliber. Plymouth is winless and Warsaw is 5-7. Deidra Paitsell returned to the VHS lineup (broken finger) and drove in four runs in an 8-0 win over Wheeler. Leslie Bryan had five hits in the Saturday double-header. Valpo faces a needed test with undefeated Andrean this Saturday.

6. Griffith (7-5)

The Panthers made eight errors in three games last week and deserved to lose two of three. Griffith had lost four of their last five games at the start of this week. But here's a situation where you don't go with the flow. Cristin Nash (6-4) seems to be pitching well (5 hits, no walks against Portage) but the defense is letting her down. Catcher Nikki Clarkson is still hitting. The Panthers will be fine.

7. Highland (8-3)

Highland lost 7-5 to Jefferson and won 1-0 (9 innings) over Harrison last weekend but the results are not the issue. The rare difficult road games for the Trojans bolster their top-10 status. Jeff got seven runs and eight hits off Stephanie Zimny. She had an off day and Jeff only plays top teams. They face elite pitchers all the time. Zimny pitched a nine inning shutout later that day against Harrison, ranked 11th in 3A. Highland did not commit an error in either game. After April games with Lake Station, Hammond and Calumet, this was time well spent.

8. Hobart (9-3)

What worries you about Hobart is that all three losses are by shutout. Again. You just can't be shut out. Hobart won 3-of-4 last week but they made 10 errors in those games. The Brickies needed a late 2-run seventh-inning rally to beat winless Michigan City 3-2. The Brickies are one of those teams that never travels very far for competition. That separates them from the top teams.

9. Munster (9-2)

Munster won three times last week but two of the wins were Clark (0-9) and Bishop Noll (7-7) and the Mustangs only got 11 base hits in the three games. Compare that to Portage, who got nine hits a game against better teams. Who is Sami Seligman? She bunted home the winning run against Hobart in a 2-0 win and pitched the 3-1 victory over Bishop Noll. Munster has only lost to superpowers LC and Andrean but, like Hobart, they simply don't face the consistent level of competition they need to be regional champions.

10. Hanover Central (7-4)

Hanover Central had no offense against Lowell and Beecher, Ill. (14-2) and they lost twice. Why? Four weak games in succession against Morgan Township, Clark, North Newton and Hebron preceded two losses in two days. It's always that way. Amanda Wendlinger's (7-3) strikeout totals of 106 Ks in 59 innings are just short of LC's Brooke Baker and Andrean's Katie Sheaks. The sophomore right-hander should be 9-1 but bigger challenges are ahead. Hanover's schedule is inconsistent but that problem will take care of itself. Hanover drew giant Lafayette Jefferson in the Twin Lakes tournament where they could also meet Andrean (10-0-1). Hanover has 1A powers Whiting and Pioneer yet to play and the Lady Cats have two games left with arch-rival Wheeler (7-5) but they'll also go head-to-head with big neighbor Lake Central (14-2-1). Against teams like that, where will the runs come from?

Others to watch

*** Whiting (8-2)

Whiting finally played decent competition and they got beat by Highland and Munster. This team has quality but the schedule is poor. Remember, Whiting was 23-6 last year when they lost to Lake Station. Highland got 10 hits off Lauren Curosh (4-1) and Highland's not a great hitting team. Junior Maria Martinez struck out 11 against Morgan Township to go to 3-0. But if Hanover can play Lafayette Jefferson and Lake Central, so can Whiting. It's not who you beat, it's who you play.

*** Crown Point (7-7)

A split with Logansport over the weekend featured seven errors. Erin Hostinsky (4-0) pitched her fourth complete game. For the week, CP lost 3-of-5, including an 8-0 nine-inning loss to Portage that CP should have won in regulation time. Somehow, no matter what they do, CP ends up back at .500. The Bulldogs face Chesterton, Andrean and Hanover on consecutive days beginning May 1.

*** South Central (9-1)

Still no wins over a winning team but the Satellites have allowed only 30 runs all year (10 of them in a 10-1 loss to New Prairie). Sophomore Chantal Gross (7-1) has run her two-year record to 22-6. South Central and Whiting are where Hanover Central would be if they didn't play any big schools.

SOFT NOTES: Valparaiso hosts Elkhart Memorial (11-2) and Andrean (10-0-1) in the Valparaiso Invitational Saturday (May 3). Class 2A No. 1 Andrean drew Class 3A No. 1 McCutcheon, Benton Central and Lewis Cass in the Twin Lakes Invitational on May 9-10.

McCutcheon won three times Saturday (April 26) stomping Martinsville 5-1, Carroll 17-1 and Carmel 12-1.

Hanover Central drew North White, Class 1A No., 5 Pioneer and Lafayette Jefferson in the same tourney. Hanover Central also drew Wheeler (7-5) in the quarterfinals of the PCC tournament on May 16.

Merrillville and Wheeler are in the same pool at Twin Lakes with Frontier and host Twin Lakes. Boone Grove drew West Lafayette, Eastern and Harrison.

In the DAC, Valparaiso had beaten Chesterton, Chesterton has beaten Portage and Portage has beaten Valparaiso. Who's better? Who knows?

In Penn's 6-2 loss to Lake Central, Courtney Carroll hit a two-run home run off Brooke Baker, the first high school home run ever hit off the LC right-hander.