Northwest Indiana Top-10

Week 7 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 (5-13-2003) picks for the USA-365.com Week #7 High School Girls Softball Top-10 teams for Northwest Indiana:

1. LAKE CENTRAL (20-2-1)

LC rolled over Merrillville and Hobart last week and, with all due respect to Hanover and Highland, there isn't anybody left on the Indiana portion their schedule who can beat them. Brooke Baker (12-2) has five no-hit games this season and she two-hit a Chesterton team (a 3-1 win on May 12) that was batting over .340 as a team. LC had 33 hits in a three-game span. Homewood-Flossmoor (15-4-1) and ace pitcher Sarah Backe could challenge LC on May 22.

2. ANDREAN (19-1-1)

Andrean took their first loss against McCutcheon 3-2 in a five-inning game at the rain-shortened Twin Lakes Invitational. The 59ers were shaky in the field and that could be a product of playing relatively soft teams like Morton and Clark that week. The 59ers were without outfielder Ashley Emmett and catcher Katie Gianinni, who went to the prom. But McCutcheon also beat Lake Central and had won 20 straight at the start of this week. Their style of play would always bother Andrean. The 59ers are fortunate that McCutcheon is a 3A school. The 3-2 win over Highland was standard operating procedure. Look for the 59ers to line up replacement games.

3. Portage (11-6)

Portage must have lost a few games to the weather because they had something like 26 games scheduled and there's only 2 weeks left. A 2-1 win at Penn was followed by a 5-1 loss to a Hobart team that had lost four straight. There's no explanation for that. The Indians' defense has failed them in league games. Three errors in the 1-0, 11-inning loss to Valparaiso Monday. When it comes down to the sectional, can Valpo and Chesterton beat Portage? They couldn't last year and it's largely the same Portage team.

4. Chesterton (16-3)

The Trojans had an impressive week with shutout wins over Portage, CP and LaPorte to close in on a second consecutive 20-win season. Laura Langendorfer pitched three complete-game shutouts. The Trojans team batting average is up over .340. But this is exactly what they did last year. Forget the 3-1 loss to Lake Central Monday. Chesterton shouldn't beat LC. But traditionally, teams without strikeout pitchers do not win in the state tournament.

5. Valparaiso (15-7)

Valparaiso whipped up on Michigan City, Hobart and Merrillville last week. getting 30 hits in three games. Pitcher Ashley Blankenbaker gave up six base hits in 30 innings, pitching four complete games. In the matchup of Portage, Valpo and Chesterton, Valpo has the best pitcher.

6. Highland (18-4)

Highland took advantage of a soft stretch in the LAC schedule to run the winning streak to 11 games before they ran into Andrean Monday. Just like Chesterton shouldn't beat LC, Highland shouldn't beat Andrean. They don't have to worry about them. The problem here is that schedule, especially in May, which does not prepare their team for a Lake Central.

7. Hobart (11-7)

Hobart broke a 4-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over Portage but you've got to score more runs than they do. The Brickies beat Wheeler 2-0 Monday. There is an offensive problem here because Hobart has not gotten more than seven hits in any game in over a month. They'll need a break in the May 14 sectional draw.

8. Munster (17-2)

Two wins last week and a 2-1 vioctory Monday over Crown Point ran the Lady Ponies win streak to 12 but playing Hammond and Lake Station does not help you. Munster does not have one significant victory all year and they need one in the final two weeks. If they haven't added games, they need to. They should be trying to schedule Valparaiso or Hanover Central or somebody with a hard-throwing pitcher to prepare themselves for LC. It's not who you beat, it's who you play.

9. Hanover Central (12-5)

Hanover got wins over Boone Grove and North White but they needed to play Jefferson and Pioneer and those games got rained out at The Twin Lakes Invitational. Soph pitcher Amanda Wendlinger is 20-5 in two seasons and the Lady Cats have allowed only 28 runs all year. The PCC tournament starts Friday and the Lady Cats have a couple of nickel-dime games this week (Griffith is a sectional foe) but, if they want to be prepared to beat Andrean at the sectional, here's another team that needs to get on the phone. In the final week, all HC has is a game with Lake Central. That's good but this is an inexperienced team and they need to schedule another strong team with a strong pitcher. If HC doesn't play more than one game that last week, they have very little chance at the sectional.

10. Griffith (11-8)

Games in the Highland Invitational sometimes get lost but apparently Griffith played five times and won three. The Panthers hit rock bottom in a 13-8 loss to Morton, a game where they made six errors. But this is still a quality team and their schedule is one of the toughest in the area. Thursday's game against Hanover Central will tell them if they can scratch out runs against sectional pitchers.

Others to watch

*** Lowell (10-10)

Lowell has won 8-of-9 but they play that soft LAC schedule. Lowell beat Whiting, Calumet, Hammond and Lake Station last week but the Devils should beat those teams. Still, this is a team with four freshmen starting and a winning season would be quite an accomplishment. Freshman pitcher-DH Cristin Just is a coming star.

*** Crown Point (11-11)

If they won at Michigan City Friday (MC has sunk so low this year they don't report the scores anymore), the Lady Bulldogs are set for a scary week against Portage (11-5) and Hobart (12-7). The 2-1 loss to Munster indicates that CP is underrated or Munster is overrated. This team needs a big win over a big winning team in the last two weeks and they'll have a half dozen chances.

*** Marquette (13-4)

Here's a new player in Class 1A. Marquette posted a 2-0 win over South Central Saturday. Pitcher Sarah Grahms (13-4) allowed just four hits. Marquette lost only 2-1 to big school LaPorte (7-7) earlier in the week. If South Central and Whiting continue to fade, Marquette could step past them next month.

SOFT NOTES: The state tournament draw is Wednesday May 14. This is the final 3-class tournament. Two names have come to the front in the Michiana area. Pitcher Jackie Lawrence of Culver Military is 11-0 for the undefeated Class 2A No. 5 Eagles (12-0). Lawrence and Mishawaka's Claire DeVreese (10-4) battled for 12 innings last week before Culver won 2-0. Lawrence struck out 19. DeVreese struck out 22.

Three days later, when Mishawaka (15-4) played Elkhart Memorial, the game went 11 innings with Mishawaka winning 1-0. DeVreese struck out 26 batters, possibly a state record. Elkhart Memorial, which lost to Andrean at the Valparaiso Invitational is now 18-4.

Penn went to 16-4 with a 10-0 win over Concord Saturday. What seperates McCutcheon (21-1) from everybody else is four left-handed hitters. That effectively neutralizes the strongest power pitchers.

Benton Central (16-3) beat Jefferson (13-7) 2-1 in 15 innings last week in a game where BC's Chelsie Stacey struck out 22.

The PCC Tournament is as weak as it's been in many years. And it's at LaCrosse. South Central (13-5) can't get into this league fast enough for all concerned. Only three PCC teams have winning records and only two have played decent schedules. If Wheeler or Hanover does not win this, there should be an investigation.

PORTER COUNTY CONFERENCE (PCC) Championship

May 16 (Quarterfinals)

Wheeler (9-7) at HANOVER (12-5)
BOONE GROVE (3-17) at Washington Township (4-9)
Morgan Township (3-16) at Kouts (4-8)
LaCrosse (4-11) at HEBRON (9-7)