Northwest Indiana Top-10 Week-11, 2005 High School Rankings 6-6-2005
	A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

MERRILLVILLE (6-6-2005)  The No. 1 team in the poll was, by far, the most outstanding over the weekend. Andrean met the greatest challenge of the season so far, taking out two of the top five teams state wide (that West Lafayette was not ranked was a joke) on the same day.

NW Indiana people may not know this, but Culver's Jackie Lawrence (29-3), the pitcher Andean defeated 6-0, had not allowed more than two runs in a game all year. West Lafayette had defeated McCutcheon, who is a 4A state finalist. Hanover was never higher than fifth in this poll and that's about where they should be. They struggled all year and would have needed great good fortune to win a second consecutive title. The biggest surprise of the weekend was that South Central, with a senior-dominated team, lost 4-2 to a very young Pioneer team that was inferior to them.

Truthfully, this was not a strong year in NW Indiana and the two teams that are in the finals are the two best teams. The match that has epic proportions is still undefeated and top-ranked Lake Central (32-0-1), trying to be the first ever repeat champion in the 21-year history of the IHSAA tournament, going against the state's all-time shutout leader Ashley Hobbs (25-2, 316 strikeouts), who has shut out 62 teams in four years, and No. 2 Brownsburg.

Trouble is, Martinsville and McCutcheon are well-equipped to blow up that big 1-2 state final before it ever happens.

The 2005 state tournament should open eyes with those who insist that NW Indiana somehow dominates state softball because Lake Central is in the finals every year. NW Indiana is guaranteed two regional qualifiers in 1A, 3A and 4A every season. There is no semistate level. In an era when 16 teams reach the state finals EVERY year, NW Indiana should have at least three teams (there are very few 2As in the northwest corner) in the finals.

1.) 3A Andrean (32-2)

29-5 (2004), 27-2 (2003), 30-3 (2002), 26-7 (2001), 28-3 (2000)

MERRILLVILLE – The 59ers had their best single day in many years, blanking Culver Academy (29-3) and West Lafayette (27-6) both by scores of 6-0. I know that virtually the same schedule did not work for them in 2004, but there's a reason you play in tournaments every weekend, the old 'independent schedule' where you enter five different tournaments (Valparaiso, LaVille, Twin Lakes and Dowagiac , Michigan) and wear the tires off the bus. It's all so you can be ready when you face two top teams on the same day at the regional or state finals.

This is also why you continue a Top-10 poll throughout the state tournament. The post-season is when you find out who's really better than who. There won't be nearly as much debate about who's No. 1 this week.

Senior Lori Knopf (21-0, 17 shutouts) dominated both top foes and there's no question who will be first up in the state finals Friday night against powerful Gibson Southern (27-3-1), a team that is in their third state finals in five years .

The 59ers may eventually confront Pendleton Heights (29-1), a team that has overwhelmed everyone most of the year and eliminated defending state champion New Palestine. Andrean's 32 wins surpasses the school record of 31 set in 1998.

Andrean is facing two teams this Saturday that are as good or better than the two they faced last weekend. You'd almost rather not win games 6-0 because it's misleading. Culver and West Lafayette combined for six errors. Gibson Southern and Pendleton Heights probably won't. The 59ers can't get overconfident. To finish second in the state is a great season in many respects. But, when the bar is set as high as it is at Andrean, 2^nd place in the state is just the best of the losers.

2.) 4A Lake Central (32-0-1)

29-3 (2004), 32-3-1 (2003), 28-1 (2002), 32-4 (2001), 23-6 (2000)

ST. JOHN – Lake Central didn't dominate but they turned back solid foes, beating Penn 3-0 and Chesterton 2-1 in eight innings.

That's the third LC win over Chesterton (25-3-1) this season and I do not remember a season where one team had only three losses, all to the same foe.

Different people have a different thought about who is the best of LC's three pitchers but Angie Funston (11-0, 0.24 ERA) and Katie Golden (12-0, 0.15 ERA) have matched victories all year.

But LC should not be fooled. Penn is 0-2 against LC and Chesterton is 0-5 vs. LC in the last two years. Those teams are very good but somewhat intimidated, understandably, by LC. LC's state semifinal game with perennial power McCutcheon (22-9) Friday night (6-10-5) is a worthy state finals match but McCutcheon does not have the pitcher to stop the Indians. Still, LC must be aware of Alicia Garza, who rivals Katie Mitchell as a hitter and did not play in LC's 7-0 win over McCutcheon in April.

But “Judgment Day' is almost here. To win an undefeated and unprecedented second state title in a row, LC must beat Brownsburg and all-stater Ashley Hobbs (22-2), who has struck out more than 300 batters for the second year in a row.

The biggest decision of the weekend is exactly who LC will pitch in which game of the finals. If one pitcher tosses a shutout in the semifinals on Friday, do you REALLY go with someone else in the state title match?

3.) 4A Munster (25-3-1)

25-3-1 (2004), 22-7 (2003), 15-12 (2002), 23-10 (2001), 22-8 (2000)

MUNSTER – Munster's 3-2 loss to Lake Central in the sectional title game looks better all the time.

Munster sits with 50 wins in the last two seasons but the two state tournament losses to Lake Central have locked them up. Munster has a very young team which will probably be in Indianapolis on June 10-11 to watch LC, looking for something they can use.

The loss to LC was a bitter one for Munster, which is 50-6-1 over the last two seasons. But the Mustangs will ride again next year with Yerga and virtually the entire 2005 starting lineup that never hit quite as well as had been expected this season.

Munster needs a top-of-the-order table setter that even the good teams can't stop.

It is fair to speculate on whether Munster could have advanced to the state championship game had they defeated LC. The Lady Ponies had the team to get to the final game but they're probably getting tired of hearing that.

4.) 4A Chesterton (27-3-1)

20-7 (2004), 22-5 (2003), 21-4 (2002), 14-14 (2001) 18-10 (2000)

CHESTERTON – Chesterton could not hold off Lake Central in a 2-1 defeat that ended their season one game short of the state finals. The Trojans could not get much offense going against Katie Golden (12-0) and LC overcame a 1-0 deficit. This team takes some serious graduation hits now with Laura DeLeon (18-2) moving on to college with Kayla Vargo and the heart of the Chesterton lineup. With others in the DAC on the rise, Chesterton will come back to the pack a little in 2006.

5.) 4A Portage (19-10)

27-4-3 (2004), 19-9 (2003), 23-9 (2002), 

26-4 (2001), 30-4 (2000), 30-2 (1999), 31-4 (1998)

PORTAGE – Of the Indians 10 losses, three were to Chesterton (27-3-1) and two were to Lake Central (32-0-1) and all five of those were shutouts.

Portage right-hander Meaghan Gutierrez (17-5) will be the top pitcher in NW Indiana in 2006 and the Indians have a lot of players returning. It may be time for the Indians to return to the top of the DAC with elite hitter Katie Mitchell leaving LC.

Portage was what Lake Central is now, the dominant team that intimidated and performed almost flawlessly. No one in the state has ever put together three consecutive 30-win seasons.

There is a window of opportunity open for them in 2006 and 2007 with Gutierrez. They obviously have to find some big time offensive players, but they can get that done.

6.) 2A HANOVER CENTRAL (25-4-3)

27-7 (2004), 25-8 (2003), 24-5 (2002)

28-3 (2001), 16-9-1 (2000), 23-2 (1999)

CEDAR LAKE – Hanover Central finally had a bad inning at the worst time. Three errors in the ninth inning gave Bremen a 1-0 win in the LaVille Class 2A Regional championship game and ended the 2005 season.

The Lady Cats struggled mightily on offense in the state tournament against everybody but Lake Station, scoring just seven runs in four other playoff games. If you have to lose (and everybody does) at least lose in character and Hanover did.

Hanover Central was shut out seven times and they just didn't have the overall game to win the state title again, whether they'd reached the finals or not. HC defeated Bremen 1-0 at the regional in 2004 and Bremen simply reversed the score in 2005. The teams were pretty much even.

Still, 26 wins in 34 games was another strong season. Amanda Wendlinger (16-5) and Kelly Lapota (10-0) gave HC the strongest pitch staff they'd had since the 2002 season when Beth and Amanda Wendlnger combined. HC is 51-12-3 over the last two years.

Hanover now faces an uncertain future. The Bulldogs return six position players including four .300 hitters but no pitchers. The Lady Cats have averaged over 20 wins a season for seven years but it would appear, unless they get some key help from the eighth grade class (at one position), that period of success will be interrupted.

7.) 4A Lowell (21-11)

20-7 (2004), 13-15 (2003), 14-15 (2002),

21-9 (2001), 24-10-1 (2000)

LOWELL – Lowell did as well as they could with what they had. Last year they lost Nicole Fletcher down the stretch to illness. This year it was RHP Cristin Just (mononucleosis) and outfielder Whitney Magley, who didn't play all year due to back surgery.

But Lowell will be back. They graduated just four seniors and the 2-3-4 hitters -- Carrie Shelhart (27-72, .375), Kelly Johnson (32-72, .444, 4 Hrs, 10 doubles, 30 RBIs), and Nicole Fletcher (234-59, .407, 2 Hrs, 15 RBIs) -- will all be back. Johnson, who was the best position player in the 16-team Lake Athletic Conference, has two more seasons as does her twin sister Michelle, a fine center fielder and experienced catcher Courtney Austgen.

Newcomer Rachel Nida (25-58, .431, 17 steals) was far too good to be a freshman.

Why the No. 7 ranking? Lowell did beat Hanover but the Lowell team that finished the season was not 100% healthy. They never were all season actually. The HC team was finally at full strength.

Lowell returns Just and pitcher Ryssa Nord (10-2), who shut out 2A state contender Hanover Central and pitched 10 shutout innings in the 1-0, 11-inning playoff loss to Munster. I don't think you can go up against the pitching LC and Munster have and will have with nine right-handed hitters who swing from the heels. As long as the distance between the pitcher and batter is what it is, you've got to go to the left-handed slap hitters to reach base consistently. That's Lowell's specialty. If there is a surprise sectional champ in 2006, it will be Lowell.

8.) 3A New Prairie (24-6)

26-4 (2004), 22-8 (2003)

NEW CARLISLE – New Prairie saw their season come to an end in a 2-0, eight-inning loss to Jackie Lawrence (29-3) and powerful Culver Academy. New Prairie was unlikely to get beyond Andrean anyway.

Of the Cougars six losses, two were to Culver and if you cant beat somebody twice in softball, you probably cant beat them.

This is the end of the line for New Prairie which graduates three-time 20-game winner Shaina Smith (17-3), who allowed two unearned runs against Culver. No question this will be a much different team in 2006 and the future is uncertain.

Of the top-10, New Prairie and Hanover Central have the most uncertain immediate future.

9.) 2A Bishop Noll (17-12)

17-14 (2004), 18-13 (2003), 13-15 (2002),

18-12 (2001), 17-15 (2000)

HAMMOND - Noll was shut out again by Hanover Central in the 2A sectional championship game, this time 2-0 last Thursday (5-26-2005). The Warriors bombed Wheeler 8-3 to reach the title game but could not hit Amanda Wendlinger (15-4).

RHP Kristen Chico (15-6) was let down by shaky defense in a good playoff performance. Noll points to 2006 with Chico and lefty hitter Allison Rokosz (42-84, .500). The Warriors started three freshmen against Hanover and if the team can stick together in the off-season, this could be the team that breaks Hanover's four-year run as sectional champions. But it's got to be 2006. Hanover has lots of position players coming from eighth grade and they will have rebuilt the pitching staff (HC graduates both starting pitchers) by 2007.

The future begins this summer for Noll softball. 2006 is the year for them to break through in Class 2A.

10.)  4A Crown Point (12-14) 

8-20 (2004), 22-8 (2003), 21-6 (2002),

17-12 (2001), 14-14 (2000), 17-14 (1999)

CROWN POINT – The Bulldogs lost 8-1 in Class 4A to end their season after an 8-0 win over Valparaiso. RHP Shelley Kurcz (9-5) returns to lead the pitching staff and other talent is on the way. Two regular players (Lauren Mishevich and Melissa Ferrara) graduate but seven position players return including RBI leader Kendra Rather and second baseman Lauren Stovall. CP has good (no superstar) pitching coming and the trick will be to replace Mishevich, the No. 3 hitter and starting shortstop. But CP kept their winning JV team together rather than pick it apart to help the varsity in 2005.

The Bulldogs, like Portage, need to find top of the order hitters and you have to develop bats over the summer. But this program is building some depth and their day is coming.

On the horizon...

4A Martinsville (26-1-1)

1,524 students – Martinsville, Indiana

Martinsville is led by undefeated Lynn Zloty (18-0, 0.29 ERA), who has allowed only 57 base hits all year. The Artesians, who have won 19 games in a row, have won three games 1-0 and four more 2-1. Both losses were shutouts. They are not an offensive powerhouse.

Sophomore Abby Calloway (42-96, .430, 10 stolen bases) gets things going and Jessica Breeden (42-102, .412, 17 extra base hits, 12 stolen bases) finishes things off. But they have 82 of the team's 242 hits so this team needs a low-scoring game.

Zloty is a softball hottie who went 20-5 (0.96 ERA) in 2004. The Artesians have state finals experience, losing to Center Grove last year in the semifinals. But the Martinsville hurler is not a strikeout pitcher and at this point in the tournament, you have to be.

I think this is the weakest team of the four in the finals and, though they are very good, they have played the softest schedule of the four. Martinsville beat Castle 1-0 in 11 innings in the Jeffersonville 4A Regional championship game.

They won't get 11 innings against Brownsburg (29-3) in Friday night's state semifinals.

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