It’s a no-brainer figuring out who will open next season as the No. 1 softball team.
Class AA champion Lincoln-Way East returns its entire roster of 21 players since the first-year school didn’t have any seniors among its student population.
“I’m sure expectations will be high next spring,” said Griffins catcher Lauren von Holst, who led the 23-11 team in hitting. “But every step of the way to the title our coaches had high expectations of us. Once we began playing as a team and forgot all the individual stuff, we were tough to beat.”
This was a unified accomplishment, including Lindsey Laas, Emily Rizzuto and Meagan Shimkus sharing the pitching load.
“This wasn’t a team where one player carried us here,” coach Aimee Lonigro said. “Everyone made a contribution when we needed it. If we can maintain that chemistry, it will bring us right back here next season.”
It won’t be easy. Quarterfinalist Oak Park (33-2) welcomes back seven starters, including ace Irene Weik and leading hitter Beth Price. Supersectional qualifier Elk Grove (30-8) returns eight starters, led by All-State second baseman Jessica Evans and All-State second-team pitcher Megan Huitink.
Other top contenders include Glenbard North (33-5) with eight returning starters and Sandburg (33-5), which finished fourth in the state.
Baseball: After using its top two starters to get to the Class AA semifinals, Sandburg received clutch pitching performances by Chris Gaulin and Dan Atkenson to win its first state championship Saturday.
Gaulin, a senior left-handed reliever who had worked only 24 previous innings and had a 1-1 record, beat archrival Andrew 11-1 in the afternoon semifinal. Junior right-hander Atkenson, who had a 4-2 record in 42 innings, pitched a brilliant one-hit, no-walk 5-0 shutout over Edwardsville in the title game.
Afterward, Atkenson said he dedicated the game to the memory of Jon Diericks, the Sandburg junior catcher who died during the year.
“Before the game I sat in the clubhouse just thinking about Jon Diericks,” Atkenson said. “He meant so much to this team. He’s just unbelievable. This one, this game, was for Jon Diericks and his family.”
Tribune rankings
Baseball
%% 1. Sandburg 25-9
2. Andrew 30-5
3. Mundelein 32-10
4. St. Charles East 32-8
5. Schaumburg 29-5
6. Lyons 31-6
7. Maine South 23-6-1
8. New Trier 30-7
9. Buffalo Grove 29-6
10. Providence 26-6
%%
Best of the rest: Bradley-Bourbonnais, Stevenson, De La Salle, Homewood-Flossmoor.
%% Softball
1. Lincoln-Way East 23-11
2. Sandburg 33-5
3. Oak Park 33-2
4. Fremd 28-11
5. Elk Grove 30-8
6. Glenbard North 33-5
7. Mother McAuley 30-4
8. Homewood-Flossmoor 27-7
9. Lockport 28-10
10. Lincoln-Way Central 26-5
%%
Best of the rest: Richards, Morris, York, Glenbard South, Mundelein.
