Top teams
1. Crown Point: The Bulldogs graduated Indiana Miss Softball Miranda Elish, now excelling at Oregon. But the cupboard is far from bare for Pete Iussig, the Hall of Famer who coached 25 seasons at Lowell. Pitcher/second baseman Alexis Holloway (Notre Dame) and shortstop MacKenzie Dunlap (Northwestern) are Division I signees. Third baseman Natalie Klingberg and catcher Lexi Madrigal also are senior leaders.
2. Kankakee Valley: Watch out for the Kougars, who return all but one starter from last season’s Class 3A runner-up, the school’s first state finals appearance in any team sport. Junior pitcher Emma Maple and senior center fielder McKenzie Adams lead the way. Catcher Maddie Swart and third baseman Emma Sark, both sophomores, also return.
3. Lake Central: The experienced Indians return six starting position players and three pitchers. That group includes senior first baseman Alex Hickey, sophomore middle infielder Gabi Carra and junior third baseman/outfielder Rylee Platusic. Junior pitcher/first baseman Alexa Pinarski has committed to Columbia.
4. Chesterton: The Trojans plan to shift some positions, so it could take time. But they have plenty of talent, including four juniors who have started since they were freshmen. Shelby Grimm moves from outfield/shortstop to catcher, where she likely will play at Notre Dame. Pitcher Lauren Anderson, third baseman Kristi Stevenson and outfielder Kari LaFreniere also are three-year veterans.
5. LaPorte: The Slicers have a dominant pitcher in senior Reily Galloway, a Western Michigan signee who led the state last season with 299 strikeouts. They also return junior third baseman Avery Wolfenbarger and senior first baseman Rachel Noll. Former starting shortstop Kimani Woodard, a senior, is back after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.
6. Boone Grove: The two-time Class 2A runner-up graduated pitcher Amanda Hawrot and center fielder Sarah Brown. But the Wolves can make another long postseason run. Third baseman Taylor Stevens, an Ohio State signee, and outfielder Taylor Howell return as seniors. Shortstop Rachel Wilkening is back as a junior. Senior Angie Marcheschi, healthy after an injury last season, is expected to assume the No. 1 pitching spot on a deep staff, also seeing time at second base.
7. Munster: The Mustangs have some retooling to do after winning the first regional title in program history. But they still have pieces for success. Third baseman Nicole Howard and outfielder Mary Ellen Gilhooly, both seniors, return. Junior shortstop Rebecca Radtke has already verbally committed to Green Bay.
8. Hanover Central: The Wildcats seem poised for a big season, a year after a brilliant regular season ended with disappointment in sectionals. They have seven seniors, five who will play in college. That strong class includes catcher Alexis Mokos, center fielder Skylar Barnett, left fielder/shortstop Alyssa Gill, third baseman Sophia Barbosa and pitcher Marley Hanlon, an Illinois-Chicago signee.
9. Bishop Noll: The Warriors weren’t satisfied with last season and their seniors in particular are highly motivated. That group includes second baseman/outfielder Brittany Anderson, a Valparaiso signee also expected to play volleyball, and pitcher/first baseman Ashley Gordish, a Purdue recruit. That talented class also includes third baseman Megan Mullaney and catcher Megan Whelan.
10. Andrean: Assistant Glenn Eisfelder, also Boone Grove’s former coach, takes over the 59ers after Brooke Baker-Runyon stepped down. Pitcher Abby Graegin and catcher Alyssa Dema, both seniors, give the 59ers a quality battery. Third baseman Haley Huesken and center fielder Tessa Wojkovich, also seniors, also return.
Top players
McKenzie Adams, Kankakee Valley, senior, outfielder; Brittany Anderson, Bishop Noll, senior, second base/outfielder; Savanah Becker, South Central, senior, pitcher; Courtney Blackwell, Whiting, senior, pitcher; MacKenzie Dunlap, Crown Point, senior, shortstop; Kayla Ferrari, Valparaiso, senior, outfielder; Reily Galloway, LaPorte, senior, pitcher; Ashley Gordish, Bishop Noll, senior, pitcher/first base; Abby Graegin, Andrean, senior, pitcher; Shelby Grimm, Chesterton, junior, catcher; Marley Hanlon, Hanover Central, senior, pitcher; Alex Hickey, Lake Central, senior, first base; Alexis Holloway, Crown Point, senior, pitcher/second base; Taylor Howell, Boone Grove, senior, outfielder; Emma Maple, Kankakee Valley, junior, pitcher; Lauren McConnell, Marquette, junior, pitcher/shortstop; Alexa Pinarski, Lake Central, junior, pitcher/first base; Rebecca Radtke, Munster, junior, shortstop; Taylor Stevens, Boone Grove, senior, third base; Julia Taylor, Wheeler, senior, pitcher.
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff
