Dundee-Crown, St. Edward off to hot starts
It's been a long road filled with many more losses than wins for Dundee-Crown's softball team in Tracy Beatty's eight years as the Chargers' head coach.
But that could all be changing for D-C, which won just four games the past two seasons, and much of it has to do with the Chargers now getting players who are more involved in summer travel ball. Beatty is only starting two seniors this year - third baseman Casey Weeks and center fielder Isabel Rodriguez - and has four freshmen and two sophomores in the everyday lineup.
The result has been a 3-0 start to the season after Thursday's 13-3 victory over Larkin.
"This group of girls are all travel ball players and that's the key, getting exposed to that level of play," Beatty said Thursday. "It's exciting for me. They're very coachable and they have some talent. They just need to keep working on their skills and keep improving every game."
Included in the freshman group is pitcher Sydney Ruggles, who has all three wins and who struck out 17 batters earlier this week against Streamwood. The other freshmen starters are second baseman Andrea Conway, catcher Claire Weeks and shortstop Deanna Origer. Sophomore Jessica McVicker had 2 home runs in the Larkin win and Conway hit her first career round-tripper.
"When you're this young you don't know what you're going to get from day to day," Beatty said. "But this group has worked incredibly hard in the weight room and in open gyms. We don't know what we'll do when we hit (Fox Valley) conference games but this group is really focused on being more competitive."
Green Wave hot: St. Edward is also off to an unbeaten start at 3-0-1 and the Green Wave is doing it with the leadership of experienced players, including junior right-hander Lindsay Zdroik, a Valparaiso recruit who has struck out 60 batters in 29 innings including 17 in a 3-0 win over Nazareth earlier this week. Zdroik, who has a 0.97 ERA and has walked only 6 batters, is also hitting .533.
The offense has been led by senior Ryann Scully (. 600, 4 RBI) and juniors Allison Stratman (. 533, 2 HRs, 7 RBI) and Devyn Ernst (. 538, 4 RBI).
"Lindsay is off to a strong start in the circle and our returners are hitting the ball hard," said Wave coach Jaci Corn. "Our defense is playing solid and our energy level is improving everyday. As a whole we are proud of our performance so far but we know not to get complacent."
St. Edward will get a good test as to where it stands in its new conference - the Metro Suburban West - next Tuesday when the Wave travels to Glen Ellyn to take on Glenbard South, the 2012 and 2013 Class 3A state champion.
A trip well worth it: Bartlett's annual sojourn to Clarksville, Tenn., last weekend for the Zaxby's Classic came with shortened games and cold weather but Hawks' coach Jim Wolfsmith knows the trip is about more than the actual games, in which his team went 2-2-1.
"The majority of the trip is focused on bringing the top 20 kids or so in our program together as a unit," said Wolfsmith. "We started doing it after our first state trip (in 2007) to prepare for the long bus ride and the hotel stay. With the Tennessee trip, the seven-hour plus bus ride and the meals at BDubs creates dividends in the long run."
In Clarksville Bartlett played one five-inning game and even had one game go only three innings due to a time limit.
"The girls are used to it more than I am because it happens a lot in the summer," Wolfsmith said. "But it's good competition and the fields are good."
The Hawks used that experience to come home and score an impressive 11-1 win over Glenbard North on Wednesday. The Panthers, who finished third in Class 4A last year, were ranked No. 2 in the Daily Herald's preseason Top 20.
"Our pitchers had 10 walks in the 16 innings we played in Tennessee and that's just too many," said Wolfsmith. "But all the pitchers got innings and worked on their pitches against non-teammates which is huge."
Junior Danielle Kirby spun a 4-hitter with 6 strikeouts and no walks against Glenbard North.
"Danielle Kirby did a nice job against a very good hitting team," Wolfsmith said.
Wolfsmith also lauded the early-season efforts of freshman Amber Pagan.
"She had a great Tennessee trip," he said. "She had 4 or 5 hits and every game she got key hits."
Postseason assignments: The IHSA has released assignments for the postseason and in Class 4A Rolling Meadows is the host of a 20-team sectional complex that includes Bartlett, Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood. The regional hosts are Glenbard West, Conant, Fremd and Schaumburg. DeKalb will be a 4A sectional host of teams that in predetermined regionals. Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South are assigned to the Barrington regional while Jacobs, Dundee-Crown and Huntley are in the DeKalb regional.
In Class 3A, St. Edward is assigned to the Montini sectional complex where the regional hosts are IMSA, Glenbard South, Lemont and Ridgewood. Surprisingly Kaneland, which for the past several years has been in the same sectional field as Burlington Central and Hampshire, has been assigned to the Montini complex. The Rockets and Whip-Purs are in the four-team Genoa-Kingston regional with the host Cogs and Sycamore.
In Class 1A Westminster Christian will play in the Somonauk regional.