Road trip: Bartlett prep for Spring Classic in Ohio
There's little question that Bartlett's softball team will be one of the highly ranked teams in the state this season, a fact already made clear by the Illinois Coaches Association anointing the Hawks as the No. 1 team in Class 4A in its preseason state rankings.
And Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith knows the value of good competition, so the weekend of April 18 he'll take the Hawks to the prestigious Wendy's Spring Classic at Brookside Park in Ashland, Ohio. It will be Bartlett's first appearance in the event.
There, the Hawks will join 12 Ohio schools and 11 other schools from around the Midwest, including Lake Park, in the two-day invitational.
"We ran into the Wendy's people at the (IHSA) state tournament last spring and they asked if we wanted to come out and play in the tournament," said Wolfsmith on Friday afternoon from Carver Arena in Peoria, where he was watching the boys basketball state finals.
"Of course, we said 'heck yeah.' "
Bartlett is coming off a 30-8 season in which the Hawks advanced to the Class AA state quarterfinals before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to Downers Grove South.
"The Hawks impressed the Wendy's selection committee at last year's Illinois state championships in East Peoria and are certainly deserving of their first Wendy's invitation," Wendy's officials stated in a press release Friday, in which the schedule for the event was announced.
Bartlett returns the core of its team that made it to state last year, including senior all-state pitcher Lauren Wydra and standout junior catcher Elizabeth Kay, who has verbally committed to Illinois State.
In the Wendy's Classic, Bartlett will play Avon (Ind.) and Thomas Worthington of Ohio on Friday, April 18, and then take on Elyria of Ohio and Hoover High of North Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, April 19.
Avon finished last season 27-4 and, according to the Wendy's press release, will likely be the top-ranked Class 4A team in Indiana this season after being ousted in the regional finals last year.
Bartlett's game against Worthington is an "extra game" that won't count in the pool standings. Worthington was 24-6 last season.
On Saturday, April 19 Bartlett will open the day against Elyria, which was 30-4 last year and the Ohio Division I state runner-up the past two seasons.
North Canton was 29-2 last year and a regional finalist.
"Anything that can get you ready for the state tournament is good," said Wolfsmith, who needs just 2 wins to reach 100 at Bartlett. "Anytime you can get that good competition it helps you get ready for state, and we know we're going to see four very good teams out there."
Other Illinois teams in the Wendy's Classic besides Bartlett and Lake Park are Marist, Johnston City and Oak Park-River Forest, which is expected to be one of the top-ranked Class 4A teams in the state as well. Marist is ranked No. 6 in the ICA preseason poll and OP-RF No. 9. Lake Park is No. 15. Johnston City is No. 4 in Class 2A.
ICA rankings: Burlington Central earned the No. 6 spot in the ICA Class 3A preseason poll. The Rockets' Big Northern East rival, Marengo, is the top-ranked team in Class 3A.
Crystal Lake South earned the No. 17 spot in Class 4A.