Looks like we're in for a fine season

For as long as I can remember, softball has produced some of the most competitive and successful teams of any sport around the Fox Valley.

From the late 1980s through the mid 1990s, Elgin and Larkin claimed a total of 7 regional titles. Burlington Central was a Class A power back then and has remained a perennially strong program in Scot Sutherland's 10 years as head coach. In fact, over the last 5 years, the Rockets have the best winning percentage of any program in the area.

Cary-Grove is always strong, Huntley and Crystal Lake South have emerged as consistently tough programs. Jacobs and Prairie Ridge have been getting better and better every year. St. Edward has talent and with a new coaching staff could surprise some Class 2A people this spring. Fledgling South Elgin could be one of the best teams in the area this spring and Streamwood is on the rise again under the leadership of coach Lindsay Mulay, a former player at Lake Park.

And, of course, there's Bartlett -- the queens of the Daily Herald hill as we enter the 2008 season. After a one-and-done at state last year the Hawks have made it very clear they intend to live up to their No. 1 ranking this season and bring home a state championship. For as strong as our area is in softball, and as good high school coaches and strong travel ball programs continue to make players better, the Fox Valley area has never had a state softball champion.

In fact, we've never had a team from our area even play for a state title.

All that could change this year. Not only does Bartlett intend to be the last team standing at Eastside Centre the night of June 7, but if Burlington Central can get past Marengo -- the state's top-ranked team in 3A -- the Rockets could very well be playing in East Peoria as well.

While everyone around softball believes the power lies in Oak Park and the south suburbs, this could be the year of the Fox Valley.

And it all starts with pitching, of which we have an abundance of great ones around here.

Burlington might have the best 1-2 combo of any team in any class in the state in senior Erica Maisto and junior Mackenzie Scott. Bartlett senior Lauren Wydra is a returning all-stater, Jacobs is pitching-rich with Becky Wilson, Lauren Arceneaux and her freshman sister Kara, South Elgin's Rebecca French is a proven winner, Streamwood senior Barb Posinger gets better every year, Larkin senior Sarah McCleary has the potential to be a stopper, Huntley's Sam Clemons won 20 games last year, Prairie Ridge's Erika Trojan is awfully tough and Cary-Grove's 1-2 combo of Kristen Bauer and Julie Clemment are both varsity-tested. Don't count out Crystal Lake South with senior Jessica Gable, one of the hardest throwers around.

We won't lack for offense either. Lauren Arecenaux at Jacobs, Jenna Mychko at Huntley, Kayla Oranger at Burlington Central, Elizabeth Kay at Bartlett, and Caitlin Stredde at South Elgin are just a few of the top hitters returning from last year.

In fact, 17 of the 25 players chosen to the Daily Herald All-Area team last spring return this season, sans the injured Kaitlin Hardie at CL South and the transferred Courtney Kinkade at Cary-Grove.

If Mother Nature will now cooperate, we should be in for one fine season of softball around these parts.

Which will make it all the tougher when it comes time to pick the all-area team and captains, a task I'm certainly glad doesn't have to be performed today.