No kidding: Redhawks back in state semifinals
Andy Nussbaum has the line ready every time he's asked the last time Naperville Central made the state softball tournament.
"I had one kid, brown hair and I was thinner," offers the Redhawks' 26-year head coach to a chorus of laughs.
Nussbaum's Redhawks (31-6) are back at state for the first time in 20 years and will play Edwardsville at 4:30 p.m. today in a Class 4A semifinal at East Peoria's EastSide Centre.
None of Nussbaum's current group was alive the last time he took a team to state. That team had a sectional final on Monday, graduation that week and then hopped on the bus for a Thursday state quarterfinal.
"It was a whirlwind," he remembered. "At least this time we have a few days to drink in the anticipation."
There is, though, a parallel between the two teams' path to state. In 1989 Naperville Central pitcher Maureen Morris shut out her first six playoff opponents, carrying a 54-inning shutout streak into the championship game she lost to Belleville East.
This year Redhawks senior Natalie Wunderlich (21-5) has thrown shutouts in five straight playoff games. The Eastern Illinois recruit's postseason scoreless streak is 40 innings and counting, and she carries a 0.42 season ERA and 235 strikeouts. As a team Naperville Central has yet to commit an error.
"We have a good pitcher who's extremely hot," Nussbaum said, "we're playing great defense and getting just enough offense."
Just like in 1989, Naperville Central faces a daunting challenge from a team out of the suburbs of St. Louis.
Edwardsville (35-4), third in Class AA in 2007, rides into town on a 23-game winning streak, a 4-3 winner over Sandburg in Tuesday's supersectional. The Tigers' last loss came to Loyola, which will face Fremd in tonight's second Class 4A semifinal, in eight innings on April 25.
The hard-hitting Tigers have scored 276 runs this season - almost three times that of Naperville Central. Leading the way is junior third baseman Rachel Coonrod and sophomore Becca Strope.
"They hit the ball pretty well," Nussbaum said, "and field the ball pretty well. The way we've been playing we respect everybody else, but I don't think we're afraid of anybody."
The second 4A semifinal will feature Loyola (25-2), ranked No. 1 in the latest Illinois Coaches Association poll. Loyola senior pitcher and Illinois-Chicago recruit Devin Miller has struck out 350 batters in 189 innings.
"I've heard she's pretty good," Nussbaum said, "but I think my pitcher is pretty good, too. We're going to have fun down there, but we're going down to win."