Scouting Cook County softball sectionals
Schaumburg sectional
Wednesday, June. 1: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m. Proviso West regional winner vs. Glenbard North regional winner; Thursday, June 2: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: St. Charles East regional winner vs. Conant regional
winner; Saturday. June 4: Game 3 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Regionals
Conant regional: Monday, May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: (19) Addison Trail (19) at York (14); Tuesday: May 24: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Conant (3) vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday, May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m. Leyden (6) vs. Wheaton North (11); Saturday, May 28: Game 4 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Quick facts: Conant (26-2) enters the sectional as the Mid-Suburban League champion for the first time since 1974 when the game was first played. The Cougars and pitcher Briana Cavin (21-2) stopped No. 1 seeded Elk Grove 5-1 in the title game. Cavin, a Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit, has the most single-season wins in school history and is batting .448. The Cougars have set the school record for wins under 10-year coach CathyAnn Smith. Their only losses are to Schaumburg (4-3) and Elk Grove (6-2 in their MSL opener). Leyden (25-6) has also enjoyed a superb season under coach Kurt Schuett, led by top offensive threat Morgan Maize (16 home runs), a junior who also owns a 22-4 on the mound.
Proviso West regional: Monday, May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Hoffman Estates (17) at Schaumburg (16); Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Proviso West (21) at Geneva (9); Tuesday, May 24: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Elk Grove (1) vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday, May 25; Game 4 at 4:30 p.m.: Glenbard West (8) vs. Winner Game 2; Saturday, May 28; Game 5 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Quick facts: Top-seed Elk Grove (29-4) defeated No. 16 Schaumburg 13-1 in five innings in its second conference game this season and suffered its only league loss to 5-4 to Lindsey Hamma’s Hoffman Estates Hawks (8-23). Schaumburg defeated Hoffman twice 10-3 and 6-3 in back-to-back games last week. Michigan State recruit Dani Goranson (26-4) is also a top hitter for Elk Grove, which took third in the state under Hall of Fame coach Ken Grams (740 career wins) last season. Schaumburg is 17-10 under first-year coach Ellen Stoddard and defeated No. 3 seeded Conant 4-3 two weeks ago.
St. Charles East regional teams: St. Charles East (2), Lake Park (7), Batavia (10), Glenbard East (18)
Glenbard North regional teams: Glenbard North (4), West Chicago (5), Wheaton-Warrenville South (12), Bartlett (13), Willowbrook (20).
Warren sectional
Wednesday, June 1: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Mundelein regional winner vs. Zion-Benton regional winner; Thursday, June 2: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Palatine regional winner vs. Hersey regional winner; Saturday, June 4; Game 3 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Regionals
Zion-Benton regional: Monday, May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Highland Park (20) at Prospect (13); Tuesday May 24: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Barrington (4) vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday, May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Zion-Benton (5) vs. St. Viator (12); Saturday, May 28: Game 4 at 11 a.m.: winner Game 2 vs. winner Game 3
Quick facts: No. 4 Barrington (25-10) is 4-0 against the two of the 4 seeds in the sectional. The Fillies defeated No. 4 Fremd 8-2 and 3-0 and No. 2 Palatine 5-4 and 6-0. The Fillies have won 25 or more in 11 consecutive seasons and 17 of coach Perry Peterson’s 19 seasons. Barrington was second in the 2007 and 2008 Class AA state tourneys and has gone to the state finals seven times. Sophomore Loren Krzysko’s 11 home runs are a single-season school record while senior Colleen Shandley’s 217 career hits ranks her ninth on the all-time IHSA list. The Fillies will open play against the winner of Monday’s game between Highland Park and host Prospect (7-22), which has won three of its last five games. Barrington edged Zion-Benton 3-2 in its second game of the season. St. Viator will visit Rolling Meadows on Monday for its final regular-season game.
Mundelein regional: Monday, May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Libertyville (17) at Waukegan (16); Tuesday, May 24; Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Fremd (1) vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday, May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Buffalo Grove (8) vs. Mundelein (10); Saturday, May 28: Game 4 at 10 a.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Quick facts: Fremd took third place in the strong Mid-Suburban West and has received double digit wins from junior Rachel Doering and sophomore Ashlynne Schwantz. Coach Jim Weaver’s Vikings defeated Buffalo Grove twice this season. Now in his tenth season, Weaver has directed his team to 24 or more wins nine times. The Vikes were a state finalist in East Peoria last June. Division I recruits Andrea DiPrima (Northwestern) and KC Dunne (Western Illinois) lead the attack for Buffalo Grove, which finished at 16-14 after Saturday’s 4-3 win over Stevenson in which Megan Fu got the win and belted her first varsity homer.
Palatine regional: May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Wheeling (18) at Deerfield (15); Tue., May 24: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: (2) Palatine vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday, May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Warren (7) vs. Rolling Meadows (9); Friday, May 27: Game 4 at 4:30 p.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Quick facts: No. 2 Palatine (23-9) has defeated three teams in this regional. The Pirates have won 20 or more games under coach Jeff Manz in eight of his nine seasons. Center fielder Joanne Jablonski recently became the single-season RBI leader (42) and owns the career mark. She also has 6 homers this season and a school-record 14 for her career, breaking the former mark of 10 by Kelli Urban. Shortstop Katie Mnichowicz owns the school career record for stolen bases and runs scored. Rolling Meadows has not played Warren this season. Sophomore Sara Brunlieb is 14-8 on the hill for the Mustangs, who took second place in the MSL East. Catcher Kelly Keyzer leads Meadows with 4 home runs. The Mustangs (17-15) have their final regular season game at home on Monday with visiting St. Viator. Wheeling (5-20) has been led at the plate by sophomore Sara Kern, who is hitting better than .400 had an MSL record tying 3 triples in one game this season.
Hersey regional: Monday., May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Lake Forest (19) at Hersey (14); Tuesday, May 24; Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Lake Zurich (3) vs. Winner Game 1: Wednesday, May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Stevenson (6) vs. Carmel (11); Saturday, May 28: Game 4 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Quick facts: The host Huskies (8-20) defeated three of their Mid-Suburban East rivals (Wheeling, Prospect and Rolling Meadows) in the second round of conference play. They met No. 3 seed Lake Zurich in their third game of the season at the Barrington Spring Fling and fell 7-3. They also split a doubleheader with Stevenson this season (winning 4-3 and losing 9-8).
New Trier sectional
At Duke Childs Field: Wednesday., June 1, Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Resurrection regional winner vs. Evanston regional winner; Thursday:, June 2: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Niles West regional winner vs. Glenbrook North regional winner: Saturday, June 4: Game 3 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Glenbrook North regional: Monday., May 23: Game 1 at 4:30 p.m.: Prosser (19) at Clemente (14): Tuesday, May 24: Game 2 at 4:30 p.m.: Maine West (3) vs. Winner Game 1; Wednesday., May 25: Game 3 at 4:30 p.m.: Glenbrook North (6) vs. Northside Prep (12): Saturday, May 28: Game 4 at 11 a.m.: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Quick facts: No. 3 seed Maine West (17-9) has finished strong and won its fifth Central Suburban North crown in coach Mike Murin’s 10 seasons. Sophomore Ariel Valles has been the Warriors’ ace on the mound. West has won 14 of its last 17 games with its losses being to Palatine and Geneva (lost a doubleheader). The Warriors have one common opponent in the regional (Glenbrook North) which it defeated twice in conference play this season.