Senior pitchers highlight MSL All-Star Game

There have been years when senior pitchers were scarce for the Mid-Suburban League Senior All-Star Softball Game. All the quality pitchers were underclassmen, and the coaches had to scramble for their talent.

In fact, Christine Pedersen, who had won 72 games as a Barrington pitcher, had to help out on the mound in the 2005 game when she was a college graduate and Fremd teacher and coach.

That’s certainly not the case this year for the milestone 20th anniversary showcase at Barrington High School’s Fields of Dreams.

When the MSL East and West senior girls assemble at Barrington at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 11, the list of available pitchers will look like a legitimate all-star collection of mound talent.

While some games in the long history of the game have been slugfests, this one promises to be low-scoring and dramatic when you have pitchers available like Final Four Dani Goranson, MSL champion Bri Cavin, Rachel Doering, Hanna Lythberg and Renee Kakareka among others.

The all-star game provides an opportunity for MSL senior players to share the dugout with division opponents and enjoy those final moments in the high school sports spotlight. There is no rain date for this event.

The MSL All-Star Game was organized by Barrington coach Perry Peterson, with the cooperation of league coaches. The coaches also decided to present a most valuable player award each year.

The MVP award was named in the memory of Nancy Frisk, who died of cancer in 1992. Nancy was the wife of Bob Frisk, an enthusiastic supporter of high school sports who retired in 2008 after 50 years at the Daily Herald.

Prior to the game Monday, a ceremony will be held at the pitcher’s mound, and Frisk will present the 2011 Nancy Frisk Most Valuable Player Award to Barrington graduate Kiley Dolezal, who shut out the East for the first five innings, allowing 4 hits in a 3-1 victory.

Rosters have been announced by the 12 MSL varsity coaches, who will help direct both divisions in Monday’s game.