Scouting Cook County area softball sectionals
Class 4A
Buffalo Grove sectional
Zion-Benton regional: Eleventh-seed Rolling Meadows (19-15) has set a school record for wins. Senior 2B Maryclare Loughery had an area-record 34 game-hitting streak snapped a few weeks ago and is batting .476 for the youthful Mustangs, who open with No. 6 Lake Zurich. Zion-Benton is the No. 3 seed.
Libertyville regional: No. 5 Palatine beat No. 4 Warren in the regional semifinal last year and the two teams split a doubleheader in Gurnee this season. The Pirates (20-13), who open wiht No. 12 Libertyville, have won 20 games for the seventh time in coach Jeff Manz's eight seasons and have won 8 of their last 11.
Fremd regional: Top-seed Fremd (26-4) has had another stellar season under coach Jim Weaver, winning the Mid-Suburban West with a 14-2 record. Senior pitcher Lena Brottman is the school's all-time wins and strikeouts leader and leadoff batter Kristine Werling is batting a team-high .500. The Vikings have a school-record 25 homers, led by senior Loyola-bound Lauren Zaworski and sophomore Megan Hubbard with 6 apiece. No. 9 Prospect (12-18) dropped an 11-2 decision to Fremd in the MSL. No. 17 Wheeling (6-21) won its last game 4-2 over Hoffman Estates behind pitcher Tori Menelle.
Highland Park regional: No. 2 Barrington (30-4) has won 30 or more games for the 10th straight season under coach Perry Peterson and finished a game behind Fremd in the MSL West. Junior ace Kiley Dolezal is 28-4. No. 15 Hersey (9-23) has won three of its last six games, including two rallies in the bottom of the seventh with a 1-0 win over state power Elk Grove. No. 10 Buffalo Grove (18-16), which opens with No. 7 Stevenson, features a pair of junior Division I recruits in KC Dunne (Western Illinois) and Andrea DiPrima (Northwestern).
St. Charles North sectional
Elk Grove regional: It's another stellar season for the top-seeded Grenadiers under Ken Grams, who has guided this team to a fourth straight season of 30 or more wins and an MSL East title for the 10th time in 11 years. The Grens (30-3) have belted a school-record 31 homers, breaking last year's record of 25. Junior Kristen Cetkovic leads the way with 8 and senior Olivia Roback has seven. Eastern Illinois recruit senior Stephanie Maday (15-1) and sophomore Dani Goranson (15-2) handle the pitching. No. 9 Schaumburg (22-10) and No. 8 Conant (20-11) meet again Wednesday - the Saxons won the first two 1-0 as sophomore Alyssa Lancaster (19-10) threw a perfect game and a 2-hitter. Sophomore Briana Cavin (12-10) is the ace for Conant and like Lancaster, is a dangerous hitter.
Niles North sectional
Maine West regional: No. 9 Maine West is 11-19 and freshman Ariel Valles has 8 wins, including a 5-3 victory over Wednesday first-round foe and No. 8 Lane Tech. State power and top-seed New Trier beat the Warriors 10-0 in 5 innings this year.
Evanston regional: No. 2 Leyden (27-6) took a share of the West Suburban Gold with Downers Grove South. The Eagles have won eighth straight and sophomore pitcher Morgan Maize is 19-3.
Huntley sectional
Streamwood regional: Hoffman Estates (3-22) is the only area team in this regional and opens with Larkin on Wednesday. The Hawks dropped a 14-4 decision to top-seeded Elgin in the first game of the season but shortly after won their first two games in the MSL over Wheeling and Hersey.
Class 3A
DeKalb sectional
Hampshire regional: Top-seed St. Viator has enjoyed a winning season at 16-15 and is the only area team playing in the 3A tourney. Senior Bridget Urbanus (40-for-79) has batted over .500 all season for the Lions while junior pitcher Julie Sweeney has 91 strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA along with a team-high 25 RBI and 4 home runs.