Softball: Allen happy to be back in high school game at Hampshire

When first-year Hampshire softball coach Kelly Wasilewski was seeking an assistant varsity coach, she didn't have to look far to find a familiar face who was looking to get back into the high school game.

Cray Allen, a veteran of the high school, junior college and travel softball game, is now helping Wasilewski guide the Whip-Purs.

Allen coached at Lake Park from 2004-08, winning 135 games and taking the Lancers downstate twice. After a period away from the game, he was the head coach at Burlington Central in 2011 and 2012 and Wasilewski was his assistant in 2012 when the Rockets went 28-9 and won a regional championship.

Allen, who lives in Gilberts, left Burlington Central to resurrect the program at Harper College, where he coached for three years. But as a technology education teacher at Lake Park, the time demands of being a JUCO coach became too great and he stepped down after last season.

"It became a time concern at Harper and my assistant (former Lake Park and DePaul star Lindsay Ciezki) took a teaching job so I just couldn't do it anymore," Allen said last weekend during the Chicagoland Challenge tournament, where Hampshire took third place.

"I live 10 minutes from Hampshire and I know (Hampshire athletic director) Dave Hicks and I love Kelly. I just decided I didn't want to be bored over the spring and it's worked out. It's been great. I feel like we left the Harper program in great shape."

Allen and his wife have a 7-year old daughter, Taylor, who will go to Hampshire. For now he is content to be an assistant coach, something he feels every coach should experience even if they have been in charge of a program.

"It's a great opportunity for any coach to take a step back and see things from a different perspective," said Allen, who is also the head coach of the Beverly Bandits 16U Premier travel team.

"Kelly and I are very familiar with each other and she knows my strengths."

Wasilewski, who was head coach at Streamwood last year but lost her teaching job due to a reduction in force, couldn't be happier to have Allen by her side as she continues to build on what Stacey Stepek started in her three years at Hampshire.

"He's my big little brother," said Wasilewski of Allen. "Just knowing what he's done in the past and knowing that our philosophies line up and we have the same expectations ... it just works."

Zdroik closing in: St. Edward senior Lindsay Zdroik is nearing the school record for career strikeouts, which is held by 1999 graduate Jackie Brittain, who struck out 680 batters in her stellar career. Through Tuesday Zdroik, a Valparaiso signee who has two 16-strikeout games this season, had fanned 608 in her Green Wave career.

Cannon arm: St. Charles North catcher Sam Hausl was at it again Tuesday against Batavia, picking off a runner at second base and another at first base.

That brought her total to 13 runners picked off in the team's first 9 games of the season.

"Don't put that in the paper," joked North Stars coach Tom Poulin. "I want people to keep thinking they can take leads.

"We see it in practice. She's a weapon. She's got the green light. Usually in the past that's something I call or coach (Thijs) Dennison will call it but now she has a green light to throw down there. She's got us out of a couple jams."

Hausl said those plays are her favorite part of the sport.

"Picking off people is my game," Hausl said. "That's the one thing I can control. I always look for it. That's what I'm best at so whatever I can do to help my team."

Immediate impact: Poulin has a reason to like what he's seen so far this spring. Through Tuesday the North Stars were 7-2 with losses only to Schaumburg and defending state champion Marist.

"We've come together faster than any team I can remember in any sport," Poulin said. "They get along. They put the team first. They are not thinking individually, they are thinking collectively, and they have fun. They want to win. They want to be successful. I am just trying to make sure we don't get big heads, we don't get complacent."

Poulin has been pleased with four newcomers to the lineup - the first two sophomores and the second two juniors.

"Alyssa Eby has been doing really well," Poulin said. "She's versatile in the field and she's been swinging the bat well. Ashlyn Jozefowicz, she's tough as nails, she has a high softball IQ, she can hit behind runners, she can bunt.

"Samantha Vaca has come up as a junior and done real well for us at second base. Natalie Walters is as fast as anyone we've had. Her speed has impacted games already. She's also a heck of a pitcher."

Speaking of pitching, the North Stars have more depth than usual with ace Jillian Waslawski joined by Walters, Allison Hausl and Maddie Webb.

"We have four girls we trust in the circle," Poulin said.

Record setter: West Aurora senior third baseman Cara Jimenez homered Friday against Kaneland, giving her 11 in her four years with the Blackhawks to pass former teammate and good friend Taylor Podschweit for the school record.

Ask and you shall receive: Following a 6-1 loss to West Aurora on Friday, Kaneland coach Mike Kuefler said his team just needed to get the bats going.

Kaneland responded with 8 runs the next day against Rosary and 15 vs. Batavia.

"The kids are working hard," Kuefler said. "When we play these games they are preparing us for down the road. Conference and the regionals and stuff like that. Win or lose as long as we are coming out of here with something positive we're doing the right things. We're going to continue to build on that and eventually it will click for us."

Going 2-1 and finishing fifth at the Fox Valley tournament improved the Knights to 9-5 a year after they took third in the Class 3A state tournament.

"My goals are to be as competitive as I can," Kuefler said. "The girls are different. They are shooting to get back where they were last year. That's great. If there is a target out there that's great. It's going to drive our girls that much more."

Bashing Bulldog: Lauren Wencewicz played on Batavia's JV team last year. The senior has been a nice addition to the varsity this spring hitting a team-high .478 through 10 games.

She and sophomore Jaelen Lisberg certainly have impressed coach Lupe Castellanos.

"Lisberg is off to a good start at the pate, doing a lot of pitching and playing the outfield and hitting in the 2-hole," Castellanos said. "Lauren has been having a nice bat for us. I knew when I brought her up this year she would do a nice job. I knew she would step in and she's doing a nice job stepping in right away and being productive at the plate and playing a nice outfield."

Batavia's spark plug has been junior shortstop and leadoff hitter Toni Galas, who was batting .400 before she went 3-for-3 Tuesday against St. Charles North.

"Toni is our catalyst," Castellanos said. "Usually as Toni goes we go. When she gets on we can do different things.

"She's the type of kid who is hard on herself and a perfectionist. In this game it's tough to be perfect. She's always trying hard."