Last week, the Illinois High School Association released the two largest classes for its first four-class state tournament in girls softball. There were no surprises, but much like basketball, size does matter.
One of the issues, regardless of the sport, is that if you seed individual sectionals instead of an entire tournament field, like the NCAA does, there really is no competitive balance.
Barrington is the top seed in its sectional followed by Fremd and Lake Zurich. The winner will face the Morton Sectional champion in a supersectional that has no site yet. It really doesn’t appear that any team at Morton should seriously challenge Oak Park, which has a pretty easy path to the Elite Eight.
On the other hand, the Bolingbrook Sectional field has Plainfield Central, Lockport — which beat Oak Park in a doubleheader Saturday — Downers Grove South — a Final Four team the last two years — Naperville Central, West Aurora,
Plainfield South, Wheaton Warrenville South and Hinsdale South. The No. 9 seed is Benet, with hard-hitting shortstop Laura Canulli.
The Bolingbrook winner earns a supersectional date against the survivor at Schaumburg. That field includes Bartlett, an Elite Eight qualifier last year with a battery of pitcher Lauren Wydra and junior catcher Elizabeth Kay; Lake Park, with two Division I seniors in Lynsey Czieski (DePaul) and Missy Mazur (Iowa); Elk Grove, with star sophomore pitcher Stephanie Maday; St. Charles North, West Chicago and freshman ace Mary Connolly, Glenbard West, Prospect and No. 8 seed Glenbard North, with pitcher Hannah Santora, which could upset anyone.
The winner at Andrew from a tough south suburban field — led by top-rated Sandburg — will have to survive a sectional winner from the talent-rich areas of central, western and southern Illinois.
Keep an eye on Lane
Andrew’s sectional includes Lincoln-Way Central, Stagg, Marian Catholic, Lincoln-Way East, Andrew (which beat Sandburg this spring), Marist (which upset Lockport on Tuesday) and T.F. South.
Teams that didn’t get seeded in the top eight include Providence, Joliet (which edged Barrington in a tournament at Downstate Washington) and Mother McAuley.
Even in the northern suburbs, Resurrection, which made the Elite Eight in Class AA last spring, is a No. 7 seed at Glenbrook South behind Loyola, Maine West, Lane and New Trier.
Don’t be surprised if the Public League makes some strides in the state series as well. Expect Lane to make some noise. Coach George Stavrakas might have the best team the Public League has produced. Jazzy Camacho and Jackie Manrique are a formidable pair in the circle. And Daniela Torres, a third baseman-catcher already signed to play at Miami of Ohio, could be the city’s best ever.
‘‘I think that we probably were better position-by-position when Torres was a freshman,’’ Stavrakas said. ‘‘But this is a better team. All but one starter is back from a team that came one throw away from beating Resurrection and going Downstate last year. And the pitching is absolutely better.’’
3A road looks smoother
The teams in Class 3A appear to have a lot less difficult course to navigate.
Glenbard South, one of the local favorites in Class 3A, has an outstanding pitcher in Jill Trzaska and a quick and talented center fielder in Nikki Simpson. The Raiders also are hosting a regional, sectional and supersectional. Talk about friendly confines.
‘‘We went backward,’’ Glenbard South coach Julie Fonda said. ‘‘We asked for the super, and the state called and asked us if we’d host a regional. It’s a great opportunity.
‘‘But we have a problem. Our sectional is down to 11 teams. We won’t play until the regional championship. The state really needs to take a look at where they are putting the Chicago public schools.’’
With geography less of an issue for teams in the city and suburbs, some of the Class 3A sectionals are seeded as a sectional complex. But powerhouse Hampshire, which is the favorite in the Rochelle Sectional, has teams geographically assigned to four regionals.
The Rockets, with star pitchers Mackenzie Scott and Erica Maisto forming the area’s top 1-2 punch in the circle, are the No. 1 seed at the Rosary Regional.
In Class 2A, Beecher is looking for its third state softball title, having won Class A in 2004 and 2007. And Valparaiso-bound pitcher Alex Lagesse has the skill to get a young team back to East Peoria. But unbeaten Coal City could be waiting in the sectional.
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