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The back half of the season is starting to heat up, both literally and figuratively, and we’re starting to separate the contenders from the pretenders. The area appears to have plenty of the former right now. Here’s preps coordinator Zach Piatt’s latest power rankings:
1. Champaign Central
Record: 14-1
Previous ranking: No. 2
Quick hit: If you haven’t already, go back a day and read Joey Wright‘s feature story on the Maroons’ uber-talented sister duo of Haley and Kaitlyn Helm. Haley sports a 1.32 ERA and averages nearly 10 strikeouts per game in the circle while also batting .674 with eight home runs and 41 RBI at the plate. Kaitlyn is batting .556 with three homers, seven triples and 26 runs scored.
2. Westville
Record: 22-2
Previous ranking: No. 3
Quick hit: April 11 feels like it was so much longer ago than just three weeks. Since that day, the Tigers have done nothing but win. An 11-game winning streak has them on the doorstep of the area’s top spot, and two-way stud Lilly Kiesel is a big component to those victories. She’s tearing the cover off the ball with a .598 batting average and six homers and also carries a 2.94 ERA.
3. LeRoy
Record: 22-3
Previous ranking: No. 1
Quick hit: Sports Editor Matt Daniels‘ No. 1 spot in his girls’ basketball rankings last winter was almost certainly cursed, and the same might be true for softball. The Panthers ended their program-record 19-game win streak on April 23 and have now lost two of their last five after a tough one against Normal Community. Look for Doug Hageman‘s squad to bounce back soon.
4. Monticello
Record: 17-5
Previous ranking: No. 4
Quick hit: The Sages haven’t been able to get back into a groove after starting 10-0 this spring. They’ve gone 7-5 since then and are searching for a little more consistency. Cassidee Stoffel continues to get the job done both at the plate and in the circle, though. She’s batting .536 with four homers and 34 RBI while impressing with her 2.64 ERA and 93 strikeouts. If Monticello can find some stability, watch out.
5. Unity
Record: 19-3
Previous ranking: No. 5
Quick hit: A list of teams that have beaten the Rockets: 23-win Nolensville, 19-win Carterville and 17-win Monticello. Unity has also won games against opponents just as tough, and LeRoy and St. Joseph-Ogden are still on deck. With that schedule and the senior leadership of Lindy Bates, Jenna Adkins, Sophia Beckett and Maegan Rothe, they’re more than ready for the postseason.
6. Salt Fork
Record: 16-3
Previous ranking: No. 7
Quick hit: Two losses to a now 20-win Casey-Westfield team back on April 8 propelled the Storm into a seven-game winning streak. Morgan Russell had it going in a 5-2 win against Oakwood/Schlarman with three hits and three RBI. That was on the heels of her two-hit, two-RBI performance in a 13-0 win against Chrisman, which also saw her pitch a five-inning one-hitter with eight strikeouts.
7. St. Joseph-Ogden
Record: 16-7
Previous ranking: No. 6
Quick hit: Like Monticello, the Spartans were on the hunt for a little steadiness after losing three of five to talented Marion, Mt. Zion and Pontiac teams. Since then, they’ve rattled off four wins in a row thanks to the play of Amelia Huckstadt, Emma McKinney, Timera Blackburn-Kelley, Grace Osterbur and others. If they keep it up, SJ-O could be ready for another postseason run.
8. Oakwood/Schlarman
Record: 11-8-1
Previous ranking: No. 9
Quick hit: The Comets have kept their hot stretch rolling, with their only blemish over the last week coming in a 5-2 loss to Salt Fork. This is a team that has the potential to be a problem for anyone once the postseason arrives. Irene Rangel continues to do her thing all over the diamond, posting a .603 batting average and a 4.46 ERA, and Emberlyn Schull has come on lately with the bat.
9. Tuscola
Record: 10-6
Previous ranking: Unranked
Quick hit: The Warriors were almost written off following their 0-3 start to the season, which included a 10-0 loss to Westville and a 17-0 loss to Monticello, but it’s been hard to ignore what they’ve done over the last couple weeks. Ava Boyer has been the driving force at the plate for first-year coach Halle Kerns, and Kinzie Cleland and Bayleigh Taylor have been great in the circle.
10. Villa Grove
Record: 9-5
Previous ranking: No. 8
Quick hit: An 11-1 loss to St. Joseph-Ogden and a 1-0 loss to Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond have opened the door for other area teams like Argenta-Oreana, Sullivan and Armstrong-Potomac to enter the conversation. Still, Jeana Block‘s team has rebounded from setbacks before. After all, the Blue Devils know what it’s like to battle through a season and make it to the state stage.
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