MaxPreps 2017 Illinois preseason high school softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

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1. Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park)
2016 record: 37-2, Class 4A champion
Head coach: Mel Kolbusz The Huskies won their last 27 games in 2016 and appear ready to stretch that streak as the No. 1 preseason softball team in Illinois again in 2017. Veteran coach Mel Kolbusz returns four starters and three of them already are ticketed for Division I colleges. Senior LHP Chardonnay Harris, an Auburn signee, posted a 15-2 record last year with a 0.83 ERA. She struck out 183 in 109.2 innings with 11 walks and batted .407. Junior shortstop Maeve Nelson, who has committed to Northwestern, batted .492 with 10 home runs and 52 RBIs, while sophomore second baseman Fiona Girardot batted .402 and has committed to Wisconsin. Senior catcher Mariah Scott is a .351 hitter with superb defensive skills.

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2. Montini Catholic (Lombard)
2016 record: 37-3, Class 3A state champion
Head coach: Mike Bukovsky

The Broncos will count on five returning starters to notch their second consecutive Class 3A state title. Junior pitcher Bri Clifton - who will attend Nichols State - is coming off a brilliant 22-1 campaign with a 1.65 ERA and a .424 batting average. Senior Naomi Alonzo completes a great 1-2 punch with her 14-2 record and 1.75 ERA to go with a .406 batting average and six home runs. Junior third baseman Nikki Cuchran already has chosen DePaul after batting .596 with 13 homers and 51 RBIs. Sophomore outfielders Emily Alexander and Lauren Latoria batted .338 and .336, respectively.



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3. Normal Community (Normal)
2016 record: 24-7
Head coach: Jeff Cole

The Ironmen return three regulars from a team which lost in the first round of the regional, but they have a blue-chip ace in junior pitcher Mackenzie Leonard, who posted a 24-3 record and batted. 462. She has committed to Illinois State University. She will receive lots of run support from senior first baseman Alex Perez, who batted .423 and scored 51 runs, and third baseman Reece Johnson, who batted .420, stole 23 bases and committed only two errors in 31 games.

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4. St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph)
2016 record: 30-7
Head coach: Randy Wolken

Veteran coach Randy Wolken has an excellent nucleus of seven starters to help him achieve his 1,000th career victory some time this year. He enters the season with 977. He has two Illinois State recruits in senior Andrea Coursey, who drove in 72 runs over the last two years, and junior second baseman Emmy Graver, a .520 hitter. Freshman shortstop Bailey Dowling already has committed to the University of Alabama. Senior pitcher Toni Witruk missed her junior year with an ACL tear, but won 32 games as a sophomore.



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5. Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort)
2016 record: 26-8
Head coach: Elizabeth Pawlicki

The Griffins' biggest job this spring will be to organize a somewhat new team. The closing of Lincoln-Way North in the fall has scattered athletes to several other schools. The good news is that North junior pitcher Sydney Limon has landed at East. She posted a sparkling 25-2 record with a 1.92 ERA last spring as a sophomore at North. Senior catcher Christine Malito is a solid East returnee after batting .409 , driving in 31 runs and slamming six home runs. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Weyh compiled a 9-2 record with a 1.58 ERA and batted a solid .374.