Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Cock Robin on January 31, 2026, 3:47 pm

Well, what do we think of the first rankings from ICA?

4A
1. Oswego
2. Marist
3. LWE

3A
1. Chatham
2. Providence
3. Prairie Ridge

2A
1. Beecher
2. Carterville
3. Seneca

1A
1. Carrolton
2. Casey Westfield
3. Le Roy

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by SWAG on February 2, 2026, 4:00 pm, in reply to "Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

I wouldn't put much credence into this list... even many of the coaches don't know what to expect. So, you'll see mostly usual suspects or 2025 successes on the pre-season list. Let's push this snow and get the games going!

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by #4 STCE on January 31, 2026, 5:21 pm, in reply to "Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

I’d argue that outside of their new P and returning C STCE got worse at most positions (and it’s a large drop off). The entire infield graduated and is will be new. Their new all galaxy P induces a ton of ground balls to the left side. They better find a SS!
STCE could be the most overrated team this season.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by #4 STCE on February 2, 2026, 11:49 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Spittin the truth. They lost more than they gained.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Drop offs on February 1, 2026, 9:33 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Is it just me, or did we lose a lot of talent from last year? I’m seeing your comments about STCE and, while
I don’t know their situation as well, I’m trying to think of other teams that made good playoff runs last year and all the talent that graduated.

For example, Barrington, Oswego, GBN all lost lots of offense.

Of course, this is why they play the games, but can you think of any team that looks stronger today than it was last June?

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @#4 STCE on February 1, 2026, 9:08 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Thier catcher won't see a pitch to hit all year. Losing thier SS from last year will be huge hit, she made up for teams trying to pitch around her.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @Previous on February 2, 2026, 2:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Providence will be good, they have one young pitcher who can be great and a lot of new talent. Many of the older girls will not be on the field. Their whole team is young. They better win it this year because next year they will be in 4A.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Lancers on February 2, 2026, 3:03 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

STE is way overrated
Lake park will win conference

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @Lancers on February 3, 2026, 7:12 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Sorry, LP line-up is two deep with one being a Freshman. Pitching is solid, but you typically do have to have some kind of offense and they have none. Like STCE, they are another team that lost all there depth when last year's senior class left.

There are only two teams in that conference with both pitching and some depth in their line-ups, and neither of the two teams mentioned above are them.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by STCE on February 2, 2026, 6:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

They will bat their catcher leadoff and she will only see pitches her first AB. Opponents will get 21 outs against the other eight players. The new P is gonna get upset then transfer to STCN (or GBN or LP or wherever the grass appears more green).

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by P on February 3, 2026, 10:24 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

If that pitcher was looking for greener grass, she could have moved anywhere. She chose that school because her club and future college teammate is the catcher. Or, she could have become Catholic!

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by 21 outs on February 3, 2026, 8:02 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

There are less than ten tough outs in the entire DuKane conference. No team has more than a couple of hitters, and every team has holes.

There are some years that a team returns stacked, but I don’t think this will be a year of anyone dominating.

I’m betting on a lot of 4-2 games, with DuKane teams having to scratch out runs… and this is where coaching will matter.

Toughest offense in the state at 4A should be Marist. So let’s see what the public league can put up against them when the playoffs start.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @21 on February 3, 2026, 1:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

In some states, state titles are segregated by private vs public.

Texas, Virginia, and Maryland have separate playoffs and state championships for public schools and private schools.

New Jersey has a system that allows public and private schools to compete against one another during the regular season but then splits them into separate tournaments for the postseason.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) starting in the 2026-27 season, public and private schools will compete in separate classifications for state championships.

And some states have the competitive balance multiplier to classify private schools into divisions. But they compete for the same title.

Should Illinois follow?

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Coach on February 3, 2026, 6:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

YES

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @@21 on February 3, 2026, 3:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Illinois has a multiplier system in place for non-boundary schools and the details were revised for this school year.

In general, public v. private is not a big issue for softball. While Marist typically has the most talent, Marist does not win every year. And the other catholic schools that have made state in recent years - St Laurence, Providence, Fenwick, and Benet - were far from dominant. Though all four of those teams plus Loyola should be good this year.

The dominance of the catholic schools is a huge issue for football.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @at first on February 4, 2026, 7:42 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

At first I thought the same as you "not a big issue in softball" however, in the last 6 years Marist has won two state championships, and the other 4 years, they lost to the eventual champ, twice in the championship game, once in Semis, Once in super-sectional.

I really don't know what you do here, maybe let them go beat up the other private schools in a separate division? Ultimately they are not playing by the same rules as the rest of the field, so how can you validate any of it? Its simply not a fair playing ground.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Freedom! on February 3, 2026, 3:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Yes, absolutely the privates and publics should have separate tournaments!

Sure, play all the friendlies or out of conference games you want, but this is absolutely ridiculous - in every sport, not just softball.

I’d love to hear a counter-argument!

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Observer on February 4, 2026, 12:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Marist would be terrible year after year without that advantage. Non conference games are ok but title games should be separated by private and public

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Coach on February 5, 2026, 9:04 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

If Marist could only recruit within a given jurisdiction like the public schools, they would not even rank in the top 20.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by hey coach on February 5, 2026, 1:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

WIth as horse crap as the public school systems are in the state of Illinois, thank goodness there are alternatives.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Coach on February 6, 2026, 9:34 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Can't be all bad, my kid attended public school and is in the IVY league, getting over 250K of her education paid for.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @ observer on February 4, 2026, 3:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Maybe the question everyone should be asking is what does a Catholic school provide that I do not get from my public high school? Here is a clue to help... it is not just for softball.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Observer on February 5, 2026, 2:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Please stick to the subject and explain if the advantage Marist has over the public schools is fair when we're discussing softball

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Why? on February 5, 2026, 10:50 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

And how does this pertain to the conversation?

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by @why on February 5, 2026, 11:57 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

It pertains because... take a family that lives in for example Hickory Hills. That family already made up their mind up that the public school in that area is not what they are looking for in education. Could be a number of reasons. In this case, the public school in that area already lost that family. Now, for that family, the only question that remains is which catholic school? Marist, Providence, St. Laurence, Mother McCauley.
That is why it is important to ask why would a family have their child travel further just to go to the Cathoic school while still paying taxes for the local public schools.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Observer on February 5, 2026, 9:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Parents have a right to send their kids to any school for any reason but that doesn't take away the advantage Marist have playing against public schools. Just play the private schools with the same advantages they have. No one is asking why you chose to go catholic

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Why? on February 5, 2026, 3:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

Yeah you are still missing the point of the conversation, it ok though.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Coach on February 6, 2026, 9:36 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

No, your missing the point, your not comparing apples to apples.

Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings

Posted by Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh on February 6, 2026, 9:07 am, in reply to "Re: Pre-Season ILL HS Rankings"

« Back to index

[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]