Marist ended the regular season as the No. 1 team in the Southland. The RedHawks, a No. 1 Class 4A sectional seed, were unbeaten against teams from Illinois.
But that’s not the only reason Marist coach Colleen Phelan feels excited going into the postseason.
“I just really, really, really love this team,” Phelan said. “I told them the other day they are probably my favorite team that I’ve coached here at Marist.
“They are just so fun. They love each other. Honestly, it’s like they care about each other’s success more than they care about their own. I’ve had really great teams in the past, but I don’t know that we’ve had this kind of mojo and chemistry since 2015.”
In 2015, led by pitcher Zariya Gonzalez and top hitters Brooke Wilson, Emily Reilly and Madison Naujokas, Marist won the Class 4A state title.
The RedHawks (31-1), who open the state playoffs Wednesday at home against Proviso West, have put up state-worthy numbers.
Boston College recruit Abby Dunning recently broke the program’s single-season strikeout total. Eight RedHawks are hitting .400 or better.
Among the surprises is sophomore outfielder Isabel Cunnea.
She’s a surprise, anyway, to those who didn’t see her at tryouts as a freshman.
Cunnea earned a spot on the varsity in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the spring season.
“At tryouts, it was as clear as day that she was going to be on the varsity team,” Phelan said. “She was hitting it farther than anybody else. She was hitting rockets over the fence as a little freshman.”
Cunnea is hitting .469 this season with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs. Her slugging percentage is a healthy .951.
“She’s a very, very powerful hitter,” Phelan said. “She has a great swing. She can hit the inside and outside pitch very well.
“She has an extremely powerful arm in the outfield. She can gun it home, so people very rarely run on her. She is just a really good athlete and a really good kid.”
Clutch Carly: The May 27 matchup between No. 1 Marist and No. 2 Lincoln-Way Central lived up to its billing.
The two teams battled for five innings before Marist took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
It was gut-check time for Central.
“I don’t think the girls were down,” Knights coach Jeff Tarala said. “We had the heart of the lineup coming up — Lyndsey Grein, Sydra Seville, Carly Alvers.
“When those girls are coming up, we always have a chance. Carly, especially, is capable of popping out a home run at any point.”
Jamie Widule, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a walk. Two outs later, Alvers hit her eighth home run of the season.
Marist ended up scoring three runs in the top of the 10th to prevail 5-2. But Central had proved its worth, thanks to the clutch swing by Alvers.
“Carly would be the first one to tell you she has struggled at times this season,” Tarala said. “But regardless of those struggles, she always shows up in big games. Man, did she show up in a big way against Marist.
“Whenever she’s facing those elite pitchers, she always rises to the occasion.”
Alvers, a DePaul recruit, is hitting .393 with nine doubles and 27 runs. Of her 29 RBIs, 10 have come with two outs.
“When she came in as a freshman, I watched her swing the bat,” Tarala said. “The first thing that came to mind was the violent swing she has.
“She does not get cheated up there. She is a really, really good hitter — one of the best you’re going to find.”
Time capsule: Richards had its winningest season one decade ago.
In 2011, the Bulldogs were 18-0 in the South Suburban Conference and won their first 28 games. Led by pitcher Brianna LeBeau and infielder Hannah Jenkins, they won Class 4A regional and sectional titles, finishing 32-3. In 1984, Larry Layne coached Richards (24-5) to second place in the state.