A quick read on prep softball around the area this spring:

FLASHBACK

2007 conference champions:

Northern Badger — Portage.
Southern Badger — Verona.
Big Eight — Middleton.
Northern Capitol — Poynette.
Southern Capitol — Waterloo.
Little Ten — Watertown.
Ridge & Valley — De Soto.
Rock Valley — Beloit Turner.
Scenic Bluffs — New Lisbon.
Eastern Six Rivers — Barneveld.
Western Six Rivers — Belmont.
South Central — Wautoma.
Southern Lakes — Milton.
SWAL — Mineral Point.
SWC — Lancaster.
Northern Trailways — Oakfield.
Southern Trailways — Williams Bay.

Best area WIAA tournament showings:

Division 1 — Verona lost 3-1 to Appleton North, and Madison La Follette lost 2-0 to Racine Case in the state quarterfinals.

Division 2 — Portage lost 2-1 in 10 innings to Union Grove in the state semifinals.

Division 3 — Lancaster lost 2-1 in nine innings to Arcadia in the sectional finals.

Division 4 — Williams Bay defeated Hurley 4-3 for the state title.

FAST FORWARD

WSJ PRESEASON ALL-AREA

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers: Bev Nordin, sr., Verona; BreeAnn Reynolds, sr., Mineral Point; Laci Pustina, sr., Highland.

Catcher: Emily Muller, sr., Lancaster.

Infield: Julia Burns, sr., Verona; Jenna Buss, sr., Belmont; Caroline Starck, jr., Williams Bay; Lindsey Umberger, jr., Madison Memorial.

Outfielders: Brittany Caley, jr., Lancaster; Kaitlin Kessenich, sr., Middleton; Ashley Jump, sr., Necedah.

DP/Utility: Renee Schuttler, sr., Monroe.

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Lexi Johnson, sr., Madison Memorial; Michelle Jones, jr., Madison La Follette; Lydia Free, so., Watertown Luther Prep.

Catcher: Madeline Dugolenski, sr., Poynette.

Infielders: Megan Jacobson, sr., Fort Atkinson; Jordan Johnson, sr., Mineral Point; Jackie Koykkar, jr., Madison Memorial; Claire Poad, jr., Mineral Point;

Outfielders: Danielle Flesch, jr., Potosi; Jordan Riese, jr., Brodhead; Maggie Schuttler, jr., Monroe.

DP/Utility: Ashton Cleveland, sr., Portage.

HONORABLE MENTION

Pitchers: Rachael Bublitz, sr., Columbus; Alex Epping, sr., Waunakee; Anna Flock, sr., Brookwood; Ilse Fritz, sr., Beloit Turner; Brooke Morrissey, sr., Belmont; Keriann Schmidt, sr., New Glarus; Chris Schmitz, sr., Oregon; Alli Schultz, jr., Milton; Alyssa Umberger, sr., De Soto.

Catchers: Lizette Davis, sr., Portage; Amber O'Connell, sr., East Troy; Molly Rice, jr., Waunakee; Ariana Ringelstetter, sr., River Valley; Tanya Stickney, jr., New Lisbon.

Infielders: Justine Corkery, sr., Madison West; Karmen Dorshorst, jr., Marshall; Kandace Fox, sr., De Soto; Kiara Lemminger, sr., Johnson Creek; Abby Noble, sr., Lancaster; Hillary Roscovious, sr., New Lisbon; Pam Sommer, jr., Wautoma; Hannah Venden, sr., Columbus; Jenny Walejko, jr., Belleville; Heather Wroten, sr., Portage.

Outfielders: Alyssa Bowe, sr., Barneveld; Brianna Droessler, sr., Cuba City; Kayla Gosdeck, fr., Deerfield; Ashley Henry, jr, Lancaster; Alex Klawitter, sr., Janesville Parker; Anna Martin, sr., Lakeside Lutheran; Jordan Riese, jr., Brodhead; Crystal Schuster, so., Marshall; Tara York, sr., Baraboo.

DP/Utility: Chelsea Hensler, sr., Waterloo.

BIG QUESTIONS

Can we call her Sergeant Strikeout? We're not sure how soft-spoken Verona pitcher Bev Nordin would take to that and — now that the senior has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy (the Army) — it might be classified information anyway. We do know with Nordin, who averaged 11-plus strikeouts per game in 2007, back in the circle, the Wildcats have a great chance of earning their eighth straight Division 1 state berth.

Is this Madison Memorial's year? The Spartans haven't won a Big Eight Conference title since 1992 and haven't been to the state tournament since '95. After losing 1-0 in 11 innings to Holmen in the sectional semifinals last season, Memorial brings back a nice mix of talent led by 18-win pitcher Lexie Johnson and potent hitters in Lindsey Umberger and Jackie Koykkar.

Is this the year teams paddle Portage? After graduating pitcher Katie Stilwell to Seton Hall and infield combination Jen Krueger (UW) and Chelsea Bednarek (Madison Area Technical College), you'd think the Warriors were poised to take some lumps this spring. But the Warriors are off to a 5-2 start and find themselves in the thick of the Northern Badger race with the hope of giving Division 2 sectional favorites Waupun and Monroe a run for another state tournament berth.

Where can Lancaster find a replacement for Kate Schroeder? Flying Arrows coach Jeff Pross looked to the outfield to fill a big hole in the circle where Schroeder was 75-10 with a 7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio the past four years. Pross said junior Brittany Caley — the team's top hitter the past two seasons and a first-team, all-state outfielder a year ago — has "worked very hard over the summer and fall" to become the ace of a program that went 47-2 the last two seasons.

Is Highland's Laci Pustina finally healthy? The senior pitcher, who led the Cardinals to the Division 4 state title in 2006, is back to 100 percent after an up-and-down junior season following offseason ACL surgery, according to coach Sarah Hennessey. And Highland will need Pustina, who has signed with North Iowa Area Community College, in the competitive Western Six Rivers Conference where Belmont, Potosi and River Ridge will not only battle it out during the regular season but will see each other to start postseason in the same regional of the Division 4 New Lisbon sectional.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

May 15: WIAA regionals (Division 2, 3, 4).

May 20, 22: WIAA regionals (all divisions).

May 29: WIAA sectionals.

June 5-7: WIAA state tournament (Goodman Diamond, Madison).