Lake Central's Ranieri picks Valpo for college softball

When Kaitlyn Ranieri was a sophomore at Lake Central, she was a slightly above average center fielder. Well, that's what her coach Jeff Sherman said.

Now, the Indians senior is one of L.C.'s top defensive players. Work ethic and desire is what changed that part of her game. Offense, though, has never been a problem.

"Kaitlyn can hit until the cows come home," Sherman said.

On Friday night, Ranieri was at Valparaiso University doing her official visit. She will sign to play college softball with the Crusaders on Friday after she recently verbally committed.

"It's rewarding for me when you see how hard she works," Sherman said. "If she struggles at something, she works extremely hard at it until she doesn't struggle anymore. That's what she did with her defense."

That sophomore year Ranieri finished the season with 51 hits, which was five short of Kelly Komara's single-season school record of 56. That is one goal she is shooting for this spring.

L.C. has made it to the semistate championship game the last two Junes without getting a win and a trip to the state finals. That, of course, is her main goal.

"The kid has a mission to accomplish," Sherman said. "The team thing we don't have to discuss. But she really wants to make a run at Kelly's record, and she has the ability to do just that."