The NAC actually has three D3 Series appearances since 2002.......Lakeland ('02) and Aurora twice ('04 and '06)

With the NIIC not having a Pool A bid this year, two teams will be tough, though it has happened before, as recently as 2000 when both Aurora and Benedictine got into the NCAA tourney.  Both had very good squads that year, with AU finishing 35-10 (after the regionals).

If Clarke and Aurora both advance after tonights games, the winner of the game Saturday night would be the final NIIC champ.  Clarke is not automatically the champ by just getting to the title game.  With the point system, if Aurora was to somehow upset Clarke in the conference tournament, then Aurora and Clarke would have the same amount of points with the tie breaker being the team winning the tournament.  Good luck to both squads, Aurora has a nice test this evening with Rockford traveling to Aurora.

It's hard to be much better than an All-American and Division III Pitcher of the Year as Paddock was in 2002.  Only other pitcher in recent history that had some fantastic seasons in the NIIC was Deegan, Fike or Pfalzgraf from AU in the late 90's