This weeks contests between the 4 teams that will meet in the conference tournament,  North Central should sweep IWU, I favor NPU over Carthage 2 to 1 but probably will be wrong there. NPU pitching relys on starters going 9 or 10 innings an outing , lately they've been squeaking by with hitting and opponents poor pitching and fielding.

Wheaton drops 2 to North Park tonight at home 
17 to 14 and 16 to 10, not your stellar pitching performances
Both these teams and others in  the CCIW just keep pounding away.
Looks like North Central and North Park are now in the tournament, looks like its between IWU and Augustana for the 4th spot.

watching via live stats
Ill Wes 6  Wheaton 3 final
Carthage took the lead 13 to 8 vs NCC in the 8th
NPU tied Millikin 5 to 5 in 11th but live stat down , what the ?

I saw the predictions earlier but I don't see either Ill Wes being there in the end, for the conference tourney.

No the CCIW guard could be on the change, with NCC leading the way and Wheaton pushing through to the top 2, and watch out for NPU they just swept the Vikings West for the first time since the conference went to the 3 game format.

What a start off, 35 mile an hour gusting winds made the collective ERA's soar.
Carthage takes 2 on Friday
Illinois Wesleyan takes 2 on Friday
Wheaton took 2 on Thursday
North Central and NPU split
Rain forecasted and temps dropping from the 80's to low 60's should be interesting on Saturday games.

Watching Live Stat from the office, looks like Wheaton and Augustana are not starting off to stellar in the pitching department, 6th inning and its 8 to 7 Augie up. Only good for the rest of the conference if these two aren't up and ready for the next 5 weeks.  I'd be a lot concerned about North Park, saw the stats on that game 7 pitchers giving up 12 runs in 10 innings, not to encouraging.
Looking forward to the weekend series
Prediction

Wheaton 2 over Augie 1
Carthage 3 over Elmhurst 0
Ill Wesleyan 2 over Millikin 1
North Park 3 over North Central

How about those picks ??

Big game today for NPU Vikings, tooling down to Millikin for the 3rd game of the series.
Vikings need this win if they are to move into the upper 4some.

I'd say a must win.

Looking at the past 3 years NPU  was 13 and 13,  12 and 14 and now 13 and 13, one of these times they won't lose the majority of the remaining 10games and start to inch toward the 20game win season.

Good luck today!!!!  Will be watching via Live Stats hopefully......

Games are going on today
Carthage spanks NPU 12 to 1 in 7innings of the 1st side of 2.

This looked like a throw away, starting pitcher for NPU had a 15.xx era to start and gave up 8 runs in 3 innings, the 2nd target had a 12.xx era and gave up 4 in 3innings.

I'm a die-hard fan but there is no lighting to catch here, reminds me of the 62 Mets...

Conference season in swing and no one interested??

NPU takes 2 from Elmhurst, must win Sunday @ Elmhurst to keep winning ways.
Carthage takes 2 from Millikin ,  good only for NPU
Augustana comes back to take the 3rd game but 1 and 2 against Wheaton
Illinois Wesleyan wins back end soundly, but what happened in the 1st game vs North Central, who now look like the doormat of the Conference with Elmhurst.

I am gearing up for the month so lets start texting!!!!!

Ghost town?
What is going on there are 4 DH's happening since 1pm?
there is no scores on the Daily D3 baseball, really bush!!!!
No one is piping about North Central's Victory over Illinois Wesleyan, or about Wheaton taking the front end game from Augustana, that's two in 2 days....
Carthage only beating Millikin 4 to 3 and NPU winning at home 6 to 2 vs Elmhurst.

I am impressed with his offensive prowess but he does have a pitching coach who truly must be a yes man.
I don't see this pattern with other CCIW staffs, where a starter is being spanked they are yanked!!!!

Being an Viking (NPU fan, I see the frustrating record  9 and 9 from 9 and 3, so this weekend is a critial tipping point for the season.
2 at home versus Elmhurst, and Sunday's game looks to be rained out or snowed out.
I see them winning if the staff is managed and hopefully like Tony LaRussa would handle them, but if the starters are getting rocked or aren't effective early then give the ball to someone else and forget this sense of riding the "hot hand"

Now on a 6game losing streak, reminiscent of the last 2 years, what is going on with the pitching staff?  is there a person that will step up?

Another weekend approaching Hark!
is it time to rain? 
Hopefully games will be played and the middle of the pack will be vying for the 4th spot for the upcoming CCIW tournament.

Right now it looks like Wheaton has the inside track but these next 3 series will be interesting.

Good luck to all, have fun and let's play two on Saturday.

Hopefully, we hear about the birth of a new Viking soon!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to see a doubleheader and victory, this pulls NPU to 13 and 13 for the year.
With 14 games left in the regular season it appears on the horizon that it could be possible to see a 20 win season, yawsaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Good luck this week and next weekend where the Vikings will confront the western Vikings in a clash of Nordic proportions!!!!!