Very well pitched game between NP and Thunder yesterday. Martin is the hard luck kid of the conference this year - because of his duel role roll I think he may actually be best overall player in conf. this year. But I do agree that Callahan and Pankau should get hitter and pitcher of year in CCIW.

After now seeing all the CCIW teams, except Elmhurst (great accomplishment defeating Pankau!) here are my last minute conf predictions.

1 IWU      15-6 (tourney host)
2 Carth    15-6 
3 NP       14-7
4 Augie    14-7
5 NC       13-8
6 Wheaton  8-13
7 Elmhurst 4-17
8 Millikin 1-20

I see no dominate team this year. It is clear any of the teams 1-7 are capable of beating any team in the conference - most balanced year in many. But I do think Carthage is best overall team by a hair but that 3 - 7 inning game format got the best of them at IWU last weekend. I believe Carthage will win tourney to get the automatic Pool A. Assuming the other 3 can avoid any other bad out of conference wins, the 4th place tourney team (Augie?) may be the odd man out for a Pool C bid.

As a die-hard Thunder fan, I don't believe their finish is due to lack of Talent of at least their top 18 or so players (yes our depth is and always will be an issue due to our recruiting challenges). But talent doesn't win baseball games in a tough and tight conf like the CCIW. Consistently poor defense on routine plays with few coaching adjustments to resolve them and a regular inability to get clutch hits is why Wheaton won't finish in the top 4 this year. The pitching staff has done amazingly well, especially considering losing a couple key guys to injury and eligibility. Defensive errors and non-box score miscues have really hurt the starters who have been forced into longer outings due to lack of pitching depth. Now off to see if Thunder can at least take one from NP today.

Quote from: The General Public on April 20, 2011, 11:17:17 PM

Quote from: Gregory Sager on April 20, 2011, 06:12:23 PM

Quote from: norfrank on April 20, 2011, 06:08:10 PM

Quote from: Thunder11 on April 19, 2011, 10:55:40 PM
First time poster here, after avidly reading your wonderful informative posts the last several years. Thank you all! As a Chicagoland resident, I have enjoyed watching the emergence of Wheaton baseball the last 3+ seasons in this great CCIW conference. I have had the privilege of watching most of the Wheaton (IL-WI) games as my soon to graduate son has played for the Thunder now for his 4th season.

Yes, the Thunder are a long shot for 4th slot into the CCIW tourney, but "norfrank" lets wait and see how the NCC series turns out this weekend before declaring their CCIW chances over. The rotation of Martin, Rahn and Golz (listed in order of the quality of their performances)has rounded into shape. It appears that Dennison may be moving into a relief role which he has done well in recently, after a series of dissappointing starts. The Thunder offense can rival any in the league, and is coming to life. The key may likely be the Thunder's ability to stop giving away outs against quality teams (both miscues and errors)since the defense has often shot the pitching in the foot. By the way ask any objective IWU fan or Coach Martel how close Wheaton was to sweeping that series. At the very least, Wheaton needs to take both the NCC and NP series and probably sweep one of them. No small task, since yes, both of those teams are quite good again this year. We are capable to do it, of course so are they. Having seen the whole Augie, IW and Carthage series, I am sure Wheaton has the talent to be one of the top 4 teams - let's see if they continue to play like it their last 9 conf. games. By the way I predict and hope that Augie, Carthage & the Titans will battle for the top 3 spots and being tourney host.

As time allows in next the week, I will share more observations about Wheaton's season, and why I think they can be a better team next year regardless how well they finish out this season - unless of course we pull out a "miracle on the diamond" as IWU did last year.

Again thanks to the providers and posters of this D3baseball forum!

interesting, but tainted, points of view. Wheaton does not have a shot at the playoffs. You talk about sweeping NCC or NP.

Since NPU plays Wheaton in the last series of the regular season, the Vikings could be in the middle of a win-or-die dogfight for a CCIW tourney berth at that point. And that would make it that much tougher for Wheaton to sweep NPU.

The season is over for Wheaton.  They will not make the playoffs, they will not sweep or take the series from NPU or NCC. They will also not sweep Elmhurst. 

Right now they have one pitcher who has preformed consistently throughout the year in Martin.  Besides that, they don't have the pitching or the hitting to win the games they need to.  They do not have the talent of one of the top 4 teams in Conference and I think Big Poppa is right when he says they are right where they need to be in 6th place.

The best team statistical team Wheaton had in the past 10 years was in 2008, so I will compare this years stats to that year.  (The most talent they have had was last year)


2008- AVG- .355  HR- 25 Runs- 342 OB%- .440 SH- 20 SB- 80-97
2011- AVG- .317  HR- 25 Runs- 222 OB%- .401 SH- 8   SB- 25-31


All other categories on the offense are pretty comparable but these show a shift in the emphasis of the team.

They have become a strictly homerun seeking team.  There is no longer an emphasis on moving runners around, going for the extra base, or moving the runner over.  They live and die by the long ball.  Because of that they aren't scoring as many runs and despite much better pitching numbers they can't win games.  They are in 6th and will finish no better than 5th.

There are sure a lot of definitive "nots" and statements in your opinions "The General Public" (unless you have a clear view of the future?) and analysis. You may well end up being right about Wheaton, but fortunately they still have to play the games. And by the way who are the top 4 most talented teams in the conference. That is right, no one knows yet do they. For sure Wheaton is the 6th best team in the conference as of today. I guess we will all have to let the young men we root for, play it out on the field. One game at a time..... starting tomorrow!

"norfrank" I didn't say Wheaton would make the CCIW playoffs and yes I admitted they are quite the long shot to do so. Tainted "no" a true fan desiring a turnaround "yes." To say they are unlikely to make the playoffs I wouldn't argue.

To say Wheaton has no shot, is to ignore that Wheaton does have a lot of talent (since you are so acquainted with the program), and more so to ignore sports history. Time and time again, unlikely things happen, especially in the "craziest" but "greatest" sport on earth - Baseball. Just look at IWU's run last year - no one could have predicted or expected that (and yes I readily admit the Titans pitching staff last year was better than what the Thunder currently have on the mound.) What I do know is that Martin, Rahn and Golz (assuming that rotation) are all capable of besting NCC, which doesn't mean any of them will. If NCC takes the series this weekend, then I will admit Wheaton has no shot except statistically. While I'm at it, I wouldn't disrespect Elmhurst by assuming a sweep over them either, because they are quite competitive as well this year. Most balanced year in the conference in years! But as to the Thunder, yes the rotund lady is warming up her vocal cords but she is not singing quite yet.

And, yes it has a lot more to do than just the on field play, but out of respect I will not share my opinions about any of that right now. Small point but, NP and Wheaton, play the second to last series but yes NP will be quite difficult to win 2 from, let alone sweep - and yes, I must admit their Coach Johnson is quite tenacious, and of course they probably want to beat Wheaton above all others.

Beyond the Wheaton/NCC series it should be a very interesting weekend in the CCIW. For starters if Augie takes the NP series, NP could be in big trouble in the race for 4th place. The Carth/IWU clash of course is big and oh so interesting. And if Elmhurst sweeps the Big Blue (and I think they will) they will be battling for at least 6th place the rest of the way. Not to mention that the top 5 teams in the standings are fighting to stay in contention for an NCAA at large bid!

First time poster here, after avidly reading your wonderful informative posts the last several years. Thank you all! As a Chicagoland resident, I have enjoyed watching the emergence of Wheaton baseball the last 3+ seasons in this great CCIW conference. I have had the privilege of watching most of the Wheaton (IL-WI) games as my soon to graduate son has played for the Thunder now for his 4th season.

Yes, the Thunder are a long shot for 4th slot into the CCIW tourney, but "norfrank" lets wait and see how the NCC series turns out this weekend before declaring their CCIW chances over. The rotation of Martin, Rahn and Golz (listed in order of the quality of their performances)has rounded into shape. It appears that Dennison may be moving into a relief role which he has done well in recently, after a series of dissappointing starts. The Thunder offense can rival any in the league, and is coming to life. The key may likely be the Thunder's ability to stop giving away outs against quality teams (both miscues and errors)since the defense has often shot the pitching in the foot. By the way ask any objective IWU fan or Coach Martel how close Wheaton was to sweeping that series. At the very least, Wheaton needs to take both the NCC and NP series and probably sweep one of them. No small task, since yes, both of those teams are quite good again this year. We are capable to do it, of course so are they. Having seen the whole Augie, IW and Carthage series, I am sure Wheaton has the talent to be one of the top 4 teams - let's see if they continue to play like it their last 9 conf. games. By the way I predict and hope that Augie, Carthage & the Titans will battle for the top 3 spots and being tourney host.

As time allows in next the week, I will share more observations about Wheaton's season, and why I think they can be a better team next year regardless how well they finish out this season - unless of course we pull out a "miracle on the diamond" as IWU did last year.

Again thanks to the providers and posters of this D3baseball forum!