BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Ypsi, I was at the game and I have no idea why they called the game. It was cloudy, no rain coming in at all what so ever. Umps call and I think they blew it. I'm sitting in my house right now and it is perfectly fine right now. With rain in the forecast for Friday, Sat, and Sunday, why not finish the game. Both benches seemed to be mad with the call. We shall see if they get this series in.

Hmm ... perhaps the plate ump had a hot date at 7?  Their contract limits them to 16 innings a day?  They just wanted to mess with our minds?   The Carthage website is sticking with the 'darkness at 5:55' story - perhaps you had a long-lasting solar eclipse that no one else knew about?

Tomorrow (if weather cooperates) should be interesting - I have no clue who will be pitching for either side when game 2 resumes.  In case we don't pull that one out, I can't be too disappointed with 6-1 Jesse Foster going against whoever Carthage's #3 is.  While I'm hardly counting our chickens, it's nice being in a position where we need to win EITHER game; you need to win BOTH. 8)  (And, of course, it eases the tension to 'know' that both teams are 'locks' for the NCAAs regardless )

[Gregory Sager]

Visiting North Park fell to Rockford this evening under the lights, 6-4. Coming on the heels of the 9-7 loss to Chicago State two days ago, NPU drops to 16-21 on the season with this defeat.

[Ralph Turner]

Visiting North Park fell to Rockford this evening under the lights, 6-4. Coming on the heels of the 9-7 loss to Chicago State two days ago, NPU drops to 16-21 on the season with this defeat.

Must win for Rockford!

[RedMan1]

Mr. Ypsi, it was not the home plate ump. Right after Wesleyan ended the 9th, the field ump waved his hands like the game was suspended. Still have no reason why, but if Carey Richardson can pitch I would go with him again. He was lights out, but only his arm will tell.

Should be a very intense finish to the game on Friday. The weather is getting warmer and that only means bad weather up in Kenosha. Hopefully they can finish the series. If they can't finish the end of game 2/3 will they do it mid-week?

Has there been any time in the CCIW where 1 game has decided where the CCIW Tournament will be?

Kenosha... Please be good to us tomorrow!!!

[matblake]

The forecast isn't looking too good right now in Kenosha 
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?site=MKX&map.x=279&map.y=199

or Chicago either for that matter
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?site=LOT&map.x=238&map.y=101

[Mr. Ypsi]

Latest word from the Carthage website: radar reports show a break in the rain for the midafternoon.  They will attempt to resume game 2 about 2:30.  (Looks like the umps made a serious error of judgment not finishing the game yesterday.  Though the way Richardson was pitching, we Titans say "Thanks!" )

[RedMan1]

Yes there is a break in the radar, but the problem now is fog. You can't see home plate from left field. Should be interesting

[Mr. Ypsi]

Game 2 supposedly resumes momentarily - any updates on conditions?

[TitanFan13]

Titans score 2 in top of 10th...

[Titan Q]

With IWU's win in the resumed game from yesterday, the Titans have now won 38 of their last 41 CCIW regular season games (20-1 last year and 18-2 this year with one to play vs Carthage).  That's pretty amazing.

Congrats to Dennis Martel and the Titans on the CCIW championship and a great run of success.

[Mr. Ypsi]

NPU is not going quietly - down 9-1 after 5.5 innings, they scored 4 in the bottom of the 6th (on 3 walks, 1 hit batter, 1 error, and 1 single!) and 3 more in the bottom of the 7th.  Now 9-8 entering the 8th.

Carthage jumped all over the Titans in the finale (up 14-1 after 3; coasting home 18-8 as both coaches cleared their benches), but the title was already taken.  Welcome to Bloomington!  (And I hope home field works a bit better than last year! )

[Mr. Ypsi]

Barring a miracle comeback, NPU's season may have effectively ended when they did in the 9th what Wheaton did in the 6th - VERY bad defense!  After getting the first Thunder batter out, the Vikes gave up a 3-base error, a hit batter, a stolen base, a sacrifice grounder to 2nd, and a wild pitch - 2 runs on NO hits.  (It could have been worse - they then yielded a single and two walks to load the bases again, before stiking out the next batter.)  Thunder lead 12-8 going to the bottom of the 9th.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I think Wheaton and NPU have been bought off by cardiac surgeons!  Bottom of the 9th, NPU down by 4, 2 outs, man on first - then single, walk, hit batter (forcing in a run), 2-run single ... alas, a fly-out ended the game just short at 12-11.

On to Bloomington!  1. IWU; 2. Carthage; 3 (probably) Augie; 4. Wheaton.  (Wheaton COULD still pass Augie for third seed, but are a game behind (and lose the tie-breaker) with each team having 3 games to go.)

Among the four tournament teams, ALL series went 2-1, with the sole exception of Carthage's sweep of Wheaton.  IWU went 6-3 (winning all three series, 2-1); Carthage also went 6-3; Augie was 4-5; Wheaton 2-7.  We'll see if that has any relevance next weekend.

For the NCAAs, I'd judge IWU and Carthage to already have bids locked up.  IF Augie sweeps Millikin (perhaps even if they win 2), they should probably be on the high side of the bubble if they win at least a game or two in the conference tourney.  A really intriguing possibility would be if Augie lost to Wheaton in the tourney final - could the CCIW actually send FOUR teams?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Augie swept Millikin today, 16-2 and 5-4, so it is now official: 3-seed Augie, 4-seed Wheaton.  So the first games next weekend will be Titans-Thunder and RedMen-Vikings.

[Ralph Turner]

I think Wheaton and NPU have been bought off by cardiac surgeons!  Bottom of the 9th, NPU down by 4, 2 outs, man on first - then single, walk, hit batter (forcing in a run), 2-run single ... alas, a fly-out ended the game just short at 12-11.

On to Bloomington!  1. IWU; 2. Carthage; 3 (probably) Augie; 4. Wheaton.  (Wheaton COULD still pass Augie for third seed, but are a game behind (and lose the tie-breaker) with each team having 3 games to go.)

Among the four tournament teams, ALL series went 2-1, with the sole exception of Carthage's sweep of Wheaton.  IWU went 6-3 (winning all three series, 2-1); Carthage also went 6-3; Augie was 4-5; Wheaton 2-7.  We'll see if that has any relevance next weekend.

For the NCAAs, I'd judge IWU and Carthage to already have bids locked up.  IF Augie sweeps Millikin (perhaps even if they win 2), they should probably be on the high side of the bubble if they win at least a game or two in the conference tourney.  A really intriguing possibility would be if Augie lost to Wheaton in the tourney final - could the CCIW actually send FOUR teams?

More damage to the Pool C chances around the country...UT-Tyler was knocked out of the ASC Tourney.