BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[mwunder]

All region awards contain several CCIW players.

http://cciw.org/spring_baseball/abcaallregion08.php

beat me by seven minutes!!


2008 ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Baseball Team (CCIW Members)



First Team

C   Mike Hughes

1B  Jason Acevado
   
2B Ricky Angel
   
3B  John Wagle
   
SS  Brian Kolb
   
OF  Marc Blakeley
Kraig Ladd
   
P Brent Kulavic
Jacob Husing
   


Second Team

SS  Mark Ramos
   
OF  Tim McInerney
Boe Baitinger
   
UT Eric Izzo   
Josh Weaver

P  Matt Aronson
Trace Ruffie
   
Third Team

C Zach Ernst

1B  Jim Deschamps

OF  Tom Rhein
Tyler Burback

DH Kevin Goshorn
   
UT  Luke Munch
   

[augie28]

Nocryinginbaseball,

Your comments are just crazy to blame the pitching staff's rough end on the pitching coach.  Their current pitching coach has been there for 4 years now and each season, except for this one, saw lower ERAs and higher strikeout totals than the two seasons prior to his arrival.

2008 - 5.07 ERA; 295 Ks; 142 BBs
2007 - 4.59 ERA; 305 Ks; 178 BBs
2006 - 3.36 ERA; 266 Ks; 133 BBs
2005 - 3.77 ERA; 260 Ks; 128 BBs
-----------------------
2004 - 4.75 ERA; 251 Ks; 133 BBs
2003 - 5.43 ERA; 264 Ks; 146 BBs

Having been there through that turnover, I can attest a large amount of that overall improvement to both his knowledge of the game and his workout regimine.

This was just one of those freak things in baseball.  Brandon Engle came into his senior year 17-8 with a career ERA around 3.20 in over 150 innings, so obviously he had been given the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed (and succeed regularly).  Unfortunately, he just had a rough go around his senior year and the rest of the staff seemed to follow.

[mr_b]

The All-CCIW selections are now on the web:

http://www.cciw.org/spring_baseball/2008bballconferenceteam1.htm

Congratulations to all the players who were selected!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Even as a fanatical Greenie, I'm a bit embarrassed that IWU had 9 of the 37 slots (including 6 of 16 on 1st team), though I can't really find anyone who was undeserving.  It took to the last day to beat out Carthage (who got only 5 total); I can't help wondering if voters were swayed a bit by the TWO year record (though, unlike last year, this year we did win the tourney).

Augie returns 5 of their 6 selectees (though you may have a one-year window - 4 of them will be seniors).  Will Carthage slip a bit?  3 of their 5 are seniors.  Alert to challengers: IWU returns 7 of the 9 next year (though 4 will be seniors).  Team on the rise?  NPU had four selections - 2 sophs and 2 freshmen!

Caveat: this assumes none of the juniors go pro.

[BigPoppa]

Every year people expect Carthage to slip a bit and they rarely do. They find a way to win. Acevado was a transfer at the semester this year and should be an all-american by the end of the week.

Kudos to North Park Coach luke Johnson for building his program for the future with youth and not relying on JC transfers for a quick fix. They should be solid in the years to come.

[Mr. Ypsi]

BP, I haven't followed baseball very long, but have checked the history.  I never expect the RedMen to slip; just wondering!

Since IWU has 7 all-conference players returning, Augie has 5 (including 4 seniors-to-be), and NPU has those 4 dynamic underclassmen, if Carthage ever falls to 4th (or below), next year may be the year (unless Perez pulls an '07 Aronson).  I'm looking forward to it.

[BigPoppa]

I already miss the CCIW baseball season.

[augie28]

Congrats to all the CCIW D3baseball.com all-americans

1st team -
Pos Name, School                   AVG  R  H   2B3BHRRBI SB-ATT FLD%
1B Jason Acevado, Carthage .464 60 83 19 6 13 66    4-4        .993
SS Brian Kolb, Wheaton (Ill.) .527 45 77 19  2  6 52   25-25     .988

3rd team -
3B John Wagle, Augustana .419   52 80 15 5 11 60    10-14    .942

Hon. Mention -
Pos Name, School                         ERA   W-L SV    IP      H    ER    BB  SO    B/Avg
P Brent Kulavic, Illinois Wesleyan 1.82   6-1   0   59.1   45   12   12   59   .205


Looking forward to next year, Augie has a majority of their players returning for the second straight year. 
They have 8 offensive starters returning who notched 150+ ABs and a .300+ avg.  All but catcher John Vezetti and DH Aaron Hopson also started the year before last.

On the mound, they will return Mike Pagano and Matt Erickson with two years of starting experience as well as all of their bullpen. 

This is a large group of players coming back who know how to win, but also know how it feels to lose (two years in a row in both the conference tourney and the regional championship game).  Should be something to look forward to.

[Gregory Sager]

As Chuck mentioned, NPU has a very nice underclassmen core in place, as sophomores Nick Marino (ss) and Tyler Burback (rf/dh) and freshmen Zach Deutscher (c/rhp) and Trevor Popp (3b/cf) all made the All-CCIW team. Four other Vikings -- juniors Sean Keane (2b) and Zach Laffey (rf/dh), sophomore Dan O'Donnell (lf), and freshman Angel Carrasco (3b) -- who were starting at the end of the season will also be back next year, and the catcher when Deutscher pitches, freshman Tyler Fitzsimmons, should be back as well. The key for the Vikings in the off-season will be to bolster the pitching staff, which was easily the weak link for NPU this season; North Park finished last in the CCIW in ERA and WHIP, both by a wide margin.

Luke Johnson's gotta get out there and find some arms, and his coaching staff will have to work hard to develop some better production from the arms that he already has in the fold.

[augie28]

I had my numbers wrong in my last comment - Augie has 8 players returning with 100+ ABs and a .300+ Avg.

[REDMENFAN]

I'd like to add my congrats to the All-Americans from the CCIW! Had Baitinger not missed 3-4 weeks and about 15 or so games (not sure exactly how many) I think he may have had a chance of being an AA.  He set the Carthage stolen base record for a season, and would've shattered it. He also had a great BA and OBP.  But, injuries happen, just would've loved to see his numbers had he not broke his wrist.

[REDMENFAN]

I already miss the CCIW baseball season.

It always seems to just fly by, whether as a player or a former player, especially once conference starts! BP, how's your team doing this season?

[BigPoppa]

I already miss the CCIW baseball season.

It always seems to just fly by, whether as a player or a former player, especially once conference starts! BP, how's your team doing this season?

We were vastly improved, but just missed the California playoffs. Next year will be our year as we were still quite young this season. Thanks for asking.

[nocryinginbaseball]

well augie28 and letsplay2,

what if the coach is calling the pitches?  i watched a lot of Augustana games this year and saw fastballs being thrown to hitters (swingers) that couldn't touch an off-speed pitch.  then is it the coaches fault?

[WLCALUM83]

Here's news on a recruit headed Carthage's direction:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=753684

("Other college choices", you may need to scroll down a bit.)