BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[REDMENFAN]

Big day for Steve Coughlin at the plate, a 2-run homer and 5 RBI's. Looking at the boxscore, it looks like Augie played a lot of guys like normal in a non-conference game. The top 3 pitchers split time today, so Wednesday Cardinal Stritch will see probably see 3 or 4 pitchers (none of the top 3) I'm guessing to keep guys sharp for the weekend in case some relievers are needed

[Sweetness]

The Blue Jays have a strong offense, they have reserves that can come off the bench and get the job done.  They also have a great pitching staff that could be the best in the CCIW, and amazing coaching staff.  I know with coach Jones in the driver seat, he will take his ball club deep into the post season this year.

[REDMENFAN]

The Blue Jays have a strong offense, they have reserves that can come off the bench and get the job done. They also have a great pitching staff that could be the best in the CCIW, and amazing coaching staff. I know with coach Jones in the driver seat, he will take his ball club deep into the post season this year.

I think Carthage, Wesleyan and Augustana might have something to say about that this year... I can't speak for Wesleyan and Augie, but I know right now Carthage's team ERA is under 2.00.

[TitanRailer]

To date, here at the statistics for the eight CCIW teams, based on each schools website.  I even updated Elmhursts stats after 3 weekend games with Wash U.

Elmhurst (5-4-1), ERA 4.14, team BA .263

IWU (8-3), ERA 4.14, team BA .322

Augie (10-2), ERA 4.03, team BA .336

Carthage (7-4), ERA 1.77, team BA .300

Wheaton (4-7), ERA 8.07, team BA .309

North Park (4-9) ERA 5.48, team BA .307

Millikin (3-3), ERA 4.89, team BA .335

North Central (1-2), ERA 4.76, team BA .303

Seems a little premature to state that Elmhurst has the best pitching staff in the CCIW.  Four best record, tied for third best ERA, LAST in team BA and not even close, I wouldn't promote deep post-season success just yet.  Let's play a few conference games first.     

[REDMENFAN]

TitanTrailer thanks for the info!! So far it looks like all the teams are hitting pretty well as a team.  All schools .300 or better except for 1. I think the difference so far for teams like Augie and IWU is that they seem to be getting the key hits when runners are in scoring position, whereas it sounds like NP is struggling with that and I know Carthage did a few games down in Florida. Excited for conference play to start this weekend and see the Redmen for my first time this year take on North Central in a DH Saturday in Kenosha...hopefully the weather isn't too nasty!

[augie_superfan]

Sweetness...you've got to be kidding me.  The season is only a few weeks old and you are touting that a 5-4-1 team will go deep into the postseason?  How are we supossed to take your comments seriously the rest of the season?

[Sweetness]

Sweetness...you've got to be kidding me. The season is only a few weeks old and you are touting that a 5-4-1 team will go deep into the postseason? How are we supossed to take your comments seriously the rest of the season?

To date, here at the statistics for the eight CCIW teams, based on each schools website. I even updated Elmhursts stats after 3 weekend games with Wash U.

Elmhurst (5-4-1), ERA 4.14, team BA .263

IWU (8-3), ERA 4.14, team BA .322

Augie (10-2), ERA 4.03, team BA .336

Carthage (7-4), ERA 1.77, team BA .300

Wheaton (4-7), ERA 8.07, team BA .309

North Park (4-9) ERA 5.48, team BA .307

Millikin (3-3), ERA 4.89, team BA .335

North Central (1-2), ERA 4.76, team BA .303

Seems a little premature to state that Elmhurst has the best pitching staff in the CCIW. Four best record, tied for third best ERA, LAST in team BA and not even close, I wouldn't promote deep post-season success just yet. Let's play a few conference games first.

This Blue Jays team believes they can go deep into the post season.  Something they didn't have last year.  I know it's early in the season, and their batting average doesn't show it now, but give them some time.

[REDMENFAN]

"This Blue Jays team believes they can go deep into the post season.  Something they didn't have last year.  I know it's early in the season, and their batting average doesn't show it now, but give them some time. "

Its great they have confidence and believe in their team, but the CCIW is a very tough Conference, and you're talking about a team that didn't even make the conference tournament last year. When you say they can make it deep into the playoffs, are you saying they can possibly make the conference tournament this year? Or are you saying that they can get past the conference tournament and make it to regionals or possibly even the D-3 world series?? Remeber, there aren't many at large bids out there, and with Carthage, IWU, and Augustana, I don't see Elmhurst having much of a chance to win the CCIW this year. Winning the conference tournament doesn't give you an automatic birth to regionals either. Our conference is ran on a points system. A few years back, Carthage went into the tournament already having earned the automatic bid to regionals without even having to win a game (they still won the tourney that year.) I think its great Elmhurst has an improving team, but I don't hear NP fans saying North Park is going deep in the playoffs and has the best this and best that. All they are saying is that they are improving, with the understanding that a few wins and confidence doesn't  automatically get you deep into the playoffs.

[Bstar21]

I guess we will see how good they are this weekend when  Elmhurst has to play Augustana.  Augie is just starting to play good....I watched them for the first time this weekend vs. Monmouth and a couple of their main hitters are strugglin, but their pitching is amazing.

[BigPoppa]

This Blue Jays team believes they can go deep into the post season.  Something they didn't have last year.  I know it's early in the season, and their batting average doesn't show it now, but give them some time.

Just believing you can do it does not get the job done... I see the conference this way... It always comes down to pitching. You can talk about hitting all you want, but consistent pitching is, and always has been, the key to baseball. Ask the Texas Rangers!

[BigPoppa]

Winning the conference tournament doesn't give you an automatic birth to regionals either. Our conference is ran on a points system.

Redmenfan... I think they actually changed the system this year. The regular season champ wins the title and has the option to choose where the tourney will be played. The CCIW Tourney champ gets the NCAA Automatic Bid.... just like hoops. It should make for an exciting tourney. Who ever wins the league should have a shot at an at-large bid(if they do not win the tourney) as the CCIW is a strong conference.

[REDMENFAN]

I knew about the change in basketball but not baseball. What are some opinions about this? I think its good for the most part, but if you are in 1st place by lets say 5-6 games after 21 conference games, and don't win the conference tourney and then don't receive an at large bid, that is a tough pill to swallow. I really think that in baseball, more than any other sport, that a decent team can beat a team better than them on any given day.

[augie_superfan]

I'm not really a fan of the changes if that is the case.  Too many things can happen during that conference tourney weekend.  You can play 6 great weekends of baseball and then the 7th weekend could end your season just like that.  Maybe the conference is thinking that this is a way to get a second team into the tourney like was the case with the basketball tourney.  I just really hope that the point system is still in effect. 

[augie_superfan]

New poll is out...

Augie is #17
Carthage is #29 (tied)
IWU receives no votes

[Gregory Sager]

To date, here at the statistics for the eight CCIW teams, based on each schools website.  I even updated Elmhursts stats after 3 weekend games with Wash U.

North Central (1-2), ERA 4.76, team BA .303

Those numbers don't reflect North Central's Arizona trip. The Arizona results are now posted on the NCC website. The Cardinals are now 4-6, with a team ERA of 6.70 and a team BA of .287.

Their team ERA could be worse than it actually is. The Cards had their jocks handed to them by top-ranked College of New Jersey, 23-4, and they also gave up double-digit runs to Johns Hopkins (17-5) and Williams (10-0). The 19 errors committed by the Napervillains in their first ten games have helped keep that team ERA below the stratosphere to a merely Rockies-bad level.

Early-season statistics are inherently deceptive, because CCIW teams play wildy varying levels of non-conference competition. North Central's played some very tough opponents -- College of New Jersey roughs up everybody, although the Cards were one of their most humiliated victims, and Johns Hopkins (12-3-1) and Williams (6-3) are off to good starts. I'm not sure that there's much to be gained from simply posting team stats at this early stage, since comparisons can be deceiving without knowing the caliber of the opposition for each respective CCIW team.

Perhaps it will be a little easier to gauge Elmhurst if you look at the records of the teams that the 'jays have played thus far:

Macalester (lost to and tied Elmhurst), 6-4
St. Olaf (split with Elmhurst), 5-2
Hanover (split with Elmhurst), 9-4
Rhodes (beat Elmhurst), 17-8
Washington MO (lost two of three to Elmhurst), 17-4
Coe (beat Elmhurst), 10-8

All six teams that have played the 'jays have winning records, and they own a cumulative 64-30 mark. Elmhurst has gone 5-5 against those six teams, scoring only four fewer runs (56-60) than those opponents. It appears at first blush that Elmhurst has held its own against some solid competition.