BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, I hate to bring up this topic again, but your favorite pitcher continues to struggle against the top offensive teams in the conference. Of the top three offensive teams in the conference, North Park has played two so far with the Carthage series next weekend.  In those two starts, his line is:
11 IP, 17hits, 14 runs, 13 er, 11 bb, and 12 k's. I want to make this clear; I am not saying he isn't a good pitcher, just don't see how you can say he is having as good of a season this year as last. He has performed very well against the weaker opponents and struggled against the better offenses.

Carthage SID Steve Marovich hasn't posted a box score for yesterday's NPU win over the Red Men on the Carthage website yet, but his game recap states that Mike Giovenco got the win and Carthage only had three hits on the day.

I think that we can put to rest the idea that Giovenco struggles against good offenses.

[mr_b]

North Central defeated IWU 4-1 in game one of Saturday's DH.  That clinches the CCIW title for the Cardinals, since they hold the tiebreaker over North Park. Congratulations to the Cardinals, and we look forward to facing you again in next week's tournament!

[ChiSoxMan]

It doesn't clinch the CCIW title, just the seeding for the tournament. There is no tie-breaker for the conference title; rather, they have co-champions. However, for tournament seeding, they utilize tie-breakers.

[mr_b]

It doesn't clinch the CCIW title, just the seeding for the tournament. There is no tie-breaker for the conference title; rather, they have co-champions. However, for tournament seeding, they utilize tie-breakers.

Thanks for the clarification on that.  IWU managed a split in game two, so the co-championship is still in play pending the outcome of tomorrow's contests.

[ChiSoxMan]

Tomorrow's Carthage @ NPU ought to be interesting. They're usually high scoring affairs there, too!

[sherlockholmes]

Wheaton ends the year on a positive note setting the school record for wins at 24. Hard to imagine that setting such a record happens on the day the season ends with no post season possibility. Kinda sums up the season for the Thunder though, some good some not so good. Brian Kolb also becomes the all-time hits leader in the CCIW after going 3-4 in game 2 of the doubleheader with Elmhurst. Wheaton figures to be back in the mix next year as well. While they lose a good number of arms, Kolb and Josh Weaver are the only losses from a potent lineup. Both will be sorely missed but it wouldnt surprise me if Wheaton bounces back for a strong 2011 campaign

[RedmanFan35]

I really hope none of us, posters, get too excited or too upset with this weekends results. There's no clearcut favorite in the CCIW and the 4 teams are set. It's anyones tournament come Thursday and I'd like to think, playoff experience is going to play a Big part

[RedmanFan35]

North Central defeated IWU 4-1 in game one of Saturday's DH.  That clinches the CCIW title for the Cardinals, since they hold the tiebreaker over North Park. Congratulations to the Cardinals, and we look forward to facing you again in next week's tournament!

[BlueJay Boy]

North Park vs Carthage on Sunday = U G L Y

in the 3 game series with North Park the Redman committ 16 errors

[BigPoppa]

I really hope none of us, posters, get too excited or too upset with this weekends results. There's no clearcut favorite in the CCIW and the 4 teams are set. It's anyones tournament come Thursday and I'd like to think, playoff experience is going to play a Big part

I think NCC is the favorite. They have beaten everybody all season long. Still, this might be the most wide open CCIW tourney in many, many years.

[droppinbombs47]

I think NCC is the favorite. They have beaten everybody all season long. Still, this might be the most wide open CCIW tourney in many, many years.

I can't wait to head out to Naperville to see this years tournamentt it is going to be some great baseball.  Does anyone from here plan on making the trip out to watch the games any of the days?

[jigsaw54]

I think NCC is the favorite. They have beaten everybody all season long. Still, this might be the most wide open CCIW tourney in many, many years.

I can't wait to head out to Naperville to see this years tournamentt it is going to be some great baseball.  Does anyone from here plan on making the trip out to watch the games any of the days?

Yea I should be out there for Friday and Saturday at least might not make Thursday.  Your right droppinbombs it's going to be some great baseball.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park vs Carthage on Sunday = U G L Y

in the 3 game series with North Park the Redman committ 16 errors

The second game of yesterday's doubleheader was certainly ugly; Carthage committed seven errors and both teams hit like the ball was laid on a tee. But the first game was a well-played contest; Pete Sparacino pitched a complete-game five-hitter for NPU, and Eric Rohe was pitching well for Carthage in response until he tired in the seventh and the Vikings touched him up for four runs. Only three errors were committed between the two teams in that first game, two by Carthage and one by the Park.

Sparacino ends the regular season 8-1 overall and 6-0 in CCIW play.

I'm not sure, but I think that this is the first time that North Park has taken the season series from Carthage since the league went to the present format in 1999.

[BigPoppa]

I'm not sure, but I think that this is the first time that North Park has taken the season series from Carthage since the league went to the present format in 1999.

You are correct, Greg. NPU beat once in 2001 and once in 1999. NPU winning twince this weekend against the Redmen equaled their total from the last eleven seasons. Great work by NPU.

This is setting up to be a wide-open CCIW race for the Pool A bid right now. I am not sure where I see NPU in the Pool C chances, but a deep run this weekend will only help them. They should leapfrog Carthage this week and position themselves for a potential Pool C, if needed. I think Carthage needs to win it to get into the dance... same with IWU.

[Gregory Sager]

This is what the preseason coaches poll predicted, and this is how the CCIW actually played out:

team	pts	1st	team	W-L	GB
1. Carthage	47	5	1. North Central	17-4	--
2. Illinois Wesleyan	42	2	2. North Park	15-6	2
3. Wheaton	40	1	3. Carthage	13-8	4
4. Augustana	29	0	4. Illinois Wesleyan	12-9	5
5. North Central	25	0	5. Wheaton	10-11	7
6. North Park	20	0	6. Augustana	8-13	9
7. Millikin	11	0	7. Millikin	5-16	12
8. Elmhurst	10	0	8. Elmhurst	4-17	13

That's pretty poor prognosticating, although the CCIW's baseball coaches have a long way to go to match the record of futility of their basketball counterparts when it comes to preseason coaches polls. To be fair, though, in the past the CCIW has been (as several of us have pointed out) a drearily predictable baseball league from year to year as compared to other CCIW-sponsored sports. It's why their being off so badly this year seems so glaring. And at least they got the bottom two right!