BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

REDMENFAN · March 28, 2006, 08:59:00 AM

Even though it doesn't mean much at this point, congratulations to Augustana and Carthage on their rankings. How is IWU not receiving any votes?? I haven't seen the poll yet, where I tried to look this morning they still had the preseason poll listed. I thought Wesleyan was 8-3 or something like that with some impressive wins. If they really dropped completely out of the poll that makes absolutely no sense to me

augie_superfan · March 28, 2006, 09:35:32 AM

I think getting swept by Coe on the weekend really hurt....although I do agree that the poll does not mean too much.

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 02:49:39 PM

Quote from: augie_superfan on March 27, 2006, 10:59:50 PM
New poll is out...

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

I am shocked to see that IWU received no votes... I thought for sure they would stay close to the top with the start they had against some tough teams down south.

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 04:09:11 PM

I am befuddled as to how an 8-3 IWU team gets no votes, not even in the region and a 5-4-1 Elmhurst team get the #6 Central Region ranking?

I also think that Carthage is a bit high right now in the region considering that Washinton University(SLIAC) is 17-4...

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 05:05:32 PM

NCAA Central Region rankings:

1. Wartburg (12-5)
2. Augustana (11-4)
3. Simpson (7-1)
4. Carthage (7-4)
5. Washington (17-4)
6. Elmhurst (5-4-1)

Interestingly, IWU(8-3) was left out of the regional ranking. Anyone have any thoughts on this regional ranking?

augie_superfan · March 28, 2006, 06:49:34 PM

Where did you get those regional rankings? I don't think they are from the NCAA b/c they usually don't put them out until mid April I think. So if they are not the NCAA's, then they mean absolutely nothing. By the way, Augie is only 10-2 so they don't even have the right info.

These polls are worthless at this point in the season.

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 06:59:40 PM

Here is the link... it is the second page of the ABCA NCAA D3 Baseball Poll:

Click on today's date and scroll down to the regional rankings...

http://www.muhlenberg.edu/sports/abcapoll.html

augie_superfan · March 28, 2006, 08:23:57 PM

Thanks BigPoppa....I didn't even realize there was a 2nd page on that document. I only looked at the national poll.

Gregory Sager · March 28, 2006, 08:31:30 PM

North Park fell to Dominican today, 3-1. The Vikings' bats have gone ice-cold since they returned from Arizona.

Quote from: BigPoppa on March 28, 2006, 04:09:11 PMI also think that Carthage is a bit high right now in the region considering that Washinton University(SLIAC) is 17-4...

Wash U is in the UAA (Chicago, Case Western, NYU, Rochester, etc.), not the SLIAC.

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 08:36:18 PM

My fault on the Wash U in the SLIAC thing... I never verified it. Thanks for catching it.

What exactly is the UAA? I have heard of it a few times, but the schools seem too spread out to be an actual conference.

Gregory Sager · March 28, 2006, 08:53:34 PM

Quote from: BigPoppa on March 28, 2006, 08:36:18 PMWhat exactly is the UAA? I have heard of it a few times, but the schools seem too spread out to be an actual conference.

No, it's an actual, eight-member, all-sports conference. It's one of two "plane" conferences in D3 (as opposed to "bus or van" conferences), but the member schools can afford all that air travel in their athletic department budgets, since they're all richer than Croesus. I think that the smallest endowment among the eight members is $600m, or something like that. I'll bet that there are countries in Africa whose gross national product can't match the University of Chicago's endowment.

All eight UAA members are private, medium-sized research universities that are considered among America's academic elite. That sets them apart from most D3 members, since D3 tends to be dominated by small liberal arts colleges such as the eight that make up the CCIW.

The eight UAA members (Brandeis, NYU, Rochester, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Case Western, Chicago, and Wash U) are spread out among D3's various regions, but UAA contests are considered to be regional games as well by D3.

BigPoppa · March 28, 2006, 09:05:06 PM

Sager... thanks for the info... Just when you think you know it all....

augie_superfan · March 28, 2006, 11:21:32 PM

I think the only time they play in baseball is some weekend round-robin tourney down in Florida....happened a few weeks ago. So, it is a conference, but not really when it comes to baseball.

TitanRailer · March 29, 2006, 12:32:45 PM

I can't imagine one voter or poster on this board really thinks IWU is the fourth best team in the conference. It all gets started this weekend!

REDMENFAN · March 29, 2006, 01:49:38 PM

Quote from: TitanRailer on March 29, 2006, 12:32:45 PM
I can't imagine one voter or poster on this board really thinks IWU is the fourth best team in the conference. It all gets started this weekend!

Not anyone who follows the CCIW would think that, that's for sure. I finally get to see the Redmen in action today for my first time in a non conference game against Cardinal Stritch. Carthage will probably throw 3 or 4 pitchers (none of their top 3). This will be their final tune-up before conference starts this weekend against North Central. I'm sure if IWU gets a sweep this weekend, they'll probably be right back in the new poll that comes out April 3rd. Even though we all kind of agree that a poll with only 7 voters may not mean much, it would still be nice to have 3 teams from the conference hopefully all be in the top 25 at one point this season at the same time.