BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Gregory Sager · March 27, 2013, 07:49:56 PM

Thanks, Ralph!

BigPoppa · March 29, 2013, 04:34:22 PM

Game One:
North Central- 4
Carthage-2

Looks to be a long season for the Redmen as they fall to 5-8.

Gregory Sager · April 01, 2013, 05:20:19 PM

The first weekend of CCIW play is now in the books. North Park and Illinois Wesleyan sit atop the standings, as both completed sweeps; NPU took down Millikin by scores of 10-4, 5-3, and 4-0, while IWU erased Wheaton by 4-2, 7-2, and 13-12. North Central is in third, as the Cardinals sandwiched 4-2 and 11-1 wins over Carthage around an 11-3 loss to the Red Men; and Elmhurst and Augustana split on Friday, EC winning the opener, 4-3, and AC winning the nightcap, 6-5. The rubber game between the two has been postponed indefinitely.

Nick Vidas threw a gem for NPU today at Sunnyside Park in Decatur, hurling a complete-game five-hit shutout. He's now 3-1, 0.67 on the year, and opponents are hitting only .196 off of him in 27 innings pitched.

Millikin's a better team than it has been in recent years. The Big Blue actually have some halfway-decent pitching. They're not going to finish in the first division, but they'll be a tougher out than they've been.

BigPoppa · April 02, 2013, 11:31:57 AM

Looking forward to watching the Carthage/NPU battle today via live-stats. It will also be the innaugural game at Carthage Augie Schmidt Field.

Predictions?

I am curious to see who each team runs out to the mound today... both coming off a three game weekend series. Will Friday's starters be ready to go today?

D3Vike11 · April 02, 2013, 01:08:19 PM

Quote from: BigPoppa on April 02, 2013, 11:31:57 AM
Looking forward to watching the Carthage/NPU battle today via live-stats. It will also be the innaugural game at Carthage Augie Schmidt Field.

Predictions?

I am curious to see who each team runs out to the mound today... both coming off a three game weekend series. Will Friday's starters be ready to go today?

I suspect Soldano and Silverthorne will be starting today. Soldano threw only 4 2/3 innings on Friday while Silverthorne only threw 5 2/3 as well. Going to be a good series!

BigPoppa · April 02, 2013, 01:37:00 PM

I am not sure it will be a good series today... I think NPU overpowers Carthage today and sweeps. You have no idea of how that hurts me to say that, but I am a realist who sees with his eyes, not his heart. I'd be happy with a split today.

BigPoppa · April 02, 2013, 09:24:01 PM

Carthage and NPU split today's DH. I am happy with that result. While Carthage is struggling a bit, they ARE 2-3 in CCIW play vs two teams that I had in the league's top three this season.

Gregory Sager · April 03, 2013, 02:14:34 PM

I'm not happy with yesterday's result, and I can guarantee that Luke Johnson was fuming over it. Carthage came from behind to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the nightcap against NPU. The winning run reached on a throwing error, and, with two outs and the bases loaded, that winning run came home on a HBP.

I tip my cap to the Red Men for sticking to it and not giving up, but that was a game in which NPU spit out the bit and threw away what should've been a win and a road doubleheader sweep.

Gregory Sager · April 03, 2013, 08:57:46 PM

Incidentally, Carthage coach Augie Schmidt is in the midst of a five-game suspension that will cover Carthage's Saturday twinbill at Augustana as well. The NCAA has a new rule that coach ejections will result in an automatic two-game suspension, and three extra games were tacked on to the suspension as well. The article by Carthage SID Steve Marovich linked to above states that Schmidt was suspended the extra three games for failing to be out of "sight and sound" of the field following his ejection in the second game of Friday's doubleheader against North Central; what I heard, which comes secondhand from Carthage folks via a North Park fan who was up in Kenosha on Tuesday for the NPU @ CC doubleheader, was that there was a bat-throwing tantrum by Schmidt after his ejection that entered into it.

Kind of a shame that he was not allowed to be in the Carthage ballpark on the day that it was newly renamed in honor of his father.

BigPoppa · April 03, 2013, 09:51:14 PM

I saw that scroll across Twitter this afternoon. Coaches getting tossed is, and always has been, a part of the game. I have no problem with the ejection... the NCAA adding on three games is part I don't understand. Carthage is struggling a bit and, apparently, it is showing a bit in Augie's demeanor.

BigPoppa · April 04, 2013, 11:05:06 AM

Found this blast form the past... while Augie out for a few games, we can still enjoy his U of New Orleans pic:

http://web.usabaseball.com/goldenspikes/images/past_winners/schmidt_augie_195.jpg

Mr. Ypsi · April 06, 2013, 04:54:21 PM

Strange first game in B'town: after NCC took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth, the Titans scored five runs on ONE hit! After getting the first two outs, 3 Card pitchers totally imploded with a double, 2 hit batters, 4 walks, and the final indignity - balking in the winning (losing) run. (OUCH! Even a Greenie can feel sympathy after that!)

With one more this afternoon and one tomorrow, the Titans currently stand at 6-0, the Cards fall to 3-3.

Mr. Ypsi · April 06, 2013, 07:28:05 PM

Titans win the nightcap, 7-4. IWU moves to 7-0, Cards fall to 3-4.

I'm starting to dream of the conference seasons of 2007 (20-1), or at least 2005 or 2008 (both 18-3), though I'd gladly give them up for the post-season of 2010 (barely limped into the conference tourney, #4 seed by winning several at the end, then won the walnut-and-bronze).

I am NOT predicting anything (nor even really expecting any reruns), but a guy can DREAM!

Gregory Sager · April 06, 2013, 07:39:07 PM

NPU ended up taking two out of three from Wheaton this weekend. The Vikings beat WC in the opener at Holmgren yesterday, 9-2, but lost the nightcap, 6-3. The change of venue to Carol Stream today apparently helped the Vikings get their mojo back, as they slaughter-ruled Wheaton by a score of 15-5.

I don't consider it a successful weekend, though; Wheaton's not good, and anything less than a sweep of the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance has to be viewed as a disappointment. NPU's struggling with a lot of injuries right now, and it's visibly having an effect upon the ability of the Vikings to get the job done. The bright spot was the continued excellence of reigning CCIW Pitcher of the Week Nick Vidas. He threw a complete game yesterday in Game One, holding Wheaton to six hits and two runs, only one of them earned, and he didn't walk anybody. North Park, incidentally, swept the CCIW player awards last week, as Kyle Williams was the CCIW Hitter of the Week.

Augie swept Carthage today in the QC, 15-4 and 5-2, and Illinois Wesleyan swept North Central, 10-9 and 7-4. Elmhurst skunked Millikin in the opener of their doubleheader in the western suburbs by a score of 20-7. The second game was rained out and will be played tomorrow as part of a doubleheader.

voiceofseason · April 06, 2013, 10:53:27 PM

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on April 06, 2013, 04:54:21 PM
Strange first game in B'town: after NCC took a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth, the Titans scored five runs on ONE hit! After getting the first two outs, 3 Card pitchers totally imploded with a double, 2 hit batters, 4 walks, and the final indignity - balking in the winning (losing) run. (OUCH! Even a Greenie can feel sympathy after that!)

With one more this afternoon and one tomorrow, the Titans currently stand at 6-0, the Cards fall to 3-3.

What is even more ironic is that the balk came by the reliever before he even threw a pitch. It's the first time I've ever seen such a thing. Couldn't stay for game 2, but obviously happy with the result.

Crazy ending to game 1.