BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[bataviapete]

You guys need to check some box scores for CCIW games vs Aurora.  I don't think the CCIW teams saw AU best pitchers either.  I'd take Salter over anyone in the CCIW.  And it doesn't look like they faced any #8 starters either. 

[BigPoppa]

Weekend games are always about pitching and weekday(non-conference) games are all about offense. Wednesdays are usually full of 15-12 games and the weekends are full of 5-3 games. It is not a cut against either the CCIW or Aurora, just face the facts.

I think Aurora would be a great addition to the CCIW but one more team would have to be added to make it a 10 team league. Aurora would give the CCIW three legitimate top 25 team year in and year out. It would also hurt the chances for an extra at-large bid as extra losses for teams vs. Aurora would knock them down a peg in the regional rankings.

NP will not leave... they are a founding member of the conference. NP will be back in the CCIW race very soon. With the exception of IWU and Carthage, everyone has had some down years in the CCIW over the past 10-15 years... it happens, kids get hurt, recruits transfer, kids are not eligible... things happens and programs move on.

[titan missile]

You guys need to check some box scores for CCIW games vs Aurora.  I don't think the CCIW teams saw AU best pitchers either.  I'd take Salter over anyone in the CCIW.  And it doesn't look like they faced any #8 starters either. 

My point was that you can't hand a team a conference crown in baseball (as "bohdi5" was alluding to) based on weekday non-conference games.  It's not a fair judge for either team as pitching is a crap-shoot during the week.

[BigPoppa]

[quote author=titan missile link=topic=4218.msg473954#msg473954 date=113891343


My point was that you can't hand a team a conference crown in baseball (as "bohdi5" was alluding to) based on weekday non-conference games.  It's not a fair judge for either team as pitching is a crap-shoot during the week.

Agreed... there is a reason the games are played between the chalk lines.

[REDMENFAN]

Hey, first time poster here. Should be a great season of baseball. In my biased opinion, I would say Carthage is going to take the conference in a close race this year. They have four transfer outfielders who all swing the bat very well, one from illiinois state, one from a juco in california, and ones from lacrosse and oshkosh. Infield should be solid again with primarily the same players. As for the pitching, transferJon Olson should be the ace of the staff. I played with him for many years. Throws in the 88-91 mph range with a great slider and very rarely walks anyone. Evosovich has been great the last two years, and if sophomore Jacob Husing's arm is ready, he could be the top pitcher in the conference, he had quite a few scouts watching him last year as a freshman. I know IWU lost their 2 top pitchers, any word on if they've gotten any good pitching?

[cubs]

They have four transfer outfielders who all swing the bat very well, one from illiinois state, one from a juco in california, and ones from lacrosse and oshkosh.

What are the names of the guys that transferred from Oshkosh and LaCrosse??  Oshkosh didn't have any OF finish the season with an average above .297, so I really wonder what kind of impact this transfer will have.

[REDMENFAN]

The transfer from oshkosh was asked to try out pitching last year at oshkosh, that is the main reason he transfered is because he wanted to play a position. He played with the Kenosha Kings this summer along with some other carthage players and hit the ball well for most of the summer. Plus, Coughlin adds a lefty bat which Augie always loves.  I know the ? about Carthage is their outfield, but with Tyler Creekmore returning after a solid freshman season and the four transfers who will all be working with Jarvis Brown (Carthage's outfield/hitting coach, former big league player who won a ring with the Twins), they should be just fine. Can these guys be as good as Kyle Mallon, Ryan McCulley, Johnny Meier, Dennis Jackson, and Pat Brown?? Who knows, those were some outstanding D-3 outfielders in recent memory. But I'm sure the outfield won't be a "weak spot" for the redmen this year. A little more about olson, some of the players in the cciw may have faced him last summer. He pitched for the Kenosha Kings as well, and started the all star game the previous summer in the Norhwoods League representing the Madison Mallards.

[irish21]

David Hermes OF R/R 6-0 200 So.  Fort Atkinson, Wis. (Fort Atkinson/UW-La Crosse)

Steve Coughlin RF L/L 5-11 180 So. Sturtevant, Wis. (Salem-Westosha Central/UW-Oshkosh)

[BigPoppa]

Does the CCIW do a pre-season coaches poll for baseball? I know they do for hoops.

It looks like the poll on this page has IWU and Carthage as the favorites. Tradition would seem to agree:

CCIW Baseball Titles:
IWU- 20
Carthage- 12
North Central- 9
Millikin- 8
Elmhurst-7
North Park -4
Augustana- 3
Wheaton-1

[cubs]

David Hermes OF R/R 6-0 200 So.  Fort Atkinson, Wis. (Fort Atkinson/UW-La Crosse)

Steve Coughlin RF L/L 5-11 180 So. Sturtevant, Wis. (Salem-Westosha Central/UW-Oshkosh)

Don't you think if either of these guys were "impact" transfers they would have played a bit more for both UW LaCrosse or UW Oshkosh last season?? 

Heck, UWL was a 12-27-1 team last year, and Hermes could only crack the line-up for 9 games (6 starts) and 24 AB's, which included 8 K's (1 out of every 3 AB's.)  At the same time, I have to believe Lechnir saw something in the Fall that made him think Coughlin couldn't hit at the College level, especially with the lack of quality bats UWO had last season (again, no OF hit over .297.)

If Carthage is looking for either of these guys to make an impact this season, it could be an uncharacteristically long season for them.

[BigPoppa]

David Hermes OF R/R 6-0 200 So.  Fort Atkinson, Wis. (Fort Atkinson/UW-La Crosse)

Steve Coughlin RF L/L 5-11 180 So. Sturtevant, Wis. (Salem-Westosha Central/UW-Oshkosh)

Don't you think if either of these guys were "impact" transfers they would have played a bit more for both UW LaCrosse or UW Oshkosh last season?? 

Heck, UWL was a 12-27-1 team last year, and Hermes could only crack the line-up for 9 games (6 starts) and 24 AB's, which included 8 K's (1 out of every 3 AB's.)  At the same time, I have to believe Lechnir saw something in the Fall that made him think Coughlin couldn't hit at the College level, especially with the lack of quality bats UWO had last season (again, no OF hit over .297.)

If Carthage is looking for either of these guys to make an impact this season, it could be an uncharacteristically long season for them.

Carthage Baseball comes down to one thing position players... you better swing it well. Augie's "Hit-or-Sit" philosophy scares his guys into working very hard in the off-season to ensure they get quality playing time. It seems to be a good formula for them. It may not work everywhjere, but it certainly does at Carthage.

[cubs]

Carthage Baseball comes down to one thing position players... you better swing it well. Augie's "Hit-or-Sit" philosophy scares his guys into working very hard in the off-season to ensure they get quality playing time. It seems to be a good formula for them. It may not work everywhjere, but it certainly does at Carthage.

I totally agree with you.....  Lechnir is the same way, which makes me think Coughlin isn't going to have much of an impact as a hitter for Carthage.  Lechnir will find a place for you to play if you can hit, and live with the defensive struggles.  He had to have seen something last fall that made him switch Coughlin to a pitcher instead of a postion player.

[Sweetness]

Does the CCIW do a pre-season coaches poll for baseball? I know they do for hoops.

It looks like the poll on this page has IWU and Carthage as the favorites. Tradition would seem to agree:

CCIW Baseball Titles:
IWU- 20
Carthage- 12
North Central- 9
Millikin- 8
Elmhurst-7
North Park -4
Augustana- 3
Wheaton-1

The CCIW, doesn't have a pre-season poll for baseball, I think they should have one, what do you guys think?.

[BigPoppa]

I totally agree with you.....  Lechnir is the same way, which makes me think Coughlin isn't going to have much of an impact as a hitter for Carthage.  Lechnir will find a place for you to play if you can hit, and live with the defensive struggles.  He had to have seen something last fall that made him switch Coughlin to a pitcher instead of a postion player.

Does the name Jeff Zappa ring a bell... guy could flat out Mash and they stuck him in left field for four years to try get his bat in the game. I think he was a 3or 4 tima all-american at UWO (not bad teams at UWO... Jorgensen, Leider, Zappa and Jarrod Washburn, all 1st team All-Americans in 1995)

[cubs]

I totally agree with you.....  Lechnir is the same way, which makes me think Coughlin isn't going to have much of an impact as a hitter for Carthage.  Lechnir will find a place for you to play if you can hit, and live with the defensive struggles.  He had to have seen something last fall that made him switch Coughlin to a pitcher instead of a postion player.

Does the name Jeff Zappa ring a bell... guy could flat out Mash and they stuck him in left field for four years to try get his bat in the game. I think he was a 3or 4 tima all-american at UWO (not bad teams at UWO... Jorgensen, Leider, Zappa and Jarrod Washburn, all 1st team All-Americans in 1995)

Zappa was a two time All American in 95 and 96. 

Wouldn't you agree then that if Coughlin was much of a hitter, he'd have gotten a chance in the field for Lechnir??  I just have a hard time seeing him have much of an imapct for Augie.  Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but I wouldn't bet on it.