BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[REDMENFAN]

Article from today's Kenosha News about the Carthage/IWU series. Also, on the front page of D3baseball.com there is a picture of Will Hodges and a recap of the series as well. 

http://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/hodges_hits_carthage_to_victory_7725648.html

[Gregory Sager]

It appears that the Little Brass Bell could be heating up for the baseball side of things!  Wheaton has shown itself to be up and competing well against the top teams each of the last two years, but it's hard to say that NCC hasn't established itself as a contender with an 18-3 record and sweeping Augustana.  I think Augie might have lost a bit from last year, but I would hardly call that a fluke.  It's pretty impressive actually, to make that drastic of a turn around... You don't see it very often.  They would be restoring a sound history of baseball at NCC.  I believe it used to be top notch!

North Central hasn't played Augie yet. As hetfieldisgod88 pointed out, it was North Park that swept Augie this past weekend.

NCC (17-3) will have their season decided by how they fare against the "powers" of the CCIW: Carthage, Augustana, IWU and Wheaton.  At this point, they have not played the top half of the CCIW, but still they are playing solid baseball and I am rewarding them by placing them in my poll this week.

At this point, I don't think you can say that Augustana is a "power" in the CCIW. Nor is it in the top half of the league:

team	CCIW	overall
North Central	7-1	18-3
Wheaton	5-2	18-5
North Park	5-2	16-7
Carthage	5-2	13-8
Ill. Wesleyan	5-3	10-11
Augustana	2-6	14-8
Millikin	1-7	4-18
Elmhurst	0-7	3-16

North Central has played one team that's currently in the top half of the CCIW, North Park.

It's still too early to say anything definitive, but yank52 could be right about the CCIW having a changing of the guard this season.

[BigPoppa]

I agree about Augustna not being much of a "power" right now, but they are still only two weeks removed from being nationally ranked.

[Mugsy]

I agree about Augustna not being much of a "power" right now, but they are still only two weeks removed from being nationally ranked.

True enough about being 2 weeks removed national ranking, but early season rankings often are skewed by previous year performance and expectations.  Most years there are a couple of teams in the top 25 of any D3 sport early in the season that do not live up to the ranking. So the question at this point is:

Is Augie truly a contender for the 2010 season or is it based more on their 2009 season and who they had returning for 2010?

[BigPoppa]

They were not in anyone's pre-season poll, but a 12-0 start quickly changed that. I had them 4th/5th in the CCIW in my preview.

[Mugsy]

They were not in anyone's pre-season poll, but a 12-0 start quickly changed that. I had them 4th/5th in the CCIW in my preview.

Thanks for the clarification.  I'm newer to the CCIW BB scene, since Wheaton has actually had teams worth following for the past few seasons.

[Mr. Ypsi]

They were not in anyone's pre-season poll, but a 12-0 start quickly changed that. I had them 4th/5th in the CCIW in my preview.

Thanks for the clarification.  I'm newer to the CCIW BB scene, since Wheaton has actually had teams worth following for the past few seasons.

The master of understatement.  Until a couple of years ago, Wheaton had THE worst baseball program in the conference.

It's interesting how the richest school in the CCIW could turn things around so quickly once they decided to.  Did you outbid the Yankees for some of the players?

[warrior35]

Thanks for correcting me folks.  Apparently I got in a bit of a rush.  Funny joke, Mr. Ypsi.  You might also be interested to know that the change in the Wheaton baseball program had nothing to do with money, but a change in culture of the team.  But, I guess if you'd prefer your money theory you can go for it... just know that money had literally ZERO to do with what's happened with Wheaton baseball, although it could be a part of what takes Wheaton to the next level.  Driggers was a great hire for Wheaton, and it was exactly when they needed a guy like him.  It'd be interesting to see if IWU or Carthage could maintain their "power" in D3 if they didn't have the facilities they have.  While facilities aren't everything, it does mean something...

[The General Public]

Wheaton usually (meaning the past 5 years) had good incoming freshman...they just didn't last long because they did not want to deal with Coach Elder.

[warrior35]

Wow, that's a bold statement General Public.  I'd be interested to hear where you get your information to make such a broad generalization.  Regardless, Coach Elder was still the person that turned the program around...

[The General Public]

Not bold. Very truthful. Many of the talented players that left Wheaton were due to having problems him.  Elder did play a key role in turning the program around but players win games, not coaches.

[norfrank]

Wow, that's a bold statement General Public.  I'd be interested to hear where you get your information to make such a broad generalization.  Regardless, Coach Elder was still the person that turned the program around...

\

You must be related to him

[ChiSoxMan]

Not bold. Very truthful. Many of the talented players that left Wheaton were due to having problems him.  Elder did play a key role in turning the program around but players win games, not coaches.

But when the teams lose, the coaches are the first to go. One need only to look at Brian Michalak and Clark Jones of North Central College and Elmhurst College, respectively. Both got the axe when their teams piled up too many losses.

[thunder38]

First of all I want to be the first to congratulate Wheaton for cracking the Top 25 for the first time in program history and being the only ranked CCIW team this week at #24.

That being said this is not the week to rest on their laurels because it's moving week in the CCIW.  We're going to have a lot better picture of the contenders after this week shakes out.  Here's this week's conference schedule:

April 14
Illinois Wesleyan @ Augie 7 PM
Wheaton @ Carthage (DH) Noon
North Park @ Elmhurst (DH) 1 PM
Millikin @ North Central 2 PM

April 16
Illinois Wesleyan @ Wheaton 5 PM

April 17
Augie @ Elmhurst 1 PM
Carthage @ North Central (DH) Noon
Wheaton @ Illinois Wesleyan 1 PM
Millikin @ North Park 1 PM

April 18
Elmhurst @ Augie 1 PM
North Central @ Carthage 1 PM
Millikin @ North Park Noon


It looks like it's gonna be Johnny Wholestaff on the hill for the Thunder this week with five conference games in four days.  This might be a case where they might be hoping for rain one to take care of one of those doubleheaders.

Touching on the Augie subject that was brought up several posts up...after seeing all three games of the Wheaton-Augie doubleheader you can definitely see the talent for the Vikings.  However 12-2 nonconference is a completely different horse than this year's CCIW.  As young as they are it's impressive that they had that kind of start and they're definitely going to be a team to look out for next year but I see them fading more and more as the season goes on.  I wouldn't be shocked to see Elmhurst break into the conference win column this weekend.

Also, we're finally going to see what North Central really has this week.  They've been bottom feeders so far this year but they're going into a brutal stretch now where they face Carthage, Wheaton, Augie, and Wesleyan in the next four weekends.  I think their bats are ready for the test but it's their arms that are gonna be put to the fire in the next month.

I'd have to trust some of you more experienced posters but I'm not sure the CCIW has seen a week like this in a long time.

[letsplay2]

Since it is farily evident that The General Public is either a friend, family member, or even a player involved in the mass exodus of players during the Coach Elder era at Wheaton, it is pretty safe to say his opinion is very tainted. 

I will tell you this, and I know warrior can back me up, that I am 100% sure that Wheaton's recent success... and especially the 2008 team that finally cracked 20 wins... would have never reached the level it's at had the "talented" freshman never quit.  I am friends personally with a few of the guys that quit the team, and I mean absolutely no slight towards them personally, because I think they are great guys, but it takes a certain type of attitude to buy into a program, regardless of whether you are a fan of the coach or not.  That is what the 2008 team had with Coach Elder, and it only continues to grow stronger with Coach Driggers.  I'll be the first to admit that I was not a big fan of Coach Elder, but every single player on that team bought into the program and each other, and that plus the talent we had is exactly what the Coach Elder teams in the past were missing.