BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

The comment about Luke winning the COY in 2006 with an 8-13 and a tie for 4th place was intended to show that he won the award with a very mediocre season.  Off of the top of my head (not really wanting to try and look back), I do not recall any outrage for him winning.  Obviously, it was a dramatic improvement from the previous season, but I still think it was a mediocre season.

Aside from arguing the merits of the 2006 award (why wouldn't the improvement from gut-wrenchingly horrible to mediocre be worthy of a COY award?), I'm still trying to fathom your reasoning here. Are you saying that NPU fans should not show outrage if Luke fails to win in 2011 because no opposition fans showed outrage when he won in 2006? That's the same sort of balancing-out thesis that I thought you were putting forth in the first place. 

In regards to the CCIW preseason coaches poll, I do not think that the coaches put that much thought into it.  I have had an opportunity to talk to a couple of the coaches in the league and they have said they typically go off of history. Why in the world would the coaches pick a team that finished fourth in the conference the previous year, go into the conference tournament with a 19-19 record, and lost 4 of their top 5 pitchers, to win the conference in the preseason poll if they really looked at the teams closely?

You answered your own question. If the CCIW coaches use history as their primary rationale in sorting out the league in the preseason poll, then their selection of IWU for first is obviously a tribute to the esteem in which they hold Dennis Martel's coaching acumen and their belief in his ability to consistently win CCIW ballgames year in and year out.

But, again, the poll is what it is. For the sake of consistency and integrity, the coaches need to follow through and make sure that the coach whose team they picked to finish sixth but whose team instead won a co-championship is properly rewarded with the COY.

[BigPoppa]

IWU and NCC tied at 3 in the third in the opening game of the CCIW tourney. IWU is throwing Pankau while NCC countered with Rashid.

I am curious to see who Carthage and NPU send to the mound tonight. Does either roll the dice and save a guy for the second round?

[Mr. Ypsi]

At the end of 6, IWU 4, NCC 3, with Pankau and Rashid still duelling.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Those pesky Cardinals refuse to go away, tying the game in the 7th.  After 7, it is 4-4.

After last week's sweep by a combined 31-2 score, I foolishly took this first game for granted.  It's tourney time, Chuck!   Some foolish people no doubt took the Titans for granted last spring, too.

[Mr. Ypsi]

After 8, still 4-4.  Pankau still in, but Rashid left after 7; Herman got the Titans 1,2,3 in the 8th.

[BigPoppa]

Titans are threatening in bottom of 9. Two on with one out (int walk of Callahan).

[Mr. Ypsi]

Titans win - 5-4!

I was very worried they were gonna waste a grand opportunity: winning run on third with only one out, then Herman struck out Czarnowski.  An error brought in the winning run.

[BigPoppa]

I feel like IWU escaped here. Did not play well, but somehow found a way to win. A walk, and wild pitch and an error did NCC in the 9th.

[Gregory Sager]

Looks like a self-destruct job by NCC in some ways. Not only did an error bring in the winning run -- since there were two outs, a clean play would've gotten the Cards out of the inning -- but the wild pitch that sent the eventual winning run from second to third with one out was huge as well.

[mwunder]

I am curious to see who Carthage and NPU send to the mound tonight. Does either roll the dice and save a guy for the second round?

If Live stats is correct, Carthage is starting Nic Jensen??!!  NP starting Sparacino who lost 3-2 vs. Carthage on Sat.

[BigPoppa]

I am curious to see who Carthage and NPU send to the mound tonight. Does either roll the dice and save a guy for the second round?

If Live stats is correct, Carthage is starting Nic Jensen??!!  NP starting Sparacino who lost 3-2 vs. Carthage on Sat.

I will never question what Augie does. There is a reason he has won 707 more college baseball games than I have. Maybe he knows something we don't.

[BigPoppa]

... and just like that Jensen loads the bases with a single and two HBPs.

[mwunder]

... and just like that Jensen loads the bases with a single and two HBPs.

I was thinking the exact same thing...don't get the call, but we'll roll with it!

[mwunder]

The ol' 2-6-2 out to end the inning on a double steal attempt.  NPU up 2-0 after 1.

[BigPoppa]

Billy Herrin just hit a three-run HR. Carthage up 3-2 in third