BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU is IN the conference tourney, winning the only sort of game they can win this season: a 17-10 slugfest over Wheaton.

So Augie, NCC, and IWU are in (in whatever seeding and location); #4 will be Carthage or Wheaton, with Carthage now the favorite.

[Augie6]

Augie wins the night cap, 9-6.  A win on Sunday or a loss by NCC in one game of tomorrow's DH with Carthage, means the conference tourney will be in Rock Island. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yup - with three games to go (for the various contenders), Augie's magic number to host and Cathage's magic number to participate are each one.  I'll go WAY out on a limb and predict: #1 Augie, #2 NCC, #3 IWU, and #4 Carthage.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It took the Titans 21 tries, but they FINALLY won a low scoring conference game, 3-2 over Wheaton (knocking the Thunder out of the tourney).

[Augie6]

NCC comes back to win the second game and sweep today's DH with Carthage.  Augie will have to win tomorrow in the series finale vs Millikin to tie NCC for the regular season CCIW Championship and to host the conference tourney.

[Mr. Ypsi]

NCC comes back to win the second game and sweep today's DH with Carthage.  Augie will have to win tomorrow in the series finale vs Millikin to tie NCC for the regular season CCIW Championship and to host the conference tourney.

About 4 o'clock tomorrow (earlier if a total blowout) the four tourney participants will know where to make their motel reservations: Millikin @ Augie begins at 1.  And with the four participants being #4 Carthage, #3 IWU, and #1/2 Augie/NCC, I would assume they will all be staying over - it's not like the tourney is a commuter affair of NCC, Elmhurst, Wheaton, and NPU!

If Millikin pulls the upset, book Naperville.  If (as expected) Augie wins, head for Rock Island (though if memory serves, the field is actually in Moline?).

BTW, kudos to NCC for locking up at least a co-championship.

[Augie6]

Augie up 7-1 in the top of the 6th.  Unless there is a complete collapse over the next few innings, it looks like Augie and NCC will share the title and the tourney will be in Rock Island (or as Ypsi points out, correctly, in Moline)

[Augie6]

Millikin comes back with 3 in the top of the 6th to make it a game at 7-4.  Augie with a runner at second with one out in the bottom half.

[Augie6]

Augie puts up 4 in the bottom half to go up 11-4 with 3 innings to play.

[BigPoppa]

Carthage's Last Four Seasons:
87-75 (.537)

What has happened to the Redmen? If you take out the 2015 30-15 record they are well below .500 in recent years. I am baffled as to the reasons. It's not like Augie Schmidt quit being the Hall-of-Fame coach that he always has been.

[Mr. Ypsi]

FINAL:  Augie 14, Millikin 5.  So RI/Moline it is.  I haven't seen the tourney schedule officially, but I would assume game one will be NCC/IWU with Carthage/Augie following.  Then it is winners vs. winners and losers vs. losers (don't recall the order of these games), eliminating one team.  Then the two one-loss teams play, eliminating another team.  Finally, the survivor has to beat the team who started 2-0 twice to advance, so getting hot and winning the first two games is critically important - I haven't checked past tourneys, but I would guess the AQ has started 2-0 probably 70-75% of the time.

BTW, does anyone think Augie now has a chance at a C if need be, or is NCC the only viable C option?  Or has NCC's chances gone a-glimmering (if they don't get the AQ, they would have 10 losses), and the CCIW is almost certainly a one team league?

[BigPoppa]

I think NCC could get in even if they lose by winning a game or two in the tourney. Also, I think if augie makes it to the final they have a shot even with a loss.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I think NCC could get in even if they lose by winning a game or two in the tourney. Also, I think if augie makes it to the final they have a shot even with a loss.

OK, here's the scenario: Carthage or IWU wins the AQ (we'd obviously disagree on which, so leave it at that ).  NCC wins one, then loses game 5.  Augie loses in the title game seven.  Is the CCIW a one, two or three-team conference?

[BigPoppa]

I think in that scenario the CCIW would be a on-team league (assuming all the favorites win their AQs). Likely a two team league and it would be a toss-up to me for NCC/AUGIE.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Tomorrow:  IWU/NCC at 3:30 CDT, Carthage @ Augie at 7.