BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

Here is the All-CCIW Team for 2017. Congratulations to all those honored!

I wouldn't read too much into this, but here's the number of All-CCIW players who are eligible to return next season:

Augustana	3
Carthage	1
Carroll	2
Elmhurst	0
Illinois Wesleyan	1
Millikin	2
North Central	3
North Park	3
Wheaton	3

Looks bleak for IWU, except that one (Figus) is the 'Newcomer of the Year'.  Since both starters on Friday (one a complete-game shutout, the other good enough to win most games) are also freshmen, and since 7 of 9 position players return, I'm feeling confident that we'll be right in the mix again.

[mr_b]

Somewhat surprised and disappointed that Augie didn't get a bid to the tourney.

I'm not. We're talking about an Augie team that opened its season with four games against a Brandeis team that went 6-21 this season. Although Augustana did go 2-1 against the three teams it faced that reached the 30-win threshold (Otterbein, Wartburg, and Bethel), it only played two other teams in in non-con play that had winning records besides those three -- and neither of those two other teams exceeded 22 wins this season. The Doggies clearly didn't have a strength of schedule that warranted a Pool C slot in the estimation of the national committee.

I've said all along that this was not a good year for CCIW baseball -- and the fact that a rather soggy Augie outfit was the only team in the league to surpass the 25-win mark does much to prove that.

D3Baseball's analysis backs up yours vis-a-vis Augie's relatively low SOS.

[mr_b]

Here is D3 Baseball's Central Region Preview.

[mr_b]

In a pitchers' duel, North Central defeats Wash U, 3-1. Polezoes went the distance for the Cardinals.  North Central awaits the winner of the Wartburg-Webster contest, and the Bears take on Greenville in an elimination game.

[AndOne]

In a pitchers' duel, North Central defeats Wash U, 3-1. Polezoes went the distance for the Cardinals.  North Central awaits the winner of the Wartburg-Webster contest, and the Bears take on Greenville in an elimination game.

Seems that those who voted favored WU by a slightly better than 2:1 margin (203/51). 

[mr_b]

It's not a CCIW contest but worth posting: Wartburg defeated Webster, 3-0, in the Central Regional. Two Wartburg pitchers -- Max Langheinrich and Auston Bohling -- combined to no-hit the Gorloks.  Quite a start to the Regional!

[AndOne]

It's not a CCIW contest but worth posting: Wartburg defeated Webster, 3-0, in the Central Regional. Two Wartburg pitchers -- Max Langheinrich and Auston Bohling -- combined to no-hit the Gorloks.  Quite a start to the Regional!

Hopefully, NCC won't have to face either one of those hombres in the next game!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wartburg scored 3 in the top of the first, but never scored again - NCC 8, Wartburg 3.

Next up is #1 seed Birmingham-Southern - the winner is guaranteed a spot in the title game.

Go Cards - put a 2010 on 'em!

[Mr. Ypsi]

After 2, NCC 1, Birm.-S 0.  Keep it rolling, Cards!

[CardinalAlum]

Cardinals score 4 in the top of the 5th.  Up 5-0 on the top seed, Birmingham Southern.

[Mr. Ypsi]

After 8 innings, still NCC 5, BSC 0.

[mr_b]

Cardinals win, 5-0. Russell Hoh pitches a complete-game 5-hitter.

[Mr. Ypsi]

NCC now in the driver's seat - going to the title game.  Of course, Augie was in the same position in the conference tourney ... so don't take the foot off the gas!

[iwumichigander]

Congratulations to Cardinals.  Keep it up!
I know this is the baseball board but - IWU Softball won two games in extra innings to win their super regional and advance to World Series !

[mr_b]

North Central defeats Birmingham-Southern, 3-2, in 11 innings, on a bases-loaded walk to Chris Hill with no outs.  The Cards had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th but failed to score, and the Panthers left a runner on third after a leadoff double in the top of the 11th. Congratulations to the Cardinals!