BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

North Park earned a split at Elmhurst, dropping game one, 13-6, before bouncing back with four runs in the eighth for an 8-7 victory in the nightcap.  Reliever Justin Woolbright recorded a bases-loaded save to preserve the win for Cody Leuzinger.

Congratulations to Viking Head Coach Luke Johnson on win number 250 at the helm of the North Park program.  Long-time CCIW fans will recall that in 2006 Luke took over a program that had won six games -- six -- in the previous three seasons combined.

Congratulations to Coach Johnson!  I didn't recall the specifics at all, but knew that NPU (NPC?) baseball had fallen ALMOST as far as North Park football.  Kudos on making it back to respectability.  Not sure I'd welcome even more competition at the top , but the conference can only benefit from not having Earlhams or Wilmingtons at the bottom!

[mwunder]

Carthage gets 2 from Carroll yesterday by scores of 16-0 and 7-3.  Tibor goes 7 in game one giving up 5 hits, 5 Ks, no runs, no walks, 1 extra base hit allowed.  Odahl gets the game two victory by going 7 as well giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and striking out 7.  Ryan Dalton went 6 for 8 on the day with 8 RBIs and 5 Runs scored.  He had 2 doubles and 3 HRs on the day.  No errors in the 2 games for Carthage.

[BigPoppa]

North Park earned a split at Elmhurst, dropping game one, 13-6, before bouncing back with four runs in the eighth for an 8-7 victory in the nightcap.  Reliever Justin Woolbright recorded a bases-loaded save to preserve the win for Cody Leuzinger.

Congratulations to Viking Head Coach Luke Johnson on win number 250 at the helm of the North Park program.  Long-time CCIW fans will recall that in 2006 Luke took over a program that had won six games -- six -- in the previous three seasons combined.

Congratulations to Coach Johnson!  I didn't recall the specifics at all, but knew that NPU (NPC?) baseball had fallen ALMOST as far as North Park football.  Kudos on making it back to respectability.  Not sure I'd welcome even more competition at the top , but the conference can only benefit from not having Earlhams or Wilmingtons at the bottom!

Congrats to Luke Johnson! He and I were roomies for a week in the Dominican Republic in 2004 along with another guy who's southern accent was so thick that it was almost easier to talk to him in Spanish, instead of English. Great week of baseball with Johnson that I'll never forget.

[mwunder]

Congrats to Luke Johnson! He and I were roomies for a week in the Dominican Republic in 2004 along with another guy who's southern accent was so thick that it was almost easier to talk to him in Spanish, instead of English. Great week of baseball with Johnson that I'll never forget.

Another coaching milestone with relevance to BigPoppa is close to being achieved by Carthage's Augie Schmidt IV who currently sits at 899 wins.  Augie sits at 899-421-5 in his 31st year with the Carthage College RedMen.  I'm sure BigPoppa contributed to a few of those wins as well as a few of the gray hairs!

[BigPoppa]

Congrats to Luke Johnson! He and I were roomies for a week in the Dominican Republic in 2004 along with another guy who's southern accent was so thick that it was almost easier to talk to him in Spanish, instead of English. Great week of baseball with Johnson that I'll never forget.

Another coaching milestone with relevance to BigPoppa is close to being achieved by Carthage's Augie Schmidt IV who currently sits at 899 wins.  Augie sits at 899-421-5 in his 31st year with the Carthage College RedMen.  I'm sure BigPoppa contributed to a few of those wins as well as a few of the gray hairs!

My bat helped lead to the wins. My glove helped lead to both the gray hairs and receding hair line!

On another note, the Carthage/Illinois Tech DH has been moved from Saturday to tomorrow to avoid weather.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Dennis Martel also approaching a milestone (though not as impressive as Augie Schmidt IV): as of today he has 793 wins.  That puts him #9 among active D3 coaches (Augie is either 5th or 6th).

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU split a DH today at Horenberger Field against Elmhurst.  They lost the first game 11-3, as 8 pitchers combined to walk 10 Jays (in case you wondered why Dennis Martel no longer has much hair ).  In the second game, they got only 5 hits, but Nick Brune threw a complete game, 4-hit, shutout: 3-0.  As a wise man once said (actually, MANY wise men, I'm sure!): "Momentum is the next game's starting pitcher."

[Gregory Sager]

North Park swept Carroll today up in Waukesha, winning the opener, 5-0, on a complete-game six-hit shutout by freshman hurler Mike Pritts. The Vikings then tore it up in the nightcap en route to a 22-7 win halted by the mercy rule after seven innings. NPU did a nice job of swinging the bats, notching 19 hits in that contest, but they were aided by an astonishing nine errors by the Pioneers, as only 12 of NPU's 22 runs were earned.

Mitch Jordan homered twice for the Vikings in the opener and added a bases-loaded triple in the nightcap, en route to a seven-RBI day, and Cullen Gilbertson hit a pair of dingers in the nightcap as well for the Park.

[mr_b]

Due to expected heavy winds -- which could topple the movable fences at the Holmgren Athletic Complex -- the Saturday contest between North Park and Carroll will be held at Wheaton's Pfund Field. Game time is scheduled for 4.30 PM, after the Wheaton-Augie game.

[BigPoppa]

Carthage hammered Illinois Tech in a DH Friday while Augie Schmidt collected his 900th (and 901st) career win. Redmen move to 15-3 on the season. Is it too early to say that the Carthage of old may be back? I am very curious to see how they fare against the top-tier CCIW foes. One of their losses is to a D2 school but their other two are to middle of the road programs in Marian and Gustavus Adolphus. Hopefully those were just blips on the radar and not a sign of weakness.

[AndOne]

North Central gets off to a good start in CCIW play, taking two from Wheaton, 10-0 and 8-2.

And two more from Millikin 15-1 (7 inns), and 8-1. Michael Mateja had 5 hits on the day, and Mike "Wizzer" Wisz, who used to play a (very  ) little basketball, had 5 RBIs. ⚾️

[Gregory Sager]

North Park completes the sweep with a 4-2 win over Carroll. NPU is now undefeated all-time as the home team at Lee Pfund Stadium.

[mr_b]

It was a close contest at Pfund Pfield. Carroll jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead and added an unearned run in the third.  Pioneer starter Logan Johnson held the Viking bats in check and got some strong defense to escape damage until NPU scored three in the fifth and one in the eighth to take the lead.  Justin Woolbright looked sharp after a long first inning and ended up with the victory after seven innings, issuing only two walks and striking out six.  Matt Pizur worked two scoreless innings, striking out three, for his first career save.

[AndOne]

North Central gets off to a good start in CCIW play, taking two from Wheaton, 10-0 and 8-2.

And two more from Millikin 15-1 (7 inns), and 8-1. Michael Mateja had 5 hits on the day, and Mike "Wizzer" Wisz, who used to play a (very  ) little basketball, had 5 RBIs. ⚾️

Although in nowhere near the dominating fashion of their first four conference victories, the NCC Cardinals chalk up another W by outlasting Millikin 13-10.
The Cards are now 5-0 in conference play. Are they just slow starters, or do they just prefer conference play? Maybe both?

[BigPoppa]

New D3 Baseball Poll is out: http://www.d3baseball.com/top25/2018/2018Top25-week-6

Spalding is the only Central team in the poll at #18 with Augustana, Wartburg, North Central, WashU and Webster all earning votes... curiously, to me at least, Carthage (15-3) remains without a vote.