BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[mwunder]

Carthage tops Elmhurst 19-12 after falling behind 9-1 after 3.  Augie started Kyle Damon who only last 2 and a third.  After Elmhurst put up 8 in the second, Carthage responded with 7 in the 5th, 3 in the 6th and 7th, and 5 in the 8th.  Ian Maxeiner earned the win in relief.  Aside from the 2 out, 3 run blast he allowed in the 3rd, he allowed only 3 hits over the next 4 to keep the game within reach.  4-7 in the Carthage order went 13-20 with 13 RBIs and scored 9 runs.  Carthage moves to 3-0 in CCIW, Elmhurst falls to 3-3.

[BigPoppa]

It's a team whose #1 and #2 pitchers are a freshman and a sophomore, and almost every one of the position-player regulars is either new to the team, hasn't played much before, or is playing a new position this season. It took time for NPU to gel.

The CCIW will be a fun race to watch this season if NPU can push itself into the mix. Looks to be a 5-6 teams race:

NCC
Carthage
IWU
Augie
NPU
Wheaton/Elmhurst

Does the CCIW move to a 6-team postseason this year or next year?

From the first pitch today, Wheaton took it to Illinois Wesleyan, topping the Titans 12-1 in 7 innings. The IWU starter came into this contest with a 1.50 era and got jumped for 11 runs (10 earned). After starting off with two terrible games against NCC, and overcoming a series of fielding errors topping Augie twice, it seems Wheaton might be figuring things out. Time will tell!

And IWU follows up that home humiliation by Wheaton by losing (again at home) to Millikin, 6-1.

Big Poppa, unless the Titans can right the ship really soon, you may want to drop them from your contenders list.  For at least the immediate future, I'm switching my attention to softball, where the Titans are 13-3, on an 11-game winning streak (6-0 in conference), and ranked 6th in the country!

After the 'Miracle of 2010", I'll never throw in the towel completely until they are officially eliminated, but you can't have a miracle finish if you don't even make it to the post-season at all.  And right now the IWU baseball team does not look like a CCIW tourney team.

I think they'll get on track... they always do.

[BigPoppa]

Carthage tops Elmhurst 19-12 after falling behind 9-1 after 3.  Augie started Kyle Damon who only last 2 and a third.  After Elmhurst put up 8 in the second, Carthage responded with 7 in the 5th, 3 in the 6th and 7th, and 5 in the 8th.  Ian Maxeiner earned the win in relief.  Aside from the 2 out, 3 run blast he allowed in the 3rd, he allowed only 3 hits over the next 4 to keep the game within reach.  4-7 in the Carthage order went 13-20 with 13 RBIs and scored 9 runs.  Carthage moves to 3-0 in CCIW, Elmhurst falls to 3-3.

It was an odd game to watch(video feed on-line) that felt like the "end of the bullpen" type of game based on pitching... but clearly, it was not. Baseball is a funny game. I had to go to a meeting down 9-1 and came back to see it 19-12 in 8th (edited).... I was shocked.

[Jim Dixon]

Carthage tops Elmhurst 19-12 after falling behind 9-1 after 3.  Augie started Kyle Damon who only last 2 and a third.  After Elmhurst put up 8 in the second, Carthage responded with 7 in the 5th, 3 in the 6th and 7th, and 5 in the 8th.  Ian Maxeiner earned the win in relief.  Aside from the 2 out, 3 run blast he allowed in the 3rd, he allowed only 3 hits over the next 4 to keep the game within reach.  4-7 in the Carthage order went 13-20 with 13 RBIs and scored 9 runs.  Carthage moves to 3-0 in CCIW, Elmhurst falls to 3-3.

It was an odd game to watch that felt like the "end of the bullpen" type of game based on pitching... but clearly, it was not. Baseball is a funny game. I had to go to a meeting down 9-1 and came back to see it 19-12 in 18th.... I was shocked.

19-12 in the 18th?  Looks like your fingers slipped.

[BigPoppa]

Carthage tops Elmhurst 19-12 after falling behind 9-1 after 3.  Augie started Kyle Damon who only last 2 and a third.  After Elmhurst put up 8 in the second, Carthage responded with 7 in the 5th, 3 in the 6th and 7th, and 5 in the 8th.  Ian Maxeiner earned the win in relief.  Aside from the 2 out, 3 run blast he allowed in the 3rd, he allowed only 3 hits over the next 4 to keep the game within reach.  4-7 in the Carthage order went 13-20 with 13 RBIs and scored 9 runs.  Carthage moves to 3-0 in CCIW, Elmhurst falls to 3-3.

It was an odd game to watch that felt like the "end of the bullpen" type of game based on pitching... but clearly, it was not. Baseball is a funny game. I had to go to a meeting down 9-1 and came back to see it 19-12 in 18th.... I was shocked.

19-12 in the 18th?  Looks like your fingers slipped.

Yes!!!! Sorry! That would have been a long meeting I was attending.

[BigPoppa]

One a cold day in Kenosha, Carthage manages only 6 hits, but knocks off Augustana 5-1 behind a complete game from Kevin Tibor who scattered 10 Viking hits over 9 innings. Tibor moves to 5-0 while Carthage is now 17-3 overall and 4-0 in CCIW play. Carthage and Augustana finish the three-game series with a pait from Kenosha tomorrow on what is hopefully a warmer day.

I'd assume Carthage to throw Nate Odahl (4-0) in game one. Game two could be anyone. They have yet to establish a consistent third starter.

[BigPoppa]

IWU drops another game to Wheaton today... what is up with the Titans?

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU drops another game to Wheaton today... what is up with the Titans?

Yesterday I expressed great anxiety about the Titans and you pooh-poohed my concern with "I think they'll get on track ... they always do."  Hopefully you were prescient: they smashed Wheaton in the second game, 15-4.

[Gregory Sager]

The 2018 Titans have more than a handful of issues to work out, a massive one being that there are arguably only two dependable pitchers on the entire staff. Brune is a solid starter, but prone to an outing like he had against La Crosse (7 ER). Becker needs a longer look too I think, he went a very solid 4 1/3 against Elmhurst last week. All other starters have had more bad than good.

On the offensive end, Skopick (a Central Michigan transfer) has been the only player to hit in CCIW play, but he's presumably been out with an injury for the last three games forcing Nick Figus to transition from center to shortstop.

I've been told that Brandon Skopick suffered a severe concussion, and that his return this season is questionable.

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage split a pair with Augie on Sunday afternoon, which means that NPU is now tied for second with the Red Men. We're only between a quarter and a third of the way through the conference schedule, but it's good to see the Vikings back in the thick of it after falling behind the pack right from the get-go over the past few seasons.

The problem is that North Central is very much living up to its billing as the defending champ and preseason favorite, as the Cards swept Carroll this weekend. They lead the CCIW in just about every statistical category, and, at 8-0, they have a nice cushion at the moment over NPU and Carthage at 5-1 apiece, with everybody else in the league already saddled with at least four losses and only Elmhurst (5-4) above .500.

NPU and Carthage square off in a doubleheader at Holmgren on Tuesday. Looking forward to calling those games.

[BigPoppa]

While North Central is off to a great start, they have yet to play Carthage, North Park, Augustana or IWU... teams that still see as having a big say in the CCIW. Carthage vs NPU tomorrow is a huge series in terms of playoff positioning for the post-season.

[mr_b]

While North Central is off to a great start, they have yet to play Carthage, North Park, Augustana or IWU... teams that still see as having a big say in the CCIW. Carthage vs NPU tomorrow is a huge series in terms of playoff positioning for the post-season.

It will be a good test for both teams.  Let's see if the weather cooperates.

[Gregory Sager]

Forecast for today's doubleheader is for temps in the mid-40s, with a wind blowing out of the west at 9 mph.

[BigPoppa]

Forecast for today's doubleheader is for temps in the mid-40s, with a wind blowing out of the west at 9 mph.

Standard CCIW weather. Enjoy the games... I'll be "watching" online.

[BigPoppa]

Carthage split a pair with Augie on Sunday afternoon, which means that NPU is now tied for second with the Red Men. We're only between a quarter and a third of the way through the conference schedule, but it's good to see the Vikings back in the thick of it after falling behind the pack right from the get-go over the past few seasons.

The problem is that North Central is very much living up to its billing as the defending champ and preseason favorite, as the Cards swept Carroll this weekend. They lead the CCIW in just about every statistical category, and, at 8-0, they have a nice cushion at the moment over NPU and Carthage at 5-1 apiece, with everybody else in the league already saddled with at least four losses and only Elmhurst (5-4) above .500.

NPU and Carthage square off in a doubleheader at Holmgren on Tuesday. Looking forward to calling those games.

I love being able to watch the games online and get a play by play... I have some students following along as well in my classroom.