BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Meanwhile, somewhere near the banks of the Big Muddy, North Central marches on towards a repeat as CCIW champion. The Cards disposed of Augie in their doubleheader by 3-1 and 10-4 scores.

At Butterfield Park, Elmhurst came from behind to dispatch Carthage, 7-6, in Game One. The Red Men and the Blue Jays are headed into the tenth in Game Two tied at 1-1.

[mr_b]

The Vikings win in ten, 6-5, sweeping the doubleheader and the season series. Andy Robbins picked up saves in both games, while IWU' reliever Eric Bennes was the loser in both.

North Park improves to 10-6, while the Titans drop to 9-10.

This marks the first time since 1983 that the Vikings have swept a season series from the Titans, when the Vikings took two at home.  This year's Vikings took game one at home on a walk-off single by Dean Emanuele in the bottom of the ninth. 

[Gregory Sager]

That amazes me, because there's been a lot of good Vikings teams since 1983, including several CCIW championship teams.

Anyway, I'm glad to see my boys doing well, as two of my cameramen were difference-makers today. As I mentioned, Andy Robbins picked up saves in both ends of the doubleheader, while Cam Adams singled to lead off the tenth and scored the winning run in the nightcap.

[mr_b]

That amazes me, because there's been a lot of good Vikings teams since 1983, including several CCIW championship teams.

I went page by page through the archived results, and every year the Titans managed to win one.  North Park did win three games against IWU in 2012, but two of them were in the conference tournament.

[Gregory Sager]

Jordan Scrimpsher singled home Reagan McReynolds with the winning run with two out in the bottom of the tenth to give Elmhurst the 2-1 win and the doubleheader sweep over Carthage.

[Gregory Sager]

The standings with regard to the playoff contenders now looks like this:

North Central	14-2	vs EC (2), @ EC, @ IWU (2), vs NPU, @ NPU (2)
Carthage	11-5	@ MU (3), vs NPU, vs IWU (3)
North Park	10-6	@ AC (2), vs AC, @ CC, @ NCC (2), vs NCC, vs MU
Elmhurst	9-8	@ NCC (2), vs NCC, @ CU, @ WC, vs WC (2)
Illinois Wesleyan	9-10	vs NCC (2), @ CC (3)
Augustana	8-9	vs NPU (2), @ NPU, @ MU, vs CU (3)

Looks like Carthage still has a game at Wheaton that has yet to be rescheduled.

[Gregory Sager]

Titans would need some miracles to make the post-season.

I think you're overstating it a bit, Chuck. As you can see by the standings, the Titans are only a game out of fourth place, although that's really a two-game lead when you consider that Elmhurst owns the tiebreaker over IWU. The good news for your alma mater's team is that it can earn some tiebreaker magic of its own by beating North Central and Carthage to close out the regular season. The Titans are not a great bet right now, but I don't think that they're in "need some miracles" territory just yet.

The team to watch at the moment is Elmhurst. Over the past week the Bluejays have gone 4-0 in CCIW play, with wins over Augie, North Park, and today's pair over Carthage. Joel Southern's been getting some great pitching and some timely hitting out of his kids. That series this weekend between the two sets of west suburban songbirds should be very interesting.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Yeah, I was perhaps overreacting - getting swept in a DH AT HOME can do that to a guy!

And don't forget that the "2" games against NCC include finishing a game suspended after 6 where NCC has a 4 run lead.  Realistically, we're gonna have to put a big hurt on Big Poppa's alma mater to make it in.  And since that series is in Kenosha ....

[AndOne]

The standings with regard to the playoff contenders now looks like this:

North Central	14-2	vs EC (2), @ EC, @ IWU (2), vs NPU, @ NPU (2)
Carthage	11-5	@ MU (3), vs NPU, vs IWU (3)
North Park	10-6	@ AC (2), vs AC, @ CC, @ NCC (2), vs NCC , @ NCC, vs NCC (2) , vs MU
Elmhurst	9-8	@ NCC (2), vs NCC, @ CU, @ WC, vs WC (2)
Illinois Wesleyan	9-10	vs NCC (2), @ CC (3)
Augustana	8-9	vs NPU (2), @ NPU, @ MU, vs CU (3)

Looks like Carthage still has a game at Wheaton that has yet to be rescheduled.

Greg,

I believe the first of the 3 games between NPU and NCC is @ NCC on Fri followed by 2 in Chicago on Sat rather than 2 @ NCC followed by a single finale @ NPU. You had it right on the top (NCC) line. ⚾️ 

[BigPoppa]

NPU and Carthage are now in a battle for the 2-3 seeds... NCC has the 1-seed all but locked up. And the Titans are on life support.

[AndOne]

North Central moves to 16-2 in conference with a pair of wins over Elmhurst by scores of 8-2, and 12-1.
Austin Polezoes went the first 7 innings of the opener to gain the win, and up his record to 3-0.
In the 7 inning nitecap, Charlie Klemm moved to 5-1 after pitching the first 5 innings.
NCC's Mike Wisz somehow found a way to drive in 3 runs in the first game, and 5 more in the second . With 8 RBIs on the day, he now has 50 for the season.

[BigPoppa]

Redmen sweep Millikin and close in on the 2-seed.

Heck of a race between 4 team for the 3-4 seeds!

[mwunder]

One week to go:

NCC has a 3.5 game lead and needs two wins this week to lock up the conference championship.  2 @IWU, 2@NPU, 1 NPU
Carthage sits in second with a 4.5 game lead over Augie and NPU.  Need 1 win to clinch second seed.  All 5 games at home.  Wheaton, NPU, 3 IWU
Augie currently in 3rd with a .5 game lead over NPU by virtue of season series.  Augie has easiest remaining schedule with 4 remaining.  @Millikin, 3 Carroll
NPU sits in 4th with a 1.5 game lead with 5 games remaining.  1 @CC, 1@NCC, 2 NCC, and 1 @Millikin -- tough week but not as tough as IWU's.
IWU sits a game and half back of NPU with 5 to play.  2 at home vs NCC, 3 @CC.
Elmhurst is a 1.5 games behind NPU and .5 games behind IWU.  1 @Carroll, 1 @Wheaton, 2 Wheaton

Carroll is mathematically still alive but they don't hold tie breaks over anyone except Elmhurst so I don't see a scenario where they get into the tournament.
Millikin and Wheaton are both eliminated from CCIW tourney action in 2018.

[BigPoppa]

One week to go:

NCC has a 3.5 game lead and needs two wins this week to lock up the conference championship.  2 @IWU, 2@NPU, 1 NPU
Carthage sits in second with a 4.5 game lead over Augie and NPU.  Need 1 win to clinch second seed.  All 5 games at home.  Wheaton, NPU, 3 IWU
Augie currently in 3rd with a .5 game lead over NPU by virtue of season series.  Augie has easiest remaining schedule with 4 remaining.  @Millikin, 3 Carroll
NPU sits in 4th with a 1.5 game lead with 5 games remaining.  1 @CC, 1@NCC, 2 NCC, and 1 @Millikin -- tough week but not as tough as IWU's.
IWU sits a game and half back of NPU with 5 to play.  2 at home vs NCC, 3 @CC.
Elmhurst is a 1.5 games behind NPU and .5 games behind IWU.  1 @Carroll, 1 @Wheaton, 2 Wheaton

Carroll is mathematically still alive but they don't hold tie breaks over anyone except Elmhurst so I don't see a scenario where they get into the tournament.
Millikin and Wheaton are both eliminated from CCIW tourney action in 2018.

IWU has been an enigma all season. If they want to get into the post-season as the #4 seed (so we can hear ALL about that 2010 team... again and again) they need to step up right now and have a daunting task vs two of the region's best teams. I think the Titans are in trouble.

[Ralph Turner]

One week to go:

NCC has a 3.5 game lead and needs two wins this week to lock up the conference championship.  2 @IWU, 2@NPU, 1 NPU
Carthage sits in second with a 4.5 game lead over Augie and NPU.  Need 1 win to clinch second seed.  All 5 games at home.  Wheaton, NPU, 3 IWU
Augie currently in 3rd with a .5 game lead over NPU by virtue of season series.  Augie has easiest remaining schedule with 4 remaining.  @Millikin, 3 Carroll
NPU sits in 4th with a 1.5 game lead with 5 games remaining.  1 @CC, 1@NCC, 2 NCC, and 1 @Millikin -- tough week but not as tough as IWU's.
IWU sits a game and half back of NPU with 5 to play.  2 at home vs NCC, 3 @CC.
Elmhurst is a 1.5 games behind NPU and .5 games behind IWU.  1 @Carroll, 1 @Wheaton, 2 Wheaton

Carroll is mathematically still alive but they don't hold tie breaks over anyone except Elmhurst so I don't see a scenario where they get into the tournament.
Millikin and Wheaton are both eliminated from CCIW tourney action in 2018.

IWU has been an enigma all season. If they want to get into the post-season as the #4 seed (so we can hear ALL about that 2010 team... again and again) they need to step up right now and have a daunting task vs two of the region's best teams. I think the Titans are in trouble.

Hey Big Poppa, if IWU does not make the playoffs this year, you can rag on them all season that they were not as good as that 2010 team...just did not have the right stuff.