BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AndOne]

Carthage's 5 errors (3 in 1st inning) did not help in any way.

Neither did their lack of hitting or lack of patience.  In game one, they recorded at least 5 first pitch outs against Klemm who pitched a heck of a game.  (Lock for CCIW pitcher of the week)

NCC can flat out hit.  They lead the conference in BA (.335), Slugging % (.477) and OBP (.433).  They constantly put pitchers in pressure positions.  It seemed like they always had guys on base over the weekend.

As confirmation of mwunder's above assertion, in winning the CCIW Tournament with today's 13-2 victory over North Park, the NCC Cardinals pounded out 20 hits. This was after collecting 17 hits in yesterday's 15-4 win over Carthage, and 18 in Thursday's 12-6 first round win over NPU.

Today's onslaught was led by Colin Weilbacher's 4 for 5. John Carmody and Mike Wisz had 3 hits apiece. Rob Marinec and Ryan Scott both had 3 RBIs. Wisz' 3 hits resulted in 2 RBIs. This brings his season total 72, currently the top figure in the nation.

The Cardinals will now await the date and location of their first round national tournament game where they can hopefully continue their recent torrid hitting.

[AndOne]

The NCC Cardinals are the 2nd seed (behind the aptly named Concordia Chicago from River Forest, IL)
at the Duluth, MN Regional. They will play the 5th seed, U of Dubuque, at 3:00 on Thurs 5/17. Live video will be available. There are 6 teams in this Regional. Three sites have 6 teams, and five sites have 8 teams.

There is a Regional in Sauget, IL which is about 274 miles from Naperville. Both Aurora and Monmouth will be playing there. Not sure why the #2 ranked team in the Region isn't also headed there instead of to Duluth, MN which is about 469 miles from Naperville. 

[mwunder]

2018 CCIW All-Conference Baseball Team

CCIW Pitcher of the Year
Russell Hoh - North Central

CCIW Co-Player of the Year
Michael Mateja - North Central
Mike Wisz - North Central

CCIW Co-Coach of the Year
Augie Schmidt - Carthage
Ed Mathey - North Central

CCIW Newcomer of the Year
Mike Wisz - North Central

FIRST TEAM    School    Pos.    Yr.    Hometown/H.S
Rob Marinec    North Central    C    Fr.    Alsip, Ill./Shepard
Jacob Langford    Carroll    INF    Sr.     Genoa, Ill./Genoa-Kingston
Trey Compton    Elmhurst    INF    Jr.    Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect
Gino Cavalieri    Illinois Wesleyan    INF    Sr.    Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick
Michael Mateja    North Central    INF    Jr.    Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais
Seth Dvorak    North Park    INF    Sr.    Elmhurst, Ill./Oakton C.C.
Jacob McMillan    Elmhurst    OF    Jr.    Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons Township
John Bosco    Illinois Wesleyan    OF    Jr.     Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North
Nick Figus    Illinois Wesleyan    OF    So.    Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North
Mike Wisz    North Central    OF    So.    Woodridge, Ill./Lemont Township
Gunnar Haskins    Augustana     UT    Jr.    Moline, Ill./Alleman
Jon Walters    Millikin    UT    Jr.    Normal, Ill./Central Catholic
Mike Powers    Augustana    P    Jr.    Westmont, Ill./Benet Academy
Kevin Tibor    Carthage    P    Sr.    Kenosha, Wis./Bradford
Russell Hoh    North Central    P    Sr.    Lockport, Ill./H.S.
Michael McCraith    Wheaton    P    Jr.    Evans, Ga./Westminster Schools of Augusta

SECOND TEAM    School     Pos.    Yr.    Hometown/H.S.
Nick Pierce    Carthage    C    Sr.    Oconomowoc, Wis./H.S.
Cody Phelps    Carthage    INF    So.    O'Fallon, Mo./Timberland
Anthony Bryan    Millikin    INF    Jr.    Plainfield, Ill./East
Eric Outlaw    North Central    INF    So.    Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West
Cullen Gilbertson    North Park    INF    Jr.    Rapid City, S.D./Stevens
Joel Pierce    Wheaton    INF    Fr.    Centennial, Colo./Valor Christian
Carter Amundsen    Augustana    OF    Sr.    Sheboygan, Wis./South
Ryan Kairis    Augustana    OF    Jr.    Chicago, Ill./Marist
Devin Crews    Millikin    OF    Sr.    Fairbury, Ill./Prairie Central
Jake Drada    Millikin    OF    Sr.    Orland Park, Ill./St. Rita
Jake Stewart    Illinois Wesleyan    UT    Sr.    St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden
Jordan Scrimpsher    Elmhurst    DH    So.    Decatur, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham
Mitch Malone    Augustana    P    Sr.    Minooka, Ill./H.S.
Nate Odahl    Carthage    P    So.    Twin Cities, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall
Nick Drago    Elmhurst    P    Sr.     Naperville, Ill./Wauonsie Valley
Connor Gross    Millikin    P    Jr.    Bement, Ill./Parkland College

[Mr. Ypsi]

As I've mentioned (to some disdain from others! ), with the downfall of the IWU baseball team this season, but the (again) championship performance of the softball team, I'm for the first time following softball more closely than baseball.  A question occurred to me today, for anyone who has an answer:  are there any schools in the country with varsity men's softball or varsity women's baseball?

[Gregory Sager]

I've never heard of such a thing. The NCAA doesn't sponsor men's softball or women's baseball, and neither does the NAIA.

Boys 16" softball is a varsity sport in the Chicago Public League (41 schools have teams), but that's as close as I can come to naming any instance of either sport being played on the high school or college level. And, of course, 16" softball is not the same thing at all as the softball played by high school girls and college women; it's a bigger ball by four diameter inches, and you don't use gloves.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm curious how baseball and softball got so gender-identified.  There are many examples of (women) softball pitchers having little trouble striking out MLB stars.  (I suspect that is due mainly to unfamiliarity - with experience, they would probably hit at least as well as the best softball hitters, but underhand softballs do arrive very differently than (mostly) overhand baseballs.)  Logically, due to average size differences, women should use (smaller) baseballs; men should be playing softball (the balls are bigger, but they ain't soft!).  Just one of those quirks of history, I guess.

And, yeah, I've played both slow-pitch softball and 16" softball - VERY different games, and both very different from fast-pitch softball or baseball.  Yet all are also eerily similar.

[AndOne]

I'm curious how baseball and softball got so gender-identified.  There are many examples of (women) softball pitchers having little trouble striking out MLB stars.  (I suspect that is due mainly to unfamiliarity - with experience, they would probably hit at least as well as the best softball hitters, but underhand softballs do arrive very differently than (mostly) overhand baseballs.)  Logically, due to average size differences, women should use (smaller) baseballs; men should be playing softball (the balls are bigger, but they ain't soft!).  Just one of those quirks of history, I guess.

And, yeah, I've played both slow-pitch softball and 16" softball - VERY different games, and both very different from fast-pitch softball or baseball.  Yet all are also eerily similar.

Who says an Illinois Wesleyan education doesn't pay off?     

[Mr. Ypsi]

Not exactly a pitchers' duel so far up in Duluth - Dubuque and NCC each scored three in the first inning!

[Ralph Turner]

Not exactly a pitchers' duel so far up in Duluth - Dubuque and NCC each scored three in the first inning!

... ostensibly against each team's #1!

[Mr. Ypsi]

NCC scores the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 9th.  Final score was 8-7.

[tjcummingsfan]

As I've mentioned (to some disdain from others! ), with the downfall of the IWU baseball team this season, but the (again) championship performance of the softball team, I'm for the first time following softball more closely than baseball.  A question occurred to me today, for anyone who has an answer:  are there any schools in the country with varsity men's softball or varsity women's baseball?

Men's fast pitch softball is a pretty big deal in Canada, especially in the Prairies (Western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan).  It's not quite as popular as baseball, but still popular enough for a variety of age divisions having provincial and national championships.  Though, even with that said, in my quick google search, I didn't find any Canadian Universities that have men's softball as a varsity sport.   

[cubs]

NCC scores the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 9th.  Final score was 8-7.

NCC going to need to mount one heck of a comeback tonight to avoid the loser's bracket... Trail UWO 10-0 after just four innings of play. Polezoes gives up 7 runs (all earned) on 12 hits in 3.1 innings of work.

[AndOne]

NCC scores the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 9th.  Final score was 8-7.

NCC going to need to mount one heck of a comeback tonight to avoid the loser's bracket... Trail UWO 10-0 after just four innings of play. Polezoes gives up 7 runs (all earned) on 12 hits in 3.1 innings of work.

No comeback ever materialized last night as the Cards were toppled by an 11-1 score. 
The winning Oshkosh pitcher is now a perfect 10-0 on the season. Tough stuff.

[cubs]

NCC scores the winning run with one out in the bottom of the 9th.  Final score was 8-7.

NCC going to need to mount one heck of a comeback tonight to avoid the loser's bracket... Trail UWO 10-0 after just four innings of play. Polezoes gives up 7 runs (all earned) on 12 hits in 3.1 innings of work.

No comeback ever materialized last night as the Cards were toppled by an 11-1 score. 
The winning Oshkosh pitcher is now a perfect 10-0 on the season. Tough stuff.

If North Central is going to advance to the World Series, it looks like they will have to beat UWO twice, as UWO looks to be putting the game out of reach in the 9th inning against Concordia-Chicago in the Winners Bracket final....

Edit:Concordia was able to limit damage, but will still need at least three runs to extend the game as they trail 9-6.

[Gregory Sager]

I'm a CCIW guy, but I'm also rooting for UW-Oshkosh, as Titans head coach Kevin "T" Tomasiewicz was the associate head coach and pitching coach under Luke Johnson at NPU before he took the UWO job.