BB: Central Region Rankings

[BigPoppa]

Hmmmmm not one IIAC School in your top 8.....and you have a Midwest Conference school at #2.....Here is how 2009 ended
1. Carthage 29-5 25-2                 CCIW
2. St. Norbert 21-11 19-10           MWC
3. Illinois Wesleyan 23-13 21-12  CCIW
4. Coe 21-17 20-12                      IIAC
5. Loras 25-12 2011                     IIAC
6. Luther 27-11 25-11                   IIAC
Not to mention Wartburg who went to the regional and won a game. 

This is not last year

[JohnnyU]

Any rationale for those rankings?

So Carthage is the ONLY team ranked in the top 25 in the central region... who falls in behind them?

I place them:

1. Carthage
2. Beloit
3. Ill Wesleyan
4. Augustana
5. Wash U
6. Webster
7. Wheaton (IL)
8. ?

[BigPoppa]

I am currently working on my central region preview... look for it next week along with rationale.

See preview below.

[BigPoppa]

After much number-crunching, roster-examining and much crystal ball gazing, here is my first shot at ranking the entire Central Region (with some explanation and some minor differences from the above top 8).

1. Carthage (CCIW)- returns 2/3 of its 2009 lineup and Mario Perez and the return of Chris Krepline balance the loss of Ruffie and Jaehne-Llanas.

2. Beloit (MWC)- Return their entire 2009 squad after a run into the NCAA post-season. Could be a great year for the Bucs.

3. Wheaton (CCIW)- Return five all-CCIW players including 2008 All-American Brian Kolb.

4. Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW)- The Titans are always tough and this year will be no exception. The return of Brent Kulavic from injury is a huge boost to the Titan pitching staff.

5. Wartburg (IIAC)- The Knights struggled out of the gates last year, but regained form just in time to return to the Pool A field. The balanced IIAC will be more formidable this year, but they should still be near the top.

6. St. Norbert- Player of the year, Jared Yost, returns for the Green Knights.

7. Washington University (UAA)- The Bears look poised to make another run at a Central Region title. Adam Merzl and Matt Bayer need to step up if they are to succeed.

8. Webster (SLIAC)- They ran the table at 24-0 last season and then stumbled in the post-season, costing themselves a Pool A bid. Return six first team all-SLIAC players this season.

9. Loras (IIAC)- Last year's regular season was no fluke. Loras has the arms back to do some serious damage.

10. Augustana (CCIW)- Lost tons of talent to graduation, but enough athletes to hang around the top ten all season.

11. Buena Vista (IIAC)
12. Nebraska Wesleyan (IND)
13. Fontbonne (SLIAC)
14. Ripon (MWC)
15. Spalding (SLIAC)
16. Coe (IIAC)
17. Luther (IIAC)
18. North Park (CCIW)
19. Simpson (IIAC)
20. Blackburn (SLIAC)
21. Elmhurst (CCIW)
22. Greenville (SLIAC)
23. Chicago (IND)
24. Knox (MWC)
25. Monmouth (MWC)
26. Millikin (CCIW)
27. Central (IIAC)
28. Westminster (SLIAC)
29. Carroll (MWC)
30. North Central (CCIW)
31. Lawrence (MWC)
32. MacMurray (SLIAC)
33. Cornell (IIAC)
34. Illinois College (MWC)
35. Grinnell (MWC)
36. Eureka (SLIAC)
37. Dubuque (IIAC)
38. Principia (SLIAC)

Please feel free to applaud or critique it...

[BigPoppa]

Some final thoughts on the Central Region. I took my own pre-season rankings and calculated the average ranking per team to provide an overall feel for the strength of each conference. this produced some interesting results.

CCIW- 14.125 (probably the best conference top to bottom in the region)

IIAC- 19.333 (a bit surprising here. No real power house but many teams in the middle of the regional pack. I have a feeling the middle IIAC teams mihgt be near the top in other conferences)

MWC- 22.222 (VERY top-heavy conference with Beloit, SNC and Ripon bearing the weight for the bottom feeders.)
SLIAC- 23.555 (Some solid teams near the top, but the bottom is pretty bad)

[mr_b]

8. Webster (SLIAC)
13. Fontbonne (SLIAC)
15. Spalding (SLIAC)
20. Blackburn (SLIAC)
22. Greenville (SLIAC)
28. Westminster (SLIAC)
32. MacMurray (SLIAC)
36. Eureka (SLIAC)
38. Principia (SLIAC)

Thanks for all your research on the Central Region.  I notice that you've placed SLIAC newcomer Spalding third among conference teams.  How did you evaluate them vis-a-vis the rest of the SLIAC?

Should be a competitive Central Region!

[upandin]

Poppa I appreciate your knowledge on Carthage and a couple of the CCIW schools, but as far as your knowledge of the Central Region the research is falling a bit short.  I also understand that you are biased, and a fan, in thinking that Carthage is the clear cut top team. Let me help your "number crunching". Yes"2/3" of the lineup is back but when they have to replace 152.1 innings (36%), 14 wins(37%), and 145 K's(43%) on the mound.  Also 18 HR's(44%), 37 2B's(38%), and 139 RBI's(39%) at the plate.  Not to mention loosing the starting Catcher, First Baseman, Shortstop, and two top Arms in the field. That only equates to 59% of the putouts and 82% of the assists.  That is a tuff 1/3 to loose. You might want to shake that magic 8 ball again and see what it spits out. 

[OshDude]

Poppa I appreciate your knowledge on Carthage and a couple of the CCIW schools, but as far as your knowledge of the Central Region the research is falling a bit short.  I also understand that you are biased, and a fan, in thinking that Carthage is the clear cut top team. Let me help your "number crunching". Yes"2/3" of the lineup is back but when they have to replace 152.1 innings (36%), 14 wins(37%), and 145 K's(43%) on the mound.  Also 18 HR's(44%), 37 2B's(38%), and 139 RBI's(39%) at the plate.  Not to mention loosing the starting Catcher, First Baseman, Shortstop, and two top Arms in the field. That only equates to 59% of the putouts and 82% of the assists.  That is a tuff 1/3 to loose. You might want to shake that magic 8 ball again and see what it spits out.  

What's your Central top 10, upandin? And if not the Red Men at No. 1, then which team?

[BigPoppa]

Poppa I appreciate your knowledge on Carthage and a couple of the CCIW schools, but as far as your knowledge of the Central Region the research is falling a bit short.  I also understand that you are biased, and a fan, in thinking that Carthage is the clear cut top team. Let me help your "number crunching". Yes"2/3" of the lineup is back but when they have to replace 152.1 innings (36%), 14 wins(37%), and 145 K's(43%) on the mound.  Also 18 HR's(44%), 37 2B's(38%), and 139 RBI's(39%) at the plate.  Not to mention loosing the starting Catcher, First Baseman, Shortstop, and two top Arms in the field. That only equates to 59% of the putouts and 82% of the assists.  That is a tuff 1/3 to loose. You might want to shake that magic 8 ball again and see what it spits out. 

Trust me, I did not want to put Carthage #1, but it is nearly impossible not to. Year after year they are in this same situation and they find a way to get it done. What I really wanted to do was shock the world and place wheaton in the top spot, but most of my credibility would have gone out the window.

[Ralph Turner]

The Wheaton factor that the Central Region needs to watch most is former McMurry head coach Lee Driggers, who is in his second season at Wheaton.

Wheaton has "never" had anything in baseball, but I predict that Coach Driggers will turn that around to make Wheaton a perennial contender.

[TurtleHead]

The Wheaton factor that the Central Region needs to watch most is former McMurry head coach Lee Driggers, who is in his second season at Wheaton.

Wheaton has "never" had anything in baseball, but I predict that Coach Driggers will turn that around to make Wheaton a perennial contender.

Aren't we just a little impartial to McMurry.  JK

Definitely should have a chance to change the program around.  Plenty of talent around the Chicagoland area.   Specifically in Dupage county.

[BigPoppa]

Poppa I appreciate your knowledge on Carthage and a couple of the CCIW schools, but as far as your knowledge of the Central Region the research is falling a bit short.  I also understand that you are biased, and a fan, in thinking that Carthage is the clear cut top team. Let me help your "number crunching". Yes"2/3" of the lineup is back but when they have to replace 152.1 innings (36%), 14 wins(37%), and 145 K's(43%) on the mound.  Also 18 HR's(44%), 37 2B's(38%), and 139 RBI's(39%) at the plate.  Not to mention loosing the starting Catcher, First Baseman, Shortstop, and two top Arms in the field. That only equates to 59% of the putouts and 82% of the assists.  That is a tuff 1/3 to loose. You might want to shake that magic 8 ball again and see what it spits out.  

Ok... I recrunched the number and........



Carthage is still #1 in the Central. Unless you have a better set of rankings. I'd be interested to see yours and the rationale for it. BIased or not, a lot of people agree with me. In fact, two polls (Collegiate Baseball and D3baseball.com) place them as the region's top team as well. They are the only central reion team in any of the polls right now, how can they NOT be #1? I had them #14 in my own poll, but they somehow landed at #5 in one and #8 in the other. Clearly, others agree.

[upandin]

Ill post my rankings soon I want to see some of the rosters that are being kept secrete by some programs out there.  I am not saying that Carthage is not a good team, nor am I saying that they are not deserving of a being in the discussion for another title.  Other teams in the CCIW need to step up and play. Top teams stay on top sometimes even when they are not the best team. I just feel that there is opportunity for some other programs to rise to the top.  My point is there should be much more discussion about the top teams in the central region. I feel that the national DIII polls are lacking as well. Programs in the Midwest need to do a better job promoting them selves. Take for example Beloit, they have done a good job of pulling that off.  They are average at best in talent yet they are in the discussion on a national stage.  They are doing something right. 

[BigPoppa]

Ill post my rankings soon I want to see some of the rosters that are being kept secrete by some programs out there.  I am not saying that Carthage is not a good team, nor am I saying that they are not deserving of a being in the discussion for another title.  Other teams in the CCIW need to step up and play. Top teams stay on top sometimes even when they are not the best team. I just feel that there is opportunity for some other programs to rise to the top.  My point is there should be much more discussion about the top teams in the central region. I feel that the national DIII polls are lacking as well. Programs in the Midwest need to do a better job promoting them selves. Take for example Beloit, they have done a good job of pulling that off.  They are average at best in talent yet they are in the discussion on a national stage.  They are doing something right. 

You may really hate me when my Central Region preview is published this week. Originally, prior to Carthage losing two top arms, I would have had them at pre-season #1. I tailored it back a bit, but I still think they are the team to beat in the region followed by Beloit and Wheaton.

[upandin]

Here is some info to ponder....Returning ( as far as I know ) 2009 all-region players. 

CCIW 14......  Wheaton 4,  Ill Wesleyan 3,  N. Central 2,  N. Park 2,  Carthage 1,  Augustana 1,  Elmhurst 1.

MWC  7 ......  Beloit 3,  St. Norbert 2,  Ripon 1

IIAC   7  ......  Coe 3,  BV 1,  Wartburg 1,   Luther 1,   Central 1.

SLIAC  2 ......  Webster 1,   Maryville 1.