BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Started by RedmenFB44, January 05, 2006, 12:14:15 PM

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augie_superfan

Augustana beat Greenville today 1-0 and 9-1.  Kevin Kuntz pitched 6 innings in game 1 and Andrew Setter closed the game for a save.  Game 2 was a complete game win for Brandon Engle.

Augustana is now 6-2

augiefan

Has Augie found a decent catcher as yet. I realize Greenville is really bad, but these two wins seem a little more encouraging with Augie giving up just 1 run.

augie_superfan

The same 2 guys are catching (a converted middle infielder and a converted 1B/DH).  An extra 2 weeks of practice since the last trip definitely helps when it comes to the pitching.  It will be interesting to see how the next 2 games go.  Saturday, they will pitch their #4 while probably their #2 (who closed today) will start Sunday.  Not really sure on the order of the Augie pitchers but Kuntz, Setter and Engle are the top 3 that have all pitched very well in past years. 

REDMENFAN

One encouraging thing for the Redmen is in games when their 1-3 starters pitched, they were 4-0. Evosovich was 2-0, Olson 1-0 with a no decision, and Husing 1-0. With these guys on the mound for conference games, the Redmen should be very tough to beat. Carthage lost some very close games, and their last 3 losses they blew leads in all of them, 2 in the final inning. I know 6-4 is not the normal record people see after a Carthage spring trip, but I still look for them to have a strong season. If they win that game yesterday and finish 7-3, we would be talking about what a great spring trip it was with a couple losses to average teams. Bottom line, look for Carthage to still finish at or near the top of the conference this year because of 3 great weekend starters, and hitting that should keep improving.

BigPoppa

After thinking about the trip for the night and being heavily influenced by Guinness in my thinking, I am certain that the Redmen will have another successful season in the CCIW. I still see them as the favorite to win it. I think we have all been spoiled by the top 10 rankings we are used to seeing from this team.

Look for them to get hot in the CCIW and start rolling.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

irish21

Very good point RMF! Three solid starters will definitely help on the weekends and it is encouraging.
Iron Will

augie_superfan

Augie moves to 7-2 on the season with a 8-6 win over St. Jospeh's.  Gwost picked up the win.

augie_superfan

Augustana moves to 8-2 on the season with a 10-7 win over #6 Wisconsin - Stevens Point.  Pretty good start for Augie now that their 2 sprind trips are completed.  The play their first games up north with a DH against Monmouth on Saturday.

REDMENFAN

I was a little unsure about Augie even though they had a good record, but after a win against Stevens Point, I know that have to have a good ball club. Obviously the Catching situation has improved, the pitchers must be throwing well, and it sounds like they are pounding the ball just like they did last year

Sweetness

Today Elmhurst Blue Jays split against Hanover College; they won the first game 8-2.  Senior Ben Stephens pitched 6 1/3 of innings and only gave up 2 runs in the victory. Junior Anthony Contaldo got his first Blue Jay homerun of the year.

The second game was a different story when head coach, coach Jones decided to take out his top main starters. ???  They only score 2 runs in the 3-2 loss.  Elmhurst had the bases loaded in the 9th inning with one out, and could not get a run in.

The Blue Jays have a record of 3-2-1.

Gregory Sager

North Park returned from its trip to Phoenix having posted a 2-3 record in America's Catbox. That makes the Vikings 3-5 on the year, with one game having been rained out by Arizona's freakish weather last weekend. Two of the losses suffered by NPU in Phoenix were extra-inning affairs.

The Vikings have thus already equaled the total number of wins they achieved the past two years combined, and tied the total that they won in all of the 2003 season. That's pretty embarrassing, but as the ancient Chinese proverb goes, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

I spoke with one of the assistant coaches, and he sounded pretty upbeat about the trip as a whole. It sounds as though the Vikes may finally be turning the corner. I'm looking forward to their first home game on Thursday against IIT.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Dirty Dozen

Hey Sweetness:

You sound down on Coach Jones?  In his defense, it's early on in the season.  Do you think he may be trying to learn a little more about his team and what his reserves can do?  How will he ever know about what his reserves can do unless he plays them in these games?   It's the 2nd game on a 9 game swing.  There's a lot of baseball left.  Lighten up.  Oh by the way, what doesn't show up in the box score, those reserves crushed the ball right at people including Matt Brauer who hit a missle right at the 3B in the 7th (I was told they played 2-7 inning games so it couldn't have been the 9th)  In addition, Pat Meginniss, Travis Cox, and Brett Lilley hit the ball very hard too and had nothing to show for it.  Is that Coach Jones's fault?  I heard his starting pitching in that game (and I don't know who it was?) was continuously not getting ahead of hitters, walked some guys, and had a lot of 3 ball counts.  Is that Coach Jones's fault?   Nick Ferrin who has been a very reliable and steady pitcher for the Jays came in in relief of the starter and hit his first batter he faced.  Was it the reserves fault those pitchers weren't ahead of hitters and Ferrin hit a batter who eventually scored?

I think you should be happy the Jays have a coach who has enough balls to play his reserves every now and then to give them a chance.  In the long run, won't they be better off if the Bluejays have a strong bench?  Coach Jones probably already has a good idea of what his starters can do.

Hang in there.  Coach Jones is a veteran Coach, has been around the block and knows what he's doing.  The Jays have a strong club and playing the reserves now when he can will only strengthen their team in the long run.   So chill bro - it aint the end of the world.


Dirty Dozen

Hey Sweetness:

I felt guilty after telling to chill so I did some snooping around to see if what I was saying was acurate or if perhaps you were right?  Here's what I found.

The starters that Coach Jones did start in the the 3-2 loss to Hanover was combined 2 for 14 at the plate in that loss.  The starters who Coach Jones didn't play in the 3-2 loss was 2 for 12 at the plate in the previous game.

Sounds to me as if there may have been a good pitcher going and it didn't make a difference one way or another.  It's early and the Jays just don't seem to be hitting right now with starters or reserves.  So Sweetness, I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and after my investigative reporting, I still think you should chill bro!

The Jays will hit - hang in there bro!

mr_b

North Park went 3-4 (not 2-3) on its Phoenix trip to move to 4-6 on the year.  The finale was a 14-inning affair with the Vikings coming up short, 8-7.  They lost three extra-inning games to Marian (WI), Keene State (NH), and Roger Williams (RI).

REDMENFAN

If I had to guess, Elmhurst's coach was probably sending a message to his starters saying hit the ball or else... that happened to Carthage down in florida a few years back and Augie benched most of the starters including All-American Adam Husing and a bunch of freshman came in and actually hit well and came back and won that game. It sends a message to those starters and upperclassmen that hey, if you don't perform we got guys who can't wait to get their opportunity who will.