BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

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

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Mr. Ypsi

Quote from: BigPoppa on April 17, 2017, 08:58:18 AM
Carthage continues to baffle me.

I'd say they are a puzzle to everyone.  They lead the conference in team batting average, are third in team ERA, are second in team fielding%.  Somehow that doesn't seem to add up to sitting in sixth place! :o

I haven't gone thru game-by-game (heck, I haven't even done that for my own team!), but the only explanation I can see for those stats is that they generally lose close or win by a ton.  So, timing?

BigPoppa

#5896
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on April 17, 2017, 07:33:43 PM
Quote from: BigPoppa on April 17, 2017, 08:58:18 AM
Carthage continues to baffle me.

I'd say they are a puzzle to everyone.  They lead the conference in team batting average, are third in team ERA, are second in team fielding%.  Somehow that doesn't seem to add up to sitting in sixth place! :o

I haven't gone thru game-by-game (heck, I haven't even done that for my own team!), but the only explanation I can see for those stats is that they generally lose close or win by a ton.  So, timing?

Exactly! THIS is why is is so frustrating to see. It's like they have a staff full of #3 arms who keep it close each game, but can't shut down the opponent completely. At the same time, their bats destroy middle-to-bottom of the rotation arms. I don't think they'll make the CCIW tourney (which is astounding to me... the fact that Carthage is struggling to make the CCIW post-season year after year while ten years ago they seemed to be a good bet to make the World Series every other year is...... UGH!!!!!!!)



Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

BigPoppa

Does anyone think the CCIW will add a tenth member? Maybe one of the NathCon schools as that seems to be a large conference. Or maybe Chicago leaves the UAA? Geographically they are a great fit.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Jim Dixon

Quote from: BigPoppa on April 19, 2017, 11:39:06 AM
Does anyone think the CCIW will add a tenth member? Maybe one of the NathCon schools as that seems to be a large conference. Or maybe Chicago leaves the UAA? Geographically they are a great fit.

Chicago can certainly join just for baseball as they do not participate in the UAA in baseball.

BigPoppa

Quote from: Jim Dixon on April 19, 2017, 12:33:23 PM
Quote from: BigPoppa on April 19, 2017, 11:39:06 AM
Does anyone think the CCIW will add a tenth member? Maybe one of the NathCon schools as that seems to be a large conference. Or maybe Chicago leaves the UAA? Geographically they are a great fit.

Chicago can certainly join just for baseball as they do not participate in the UAA in baseball.

Might be a nice option for the CCIW as it would help balance the schedule a bit and eliminate the BYE... and many schools are already playing U of Chicago so it would change much except those games would count more. (FYI: I forgot they an independent for baseball. Good catch, Jim.)
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Gregory Sager

I take it that by "tenth member" you're referring to baseball only, BP. In that respect, yeah, the CCIW has plenty of associate members who only participate in one or two sports:


Concordia (WI)  wrestling
Dubuque  men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse
Lakeland  wrestling
Milwaukee Engineering  wrestling
Rose-Hulman  men's swimming, women's swimming
Washington (MO)  football (beginning in 2018)

... so it's possible that the league could opt to do that for baseball as well.

Each of the CCIW's six associate members has a baseball program, and each is already playing in that school's full-membership league: NACC for Concordia (WI), Milwaukee Engineering, and Lakeland; IIAC for Dubuque; HCAC for Rose-Hulman; and UAA for Washington (MO). The interesting thing is that the UAA only has seven members that have baseball programs -- Carnegie Mellon doesn't field a team in this sport -- and two of the seven choose not to play in the UAA for baseball. The league, for reasons unknown, allows them to do that. As Jim mentioned, Chicago is one of the two; the Maroons play an independent schedule. The other UAA stray, Rochester, plays in the Liberty League. One can hardly blame those two programs, as the UAA's tournament-based league schedule makes the league an odd duck in the D3 baseball world.

If the CCIW were to add an associate member for baseball, Chicago would be a natural fit. Nobody likes the headaches involved in scheduling as an independent, and the CCIW is a solid (albeit unspectacular) baseball league. From the CCIW's point of view, the Maroons are a competitive program based well within the league's geographical footprint, and you can never underestimate the cachet involved in getting an academic institution as high-powered as the University of Chicago into your circuit, even if it's just for one sport. But the CCIW, if it were to seek a tenth baseball program, might decide instead to give Wash U first right of refusal out of courtesy, since the Bears are already a nascent associate member of our league for football, and the UAA does not have an automatic bid to the D3 baseball tournament.

If, however, what you meant in asking if the CCIW will add a tenth member is whether or not the CCIW will add a tenth full member, the league's presidents have said that they're not actively seeking that. The league's needs seem to be amply met for the most part by having associate members in various sports in order to get the CCIW up to the seven-team minimum required for autobids to D3 tournaments, and if the nine-team sports in the CCIW want to follow the lead of football by adding a tenth for scheduling purposes, the CCIW could go the associate-member route in those sports as well.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Mr. Ypsi

IWU 3, Elmhurst 1.  I almost posted earlier when I noted that Nick Brune had a no-hitter thru 4, but even from 300 miles away I didn't want to risk jinxing him!  Apparently even the mere thought was enough, as he gave up a hit and a run in the 5th. ::)

Barring something really bizarre, NPU, Millikin, and Carroll are effectively eliminated from the conference tourney.  Carthage needs a winning streak to get back into the conversation, but should definitely not be counted out.

Current standings:
                      GB
NCC     9-2     --
IWU     9-4      1
Augie   7-5     2.5
Elmhurst 8-6  2.5
Wheaton  8-6  2.5
Carthage 6-7    4

BigPoppa

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on April 19, 2017, 10:20:30 PM
IWU 3, Elmhurst 1.  I almost posted earlier when I noted that Nick Brune had a no-hitter thru 4, but even from 300 miles away I didn't want to risk jinxing him!  Apparently even the mere thought was enough, as he gave up a hit and a run in the 5th. ::)

Barring something really bizarre, NPU, Millikin, and Carroll are effectively eliminated from the conference tourney.  Carthage needs a winning streak to get back into the conversation, but should definitely not be counted out.

Current standings:
                      GB
NCC     9-2     --
IWU     9-4      1
Augie   7-5     2.5
Elmhurst 8-6  2.5
Wheaton  8-6  2.5
Carthage 6-7    4

Carthage certainly has a favorable schedule in the coming weeks with Carroll and NPU on the docket (but this is not the usual Carthage squad that didn't drop games when favored). It will likely come down to how the Redmen(One word, not two... I am a proud alum!) fare against Augustana, and NCC. Id the can sweep 5 straight this week vs Carroll and NPU, they should climb back into the mix quickly. The they need to scrap to salvage a game or two in the Augustana series and take at least one from North Central.
Understandably, those are BIG ifs and I fear Carthage may be on the outside looking in when the CCIW tourney begins. (Can't believe I am typing that again... tired of the inconsistency).
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

BigPoppa

Quote from: Gregory Sager on April 19, 2017, 04:03:10 PM
I take it that by "tenth member" you're referring to baseball only, BP. In that respect, yeah, the CCIW has plenty of associate members who only participate in one or two sports:


Concordia (WI)  wrestling
Dubuque  men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse
Lakeland  wrestling
Milwaukee Engineering  wrestling
Rose-Hulman  men's swimming, women's swimming
Washington (MO)  football (beginning in 2018)

... so it's possible that the league could opt to do that for baseball as well.

Each of the CCIW's six associate members has a baseball program, and each is already playing in that school's full-membership league: NACC for Concordia (WI), Milwaukee Engineering, and Lakeland; IIAC for Dubuque; HCAC for Rose-Hulman; and UAA for Washington (MO). The interesting thing is that the UAA only has seven members that have baseball programs -- Carnegie Mellon doesn't field a team in this sport -- and two of the seven choose not to play in the UAA for baseball. The league, for reasons unknown, allows them to do that. As Jim mentioned, Chicago is one of the two; the Maroons play an independent schedule. The other UAA stray, Rochester, plays in the Liberty League. One can hardly blame those two programs, as the UAA's tournament-based league schedule makes the league an odd duck in the D3 baseball world.

If the CCIW were to add an associate member for baseball, Chicago would be a natural fit. Nobody likes the headaches involved in scheduling as an independent, and the CCIW is a solid (albeit unspectacular) baseball league. From the CCIW's point of view, the Maroons are a competitive program based well within the league's geographical footprint, and you can never underestimate the cachet involved in getting an academic institution as high-powered as the University of Chicago into your circuit, even if it's just for one sport. But the CCIW, if it were to seek a tenth baseball program, might decide instead to give Wash U first right of refusal out of courtesy, since the Bears are already a nascent associate member of our league for football, and the UAA does not have an automatic bid to the D3 baseball tournament.

If, however, what you meant in asking if the CCIW will add a tenth member is whether or not the CCIW will add a tenth full member, the league's presidents have said that they're not actively seeking that. The league's needs seem to be amply met for the most part by having associate members in various sports in order to get the CCIW up to the seven-team minimum required for autobids to D3 tournaments, and if the nine-team sports in the CCIW want to follow the lead of football by adding a tenth for scheduling purposes, the CCIW could go the associate-member route in those sports as well.

THIS is great stuff, Greg. Thanks for your insight. I don't think it will be long until they add an associate member for baseball, but I had not considered WashU. I assumed it would be U of Chicago simply based on ease of travel for those Chicago-land schools.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Pat Coleman

The UAA plays a regular schedule now -- Wash U hosted Emory for a four-game set March 31-April 2, went to Case for four games on April 14-15, travels to Brandeis then hosts NYU.

Chicago still the odd team out in this arrangement as well, although they are playing Case and Wash U in four-game sets.
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Mr. Ypsi

IWU and Carthage certainly have diametrically opposed schedules this weekend.  IWU has a DH Saturday at conference-leading NCC, then a DH Sunday at #3 (and national vote-getting) Augie.  Carthage HOSTS bottom-feeder Carroll in a DH on Saturday, then plays a DH at also bottom-feeding NPU on Sunday. 

While I think IWU is better than Carthage, I don't think I'd put any money on them having a better record this weekend! ;)  Anyone who doesn't want to go to Naperville for the conference tourney better hope for a Titan sweep on Saturday.

BigPoppa

I think IWU goes 2-2 on the weekend with a pair of splits. Carthage HAS to go 4-0 if they wish to remain in the mix. These are the games they HAVE to win.
Baseball is not a game that builds character, it is a game that reveals it.

Mr. Ypsi

IWU swept NCC today to move into first place.  Carthage got the sweep over Carroll to move into the tourney picture.  Augie/Wheaton and Elmhurst/Millikin were both splits.

Mr. Ypsi

Augie takes game one over IWU, 14-5.  The Vikings battered Jonathon Vik early (1 in the first, 2 in the second, 3 in the third), before he settled down and shut them out for the next two.  In the top of the 6th, the Titans got four to climb back within one, 6-5.  But once Vik left the game, the floodgates opened on the Titan bullpen.

Mr. Ypsi

IWU gets the split in Moline, 12-2.  It was still a possibly winnable game for the Vikings entering the ninth, but then the Titans poured on 6 more runs.  To his credit, the Augie coach then sent in three pinch hitters, getting some scrubs some game action.

NCC hosted Millikin and only got a split ( :o), so IWU retains first place.  I'll update standings once I hear other scores (i.e., once cciw.org scoreboard updates, since I'm too lazy to track them all down ;)).