A 2012 Central Region Preview

[BigPoppa]

BigPoppa,

Hard to disagree with many of your votes on this weeks poll, but I think you've got Dubuque way too high at the moment.  I'm all for giving credit where it's due... but they haven't beaten anyone of note and have traditionally been a struggling program.  If they get to 12-0 or better then I'd start giving them some votes, but at the moment I'd like to see more out of them.  (It's also shocking to see Chapman struggling so bad, but that's not a topic for this board)

I have Dubuque on my radar, not in my rankings. After their last few days, they will quickly disappear from the radar unless they get on track ASAP. In the next week or so I will publish a Central Region rankings that will slowly start to take shape as the last of the programs hit the field this weekend.

[Kohawk Krazy]

Dubuque plays at Coe next weekend.  That should tell us a lot.

[warrior35]

My bad BigPoppa,

I mistook "On Your Radar" for receiving votes to be in your top 25 and therefore being a de facto top 30+.  Need to slow down and read.

[BigPoppa]

My early look at ranking the Central Region's top teams for 2012. I went out on a limb a bit this year, but I really like North Park and WashU. Thoughts? How'd I do?

1.   North Park- The Vikes return 24 wins on the mound and all of their saves from a very solid 2011 squad. They have constantly hung around the top-tier of CCIW teams since Luke Johnson’s arrival and I see this as they year it finally comes together for North Park. They tied for the regular season CCIW title last year and return a boatload of talented and versatile players.

2.   Washington University (WashU)- return Central Region Player of the Year, Brandon Rogalski, second team all region UTL Kyle Billig, and third team all region P Stephan Bonser. A full season of recruiting and off-season programs under coach Steve Duncan is only going to solidify what I think is a team that is on the verge of a national breakthrough.

3.   Carthage- The Redmen return most of their pitching staff from a team that was very young on the mound last year. They also return all-region P Danny Dahm as well as 1B Joey Aiello, in addition a very productive gang of outfielders that battled for time last year and will finally get their shot after some graduations.

4.   Buena Vista- I know many people are very high on BV this year, but I am not certain they can replace all that they lost to graduation. They lost their #1 pitcher, catcher, shortstop and closer. Those are four positions that are leaned on heavily as the games wear on. I’ll be surprised if they find replacements as talented as the four they lost. Third team All- region P James Stone returns to anchor their pitching staff.

5.   Webster- returns entire starting pitching staff. This bodes well for a team that has pounded the SLIAC opponents for the past few seasons and should put them back in position to do some damage in the NCAA post-season. They are traditionally hamstrung by the weak SoS that the SLIAC provides so how they fare in non-league games vs St. Norbert, Hendrix, Wheaton, Ripon, and WashU may determine their fate if they stumble in the SLIAC tourney. It may be left to all-region arm David Mueller to try to knock off a few regional big dogs in the process to bolster their SoS.

6.   Illinois Wesleyan- They really need to find some pitching to match their potent offense this year. They return four all–region players in Kevin Callahan, Bobby Czarnowski, AJ Nathan and Jonathon Erickson as well as All-region P Nick Mehn. Still, they have very little depth on the mound to back the run-scoring offense they will trot out on a daily basis. That is a recipe for disaster at tourney time.

7.   Coe- P Wade Morris (1st team all-regional) and OF Nick Stein (1st team all-region) anchor a team that could be the surprise of the region. If they can find production from other players and pitchers, they could be a team to contend with this season.

On the outside looking in at the top-tier: North Central, Augustana, Luther, St. Norbert, Ripon.  I think all five of these teams are close but need to be much more consistent than they have been in the past if they want to jump from the middle-tier of the region to the top-tier.

I am starting to look back at what I predicted in the region and trying to figure it all out. I still really like North Park, WashU, and CArthage as the top three, but BV and Webster are off to slow starts. IWU is off to solid start at 5-1 as is Augustana at 7-2 (seems like they always start out hot and struggle to maintain it). Coe is off to a 5-3 start (not as good as I expected them to be at this point) but the big surprise for me so far is Dubuque at 11-4.

The next week will help clear it all up a bit more as the last of the teams to play (Carthage) takes the field in AZ.

[warrior35]

In my opinion, I would say NPU, WashU, Carthage, IWU, Coe, and Augie would round out my top 6 currently.  But, I don't expect Augie to stay there.  Illinois College is out to an impressive start to keep our eyes on, and Central seems to be on or way off... see if they can get a little more consistent they could be IIAC contenders.

[D3Vike11]

D3Vike11's Top 5 in Central Region (as of Mar 20):

1.) Illinois Wesleyan (7-2)
They continue to play well despite a loss to Rose-Hulman. They're hitting as a team at .355 and with Sweeney carrying them on the mound. They aren't my consensus #1 pick, but being the defending CCIW champs keeps them on top.

2.) North Park (10-2)
The Vikings continue to win, beating a good Bethel team to take their current win streak to 9 in a row. The scariest thing could be that they are pitching with a team ERA of 2.89, an area that has never been the strength of the Vikings.

3.) Carthage (2-1)
The Red Man started off strong with an easy win, but took a step back with the loss to Luther. Coach Schmidt believes that this team's strength will be its defense, and although its early, they have already committed 5 errors in 3 games.

4.) Washington U (12-6)
The Bears had their 12 game winning streak broken with 3 straight losses, 2 of which were against weaker opponents. I only see this as a speed bump for Wash U, and expect them to continue to climb the ladder in the Central Region.

5.) Augustana (11-2)
Every year the Augustana Vikings start off hot, and this year is no different. They lead the CCIW in team ERA at 2.82 and are hitting at a high .357. The question remains whether they can compete or not within the tough CCIW.

[BigPoppa]

My early look at ranking the Central Region's top teams for 2012. I went out on a limb a bit this year, but I really like North Park and WashU. Thoughts? How'd I do?

1.   North Park- The Vikes return 24 wins on the mound and all of their saves from a very solid 2011 squad. They have constantly hung around the top-tier of CCIW teams since Luke Johnson’s arrival and I see this as they year it finally comes together for North Park. They tied for the regular season CCIW title last year and return a boatload of talented and versatile players.

2.   Washington University (WashU)- return Central Region Player of the Year, Brandon Rogalski, second team all region UTL Kyle Billig, and third team all region P Stephan Bonser. A full season of recruiting and off-season programs under coach Steve Duncan is only going to solidify what I think is a team that is on the verge of a national breakthrough.

3.   Carthage- The Redmen return most of their pitching staff from a team that was very young on the mound last year. They also return all-region P Danny Dahm as well as 1B Joey Aiello, in addition a very productive gang of outfielders that battled for time last year and will finally get their shot after some graduations.

4.   Buena Vista- I know many people are very high on BV this year, but I am not certain they can replace all that they lost to graduation. They lost their #1 pitcher, catcher, shortstop and closer. Those are four positions that are leaned on heavily as the games wear on. I’ll be surprised if they find replacements as talented as the four they lost. Third team All- region P James Stone returns to anchor their pitching staff.

5.   Webster- returns entire starting pitching staff. This bodes well for a team that has pounded the SLIAC opponents for the past few seasons and should put them back in position to do some damage in the NCAA post-season. They are traditionally hamstrung by the weak SoS that the SLIAC provides so how they fare in non-league games vs St. Norbert, Hendrix, Wheaton, Ripon, and WashU may determine their fate if they stumble in the SLIAC tourney. It may be left to all-region arm David Mueller to try to knock off a few regional big dogs in the process to bolster their SoS.

6.   Illinois Wesleyan- They really need to find some pitching to match their potent offense this year. They return four all–region players in Kevin Callahan, Bobby Czarnowski, AJ Nathan and Jonathon Erickson as well as All-region P Nick Mehn. Still, they have very little depth on the mound to back the run-scoring offense they will trot out on a daily basis. That is a recipe for disaster at tourney time.

7.   Coe- P Wade Morris (1st team all-regional) and OF Nick Stein (1st team all-region) anchor a team that could be the surprise of the region. If they can find production from other players and pitchers, they could be a team to contend with this season.

On the outside looking in at the top-tier: North Central, Augustana, Luther, St. Norbert, Ripon.  I think all five of these teams are close but need to be much more consistent than they have been in the past if they want to jump from the middle-tier of the region to the top-tier.

I think I hit the top two dead on considering they have generally been "also rans" in the region for a while. I have no idea what happened to Carthage. I think they are still a threat if they even qualify for the CCIW tourney. BV is also a mystery to me. I did not see them winning the region but I also did not see them falling this fast. Webster is Webster... They go about their business and win SLIAC games.

[D3Vike11]

My early look at ranking the Central Region's top teams for 2012. I went out on a limb a bit this year, but I really like North Park and WashU. Thoughts? How'd I do?

1.   North Park- The Vikes return 24 wins on the mound and all of their saves from a very solid 2011 squad. They have constantly hung around the top-tier of CCIW teams since Luke Johnson’s arrival and I see this as they year it finally comes together for North Park. They tied for the regular season CCIW title last year and return a boatload of talented and versatile players.

2.   Washington University (WashU)- return Central Region Player of the Year, Brandon Rogalski, second team all region UTL Kyle Billig, and third team all region P Stephan Bonser. A full season of recruiting and off-season programs under coach Steve Duncan is only going to solidify what I think is a team that is on the verge of a national breakthrough.

3.   Carthage- The Redmen return most of their pitching staff from a team that was very young on the mound last year. They also return all-region P Danny Dahm as well as 1B Joey Aiello, in addition a very productive gang of outfielders that battled for time last year and will finally get their shot after some graduations.

4.   Buena Vista- I know many people are very high on BV this year, but I am not certain they can replace all that they lost to graduation. They lost their #1 pitcher, catcher, shortstop and closer. Those are four positions that are leaned on heavily as the games wear on. I’ll be surprised if they find replacements as talented as the four they lost. Third team All- region P James Stone returns to anchor their pitching staff.

5.   Webster- returns entire starting pitching staff. This bodes well for a team that has pounded the SLIAC opponents for the past few seasons and should put them back in position to do some damage in the NCAA post-season. They are traditionally hamstrung by the weak SoS that the SLIAC provides so how they fare in non-league games vs St. Norbert, Hendrix, Wheaton, Ripon, and WashU may determine their fate if they stumble in the SLIAC tourney. It may be left to all-region arm David Mueller to try to knock off a few regional big dogs in the process to bolster their SoS.

6.   Illinois Wesleyan- They really need to find some pitching to match their potent offense this year. They return four all–region players in Kevin Callahan, Bobby Czarnowski, AJ Nathan and Jonathon Erickson as well as All-region P Nick Mehn. Still, they have very little depth on the mound to back the run-scoring offense they will trot out on a daily basis. That is a recipe for disaster at tourney time.

7.   Coe- P Wade Morris (1st team all-regional) and OF Nick Stein (1st team all-region) anchor a team that could be the surprise of the region. If they can find production from other players and pitchers, they could be a team to contend with this season.

On the outside looking in at the top-tier: North Central, Augustana, Luther, St. Norbert, Ripon.  I think all five of these teams are close but need to be much more consistent than they have been in the past if they want to jump from the middle-tier of the region to the top-tier.

I think I hit the top two dead on considering they have generally been "also rans" in the region for a while. I have no idea what happened to Carthage. I think they are still a threat if they even qualify for the CCIW tourney. BV is also a mystery to me. I did not see them winning the region but I also did not see them falling this fast. Webster is Webster... They go about their business and win SLIAC games.

Would like to see an updated ranking BigPoppa!

[BigPoppa]

My early look at ranking the Central Region's top teams for 2012. I went out on a limb a bit this year, but I really like North Park and WashU. Thoughts? How'd I do?

1.   North Park- The Vikes return 24 wins on the mound and all of their saves from a very solid 2011 squad. They have constantly hung around the top-tier of CCIW teams since Luke Johnson’s arrival and I see this as they year it finally comes together for North Park. They tied for the regular season CCIW title last year and return a boatload of talented and versatile players.

2.   Washington University (WashU)- return Central Region Player of the Year, Brandon Rogalski, second team all region UTL Kyle Billig, and third team all region P Stephan Bonser. A full season of recruiting and off-season programs under coach Steve Duncan is only going to solidify what I think is a team that is on the verge of a national breakthrough.

3.   Carthage- The Redmen return most of their pitching staff from a team that was very young on the mound last year. They also return all-region P Danny Dahm as well as 1B Joey Aiello, in addition a very productive gang of outfielders that battled for time last year and will finally get their shot after some graduations.

4.   Buena Vista- I know many people are very high on BV this year, but I am not certain they can replace all that they lost to graduation. They lost their #1 pitcher, catcher, shortstop and closer. Those are four positions that are leaned on heavily as the games wear on. I’ll be surprised if they find replacements as talented as the four they lost. Third team All- region P James Stone returns to anchor their pitching staff.

5.   Webster- returns entire starting pitching staff. This bodes well for a team that has pounded the SLIAC opponents for the past few seasons and should put them back in position to do some damage in the NCAA post-season. They are traditionally hamstrung by the weak SoS that the SLIAC provides so how they fare in non-league games vs St. Norbert, Hendrix, Wheaton, Ripon, and WashU may determine their fate if they stumble in the SLIAC tourney. It may be left to all-region arm David Mueller to try to knock off a few regional big dogs in the process to bolster their SoS.

6.   Illinois Wesleyan- They really need to find some pitching to match their potent offense this year. They return four all–region players in Kevin Callahan, Bobby Czarnowski, AJ Nathan and Jonathon Erickson as well as All-region P Nick Mehn. Still, they have very little depth on the mound to back the run-scoring offense they will trot out on a daily basis. That is a recipe for disaster at tourney time.

7.   Coe- P Wade Morris (1st team all-regional) and OF Nick Stein (1st team all-region) anchor a team that could be the surprise of the region. If they can find production from other players and pitchers, they could be a team to contend with this season.

On the outside looking in at the top-tier: North Central, Augustana, Luther, St. Norbert, Ripon.  I think all five of these teams are close but need to be much more consistent than they have been in the past if they want to jump from the middle-tier of the region to the top-tier.

My updated look at the Central Region Rankings:

1. Central (IIAC)- I cannot believe I have them at #1. More a product of others not getting it done at this point.

2. Wash U (UAA)- A pretty solid Pool B candidate. On the bubble in Pool C...

3. IWU (CCIW)- Starting to play well and a solid SoS will help them out.

4. North Park (CCIW)- Really starting to slide a bit after a torrid start. Need to get rolling or face being below the line in Pool C if they stumble in post-season tourney.

5. Chicago (UAA)- A solid Pool B candidate with a nice SoS to help their case. Doubt they would be a Pool C candidate , but we will know more once the rankings are published.

6. Webster- SLIAC pool A lock (again). Only threat they will face in SLIAC tourney is Spalding.

7. PICK ANYONE YOU WANT HERE... I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN THIS SPOT GETTING A BID REGARDLESS OF THEIR REGIONAL RANKING. GOTTA WIN A POOL-A BID FROM THIS POINT SOUTH...

[Yatzee]

Webster went 3-0 in its weekend series with Spalding winning 7-0, 3-2, 4-2. This is Spaldings last year I believe that they are ineligible for the SLIAC tournament.

[BigPoppa]

Webster went 3-0 in its weekend series with Spalding winning 7-0, 3-2, 4-2. This is Spaldings last year I believe that they are ineligible for the SLIAC tournament.

I thought they were elegible this year, but if what you are saying is true, then Webster has just about locked up a Pool A in the SLIAC. I cannot see them losing twice in that event.

[Yatzee]

I believe they were supposed to be because it was their 3rd year but from what I heard, they still had some players on scholarship from the previous association they were with before.

[OshDude]

I believe they were supposed to be because it was their 3rd year but from what I heard, they still had some players on scholarship from the previous association they were with before.

The Handbook lists Spalding as ineligible for the 2012 NCAA tournament.

[Pat Coleman]

Spalding is ineligible this year. They should not have players still receiving scholarships, however. They may have players who started at Spalding on scholarship but IIRC all of their scholarships should be rolled off after the second year as a provisional member.

[Yatzee]

Oh okay. My mistake.