Quote from: GU1999 on February 25, 2025, 02:14:36 PMWatched the North Park game live on Sunday in Indiana.  Soph catcher Reyn Matsuzaki with two bombs in a close loss.  He really presented well behind the plate as well.  One of 10 Hawaiians on the team.  My wife, a former NPU employee, and I were blown away by that.  I am sure that someone knows the connection to Hawaii and we are curious.  Hawaii is a very baseball oriented, but very small state.  My wife posited that maybe the Coach Johnson gets a recruiting trip for he and his wife and the program covers it.  

Greg may know the specifics, but I think it might have been a spillover from when the football team used to recruit heavily, and successfully, in American Samoa, Hawaii, and Guam.  One of the assistant coaches used to coach in Guam (I think) and had contacts there.  Perhaps he also spent some time talking with baseball prospects while he was on a Pacific trip.  Several years ago we had one baseball player from Samoa -- he never got any varsity time -- and an outfielder from Hawaii, who played on and off for four years.  After that, it might have been word of mouth and Zoom calls to Hawaiians who wanted to play ball in college but had very limited options to do so in their home state.

Quote from: markerickson on February 25, 2025, 10:55:27 AMIs the RESPECT Award comparable to tykes' 'everybody gets a trophy" award? /s  For example, what did DJ Wallace do to earn his award?

From the CCIW website:

RESPECT Award

"At the conclusion of every sports season, each varsity program will recognize one student-athlete as their RESPECT Award honoree. RESPECT Award recipients have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture."

It's one of many such CCIW awards. I don't know the intricacies of the selection process, but I'd hazard a guess that each recipient is nominated internally by the coaching staff and players.  Let's applaud these student-athletes for their contributions to their teams and their sport.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 29, 2025, 03:24:46 PMThe two preseason polls are out, and, to nobody's surprise, there isn't much love for the CCIW in either one of them. The ABCA preseason poll has zero CCIW teams in the Top 30, and only one CCIW team -- North Park -- in the Others Receiving Votes category. And, as for the D3baseball.com Top 25 preseason poll, there are likewise no CCIW teams ranked in the Top 25, and only two CCIW teams -- North Central and Augustana -- in the Others Receiving Votes category.

Notably absent from both lists is Millikin.  The Big Blue have been a formidable CCIW squad over the past few years. 

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2024, 08:02:58 PMEven by Norm Eash standards it was outrageous.

I can only wonder what must have happened to Norm Eash at some tender age to have caused the milk of human kindness to curdle so sourly in that man.

I bet the bus ride back to Bloomington was a real treat.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2024, 04:54:04 PM

Quote from: CarollFan on October 26, 2024, 04:50:54 PMFinals

Wheaton 27 WashU 20
NPU 28 IWU 24
Carthage 24 Millikin 20
Carroll 45 Elmhurst 14
NCC 49 Augie 10

And norm refused to shake some coaches hands in chicago.

That is truly appalling, a real lack of class and sportsmanship.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2024, 04:07:57 PM...but I've come close to calling one or two baseball no-hitters. My baseball colorman and I definitely tiptoe around the topic if it looks like there's a no-no brewing.

Several years ago I was keeping the scorebook in the dugout for a home game.  I forget who we were playing, but after finishing up an inning, our defense came into the dugout and a first-year player said out loud, "Does the other team even have a hit yet?"  You should have seen the laser beams coming from the eyes of all the other players.

Final from Chicago: North Park 30, Carroll 26

Quote from: WUPHF on October 05, 2024, 10:45:42 PMNo reports and no volleyball games to call has me hoping that Greg Sager caught the team bus to Rock Island.

It's a good thing Greg wasn't doing the play-by-lay for that game.  It would take his voice a week to recover.

Congratulations to North Park alum Randy Ross ('84) on his induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.  He is most deserving of this honor in light of the outstanding statistics he put up in his four-year career, with three Rawlings /ABCA First Team selections.

North Park Vikings associate coach, Jake Upwood, has accepted the head coaching job at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Best wishes in the new position!

https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2024/8/19/baseball-jake-upwood-accepts-head-coaching-position-with-pacific-university.aspx

Millikin closed out the CCIW tournament to defeat Augustana, 9-8, and capture the automatic bid.  The Big Blue were up early, 8-1, on the strength of two home runs by Tommy Shaw, but the Vikings rallied with seven runs in the fifth to tie the game with two home runs of their own.  After Millikin regained a slim 9-8 advantage in the secenth, Caleb Buehrle came in for two innings to close the door and pick up his second save, with the win going to reliever Drew Sutton.

After two days and five games, the CCIW Tournament is down to three teams: top seeds North Park and Millikin are both 1-0, and Augustana is the lone survivor of the consolation bracket.  Illinois Wesleyan and North Central each lost their single play-in game on Wednesday, and Augie eliminated Carthage on Friday evening. On Saturday, North Park and Millikin square off at 2 PM and the loser will face Augie later in the afternoon.  The championship game will take place on Sunday.

The All-CCIW Teams have been announced. As predicted, Caleb Buehrle is the CCIW Pitcher of the Year, and the Student-Athlete of the Year is Bobby Bartlett, North Park's two-way player.  Newcomer of the Year is Jackson Bland of North Central.  Luke Johnson and Brandon Townsend share Coach of the Year honors.  Congratulations to all the honorees.

Quote from: badgerwarhawk on March 17, 2024, 08:06:11 PMThe Warhawks (9-3) got solid pitching again today holding Hunington (8-7) to just five hits while getting fifteen themselves in the 17-2 win. Husebo (2-0) allowed 3 hits in 4 innings producing just 1 unearned run while striking out 3 for the win. Hilker struck out 2 in 2 innings of hitless relief with McPherson, Dupor and Eisenbarth each pitched an inning allowing 2 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 3 combined. Scolon with three hits including a 2B and HR drove in 3 runs to lead the Warhawks. Thies also had 3 hits and an RBI.  Jackson and Bennett each had a pair of hits, including a double apiece and drove in 2 and 3 RBI respectively. Koenig had a pair of RBI and Bogue, Gordon, O'Brien, Wessel and Padan all had single RBI.


PS: It was a nine inning game so I don't see how Husebo gets the win pitching only 4. But that's how the box has it. I believe the win should go to Hilker.

That would be the logical choice, but if the head coaches agree before the game starts, the starting pitcher *can* be credited with the victory even if he doesn't go five innings.  That's why you see an occasional bullpen game with a starting pitcher going one inning and ending up with the W if the offense gives him the lead.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 06, 2023, 11:19:31 PM
Illinois Wesleyan 70
North Park 56

Nothing to add that I haven't already said over the past three weeks regarding this nightmare.

I'm sorry to hear about yet another loss.  It is very discouraging, as you had high expectations for the team this season.  Let's hope they can regain their touch and put together a string of solid performances.