A 2012 Central Region Preview

[Gregory Sager]

I'm a little surprised that you have NPU all the way up at #1, BP. Yeah, the Vikes return everyone from a strong staff except for Pete Sparacino. However, the Park lost almost all of last season's starting lineup to graduation. The only returning position players who had more than two dozen ABs last year are Brad Medina and Eric Sousanes (although Ryan Javech, who was the team's best hitter in 2010, is back this year after missing almost all of the 2011 campaign to injury). I know that Luke Johnson is confident that NPU's talent level in terms of position players is going to be right up there again this season, but you just don't snap your fingers and replace the kind of veteran experience that Zach Deutscher, Mike Domenick, Andy Athans, Wade Yunker, Trevor Popp, Angel Carrasco, and Mike Sommerfield brought to last season's team.

[BigPoppa]

I'm a little surprised that you have NPU all the way up at #1, BP. Yeah, the Vikes return everyone from a strong staff except for Pete Sparacino. However, the Park lost almost all of last season's starting lineup to graduation. The only returning position players who had more than two dozen ABs last year are Brad Medina and Eric Sousanes (although Ryan Javech, who was the team's best hitter in 2010, is back this year after missing almost all of the 2011 campaign to injury). I know that Luke Johnson is confident that NPU's talent level in terms of position players is going to be right up there again this season, but you just don't snap your fingers and replace the kind of veteran experience that Zach Deutscher, Mike Domenick, Andy Athans, Wade Yunker, Trevor Popp, Angel Carrasco, and Mike Sommerfield brought to last season's team.

I know the bats will be hard to replace, but the CCIW is traditionally claimed by teams with the top pitching. NPU has a lot of theirs back as does Carthage. As I said, I may have gone out on a limb in tabbing NPU my pre-season favorite, but it gets boring to tab Carthage or IWU as tops every season. I firmly believe that NPU will be a major player in the region in 2012.

[BigPoppa]

Big Poppa's preseason all-Central Region team:

C: AJ Nathan- IWU
    Mike Nodzenski- Grinnell

1B:Kevin Callahan- IWU
     Joey Aiello- Carthage

2B: Chris Reynolds- Luther
     Jonathon Erickson- IWU

3B:Ryan Javech- North Park
     Jordan Jaenicke- Beloit

SS: Michael Goldfien- Grinnell
     Eric Sousanes- North Park

OF:
1st Brandon Rogalski- WashU
     Nick Stein- Coe
     Chris D'Angelo- Carthage

2nd Dave Wollak- Elmhurst
     Justin Zeller- Wheaton
     Jack Cinoman- Chicago


UTL:Kyle Billig- WashU
      Trey Martin- Wheaton


DH: Bobby Czarnowski- IWU


P:
1st Wade Morris- Coe
     Steve Kuligowski- North Park
     Stephan Bonser- WashU
     Danny Dahm- Carthage
     Alex Norman- Beloit

2nd Nick Mehn- IWU
     David Mueller- Webster
     James Stone- Buena Vista
     Augie Lindmark- Luther
     Eric Rohe- Carthage

[Gregory Sager]

Big Poppa's preseason all-Central Region team:
SS: Michael Goldfien- Grinnell
     Eric Sousanes- North Park

So you already knew that Luke Johnson is moving Sousanes from 2B to SS? Your spies are everywhere, BP.

[BigPoppa]

Big Poppa's preseason all-Central Region team:
SS: Michael Goldfien- Grinnell
     Eric Sousanes- North Park

So you already knew that Luke Johnson is moving Sousanes from 2B to SS? Your spies are everywhere, BP.

I generally know much more than I let on

[BigPoppa]

Big Poppa's Preseason Top 25: I know I have some teams that are in that others do not like and I left out some that others are very high on. Time will tell, but I feel pretty confident in my Top 25 at this point.

1 Marietta
2 Chapman
3 UW-Whitewater
4 UW-Stevens Point
5 Heidelberg
6 Linfield
7 Kean
8 Wheaton (Mass.)
9 Christopher Newport
10 Cortland State
11 Redlands
12 Texas-Tyler
13 Birmingham-Southern
14 Eastern Connecticut
15 North Park
16 Salisbury
17 Washington University
18 Western New England
19 Carthage
20 Concordia (Ill.)
21 Johns Hopkins
22 St. Scholastica
23 St. Thomas
24 Buena Vista
25 Webster
Just missed: Aurora, Thomas More, Coe, Shenandoah, Trinity (TX)

[BigPoppa]

I thought for sure someone would have jumped on my ranking of either North Park or WashU by now... or my exclusion of Coe and IWU.

[108 Stitches]

Don't know too much about some your  teams. Trinity will not have the offensive firepower they had last year, but are deeper 1-9, and their pitching may end up being quite good. They have some freshmen who may make some big contributions, so by the end of the season they could be dangerous once they mature.

[CCIWFAN6]

I thought for sure someone would have jumped on my ranking of either North Park or WashU by now... or my exclusion of Coe and IWU.

I have stated my pessimism for the Titans this year so in that regard it doesnt surprise me.  My only issue with North Park is the lack of top end starter.  They have some good starters, but I do not see a pitcher on that staff that has the ability to dominate and miss bats on a consistent basis.  IMO, that is the difference between a top 15 team and a team that might be more in that 20-35.

Looking at Central Region teams over the last few years, guys like Kulavic, Aronson, Lapinski, and Pankau from IWU or Livek, Husing, Krepline, and to some extent Ruffie and Perez for Carthage have made them into elite teams at their respective times. It is another reason why Augie has struggled to get over the top of being a very good team to an elite team.

[TheSportsFan]

I thought for sure someone would have jumped on my ranking of either North Park or WashU by now... or my exclusion of Coe and IWU.

I would have disagreed with the Coe ranking.  I didn't because it's hard to back a team if you are unsure about their catching situation (which I am).  That being said, Coe should be better than Buena Vista.

[BigPoppa]

I see BV and Coe as pretty similar in terms of level of play. BV is down from last year while Coe is up... should make for a great IIAC race.

[Gregory Sager]

I thought for sure someone would have jumped on my ranking of either North Park or WashU by now... or my exclusion of Coe and IWU.

I have stated my pessimism for the Titans this year so in that regard it doesnt surprise me.  My only issue with North Park is the lack of top end starter.  They have some good starters, but I do not see a pitcher on that staff that has the ability to dominate and miss bats on a consistent basis.  IMO, that is the difference between a top 15 team and a team that might be more in that 20-35.

I can definitely see Steve Kuligowski being that guy for NPU this season. And, of course, I say this while still maintaining that BP has the Park too high.

[upandin]

I would have taken Coe over BV as well.  Coe swept BV last season at Coe. That being said BV showed up in the regional unlike the Kohawks.  This year they will play in Storm Lake, a tuff place to win. 

I would love to hear about projected top newcomers around the region.  It has been pretty quiet this off season. 

[CCIWFAN6]

I had a chance to talk to some of the IWU coaches over the weekend.  They are extremely excited/optimistic about the young pitching staff and were pleased with what they saw in fall workouts.  They really felt that they saw some a significant added interest in the recruiting over the last two season following the National Championship (as most would expect) and as a result have the deepest set of arms they have ever had.  I would imagine there would be some growing pains early, but my outlook on this team could be improving slightly after hearing their comments.

[augie_superfan]

So they announced the 2012 regional sites and the Central region goes to Rhodes???  Unless they changed the regional alignments, Rhodes isn't even in-region (I believe they are near Memphis). They hosted the South regional last year.  I'm wondering if no one from our region applied to host because this seems like a really inconvenient location for the majority of the central region teams...thoughts?