Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(written by Hannah Bevis, Student Sports Information Assistant)

May 11, 2016 - After an outstanding regular season that saw the team enter the national rankings for the first time since 2010, men's baseball is preparing for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament this weekend after earning their second consecutive CCIW regular-season championship and riding a current three-game winning streak.

Currently sitting 13th in the nation in two national polls, North Central's team is turning heads nationwide at the NCAA Division III level. After graduating 14 seniors last year, including almost all of the team's infield and several All-CCIW honorees, it wasn't a sure thing that this year's group would be as strong as the 2015 squad.

"To say that we were going to roll out this type of year has really been a pleasant surprise," said head coach Ed Mathey '86, in the second season of his second tour of duty with the Cardinals. "It's a great testament to the guys on this year's team and how they've come together as a team and learned to rely on each other."

Thanks to newcomers who have stepped up to contribute, returners who have come back with something to prove, and a new addition to the coaching staff, North Central has been on top of its game all season long. Junior Nick Sotiros is leading the team with a .420 batting average, the best in the CCIW, and four more of his teammates are batting over .300. Sotiros is also second in the CCIW in hits this season (63), fourth in the conference in RBIS (39) and first in doubles (22), smashing the previous single-season record for doubles (18) at North Central. Teammate Chris Hill owns 19 doubles, also better than the previous school record and second-best in the CCIW. Freshman Jeremy Quade is second in the CCIW in stolen bases, stealing 22 in 26 attempts.

Their pitching rotation has been solid and consistent throughout the whole lineup, with four pitchers finishing the regular season with four or more wins. Sophomore Russell Hoh and senior Jordan Van Dyck are first (1.83) and fourth (3.13), respectively in the CCIW in earned-run average. New pitching coach Tim Stoddard, a 14-year Major League veteran,  joined the team this year and has provided a wealth of experience to not only the pitching group, but to the team and coaches as well.

North Central has had a season to remember, but Mathey knows that during the conference playoffs, anything can happen.

"The CCIW tournament is tough. The regular season is tough, it's a very competitive league," said Mathey. "For us, I think the key's going to be that we have to go out and pitch the ball and play defense... We can be dangerous offensively too, but the pitching and the defense need to be there for us."

A win at the CCIW tournament this weekend would punch the team's ticket to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, something that hasn't happened for the Cardinals since 2010. An at-large bid to the championship is a possibility for North Central, but Mathey and the Cardinals would much rather secure the automatic bid that comes with a conference tournament title.

"Obviously it's something that not everybody gets an opportunity to do… we'd sure like to solidify that position this weekend and not leave anything to chance," said Mathey.
 
The CCIW Baseball Tournament begins Thursday when North Central faces off against Illinois Wesleyan University at 3:30 p.m. The tournament runs through Saturday and will be hosted by Augustana College, with all games to be played at Swanson Stadium in Moline.