CCIW Finis

Illinois Wesleyan and North Central, the two remaining CCIW entries in the NCAA softball tournament, went down in defeat this weekend.  Clare and I are left with mixed feelings, except for Wesleyan.

They’re the Yankees of the conference, lacking the pinstripes but certainly not the arrogance.  The school has its own set of Steinbrenners, people who have contributed generously to the athletic program.  The result is a very nice stadium and teams that win year after year.  Tow out of Clare’s four years, Wesleyan won the conference title and took the CCIW tournament.  Oh, and they went to the NCAA tournament three times in four years.  That’s reason enough to relish Clare’s homerun last month off their number-one starter.

North Central is another CCIW powerhouse, with three NCAA softball appearances since 2011.  It’s also personal.  Clare’s high school had two stars, Clare and V.  Clare chose Elmhurst while her teammate opted to pitch for North Central.  The girl is lightning fast and as much of an offensive threat as she is a reliable pitcher.  V’s coach called her “one of the top players in the history of this program.”  It would’ve been nice if they had played together another four years.  Of course, my daughter hit more career home runs.