2017 CCIW All-Conference Baseball Team

PICTURED: North Central sophomore infielder Michael Mateja and Wheaton sophomore pitcher Michael McCraith.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the 2017 All-Conference Baseball Team on Monday.

The all-conference team, selected by the CCIW's head baseball coaches, includes 32 student-athletes (16 first team members, 16 second team members) representing all nine conference institutions. 

North Central sophomore infielder Michael Mateja (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) became the first Cardinal since Michael Corrigan in 2010 to win CCIW Player of the Year honors. He led the conference with a .436 batting average (41-for-94) and totaled 36 runs, 10 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 23 RBI and a .745 slugging percentage in 24 CCIW games this season.

Wheaton sophomore pitcher Michael McCraith (Evans, Ga./Westminster Schools of Augusta) became the Thunder's first-ever CCIW Pitcher of the Year after he led the conference with a 0.64 ERA and was 6-0 in six CCIW appearances this season. He also had 46 strikeouts in 42.0 innings pitched in CCIW games.

Illinois Wesleyan freshman outfielder Nick Figus (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) became the Titans' first-ever CCIW Newcomer of the Year as he batted .360 (36-for-100) with 16 runs, four doubles, one triple, two homes runs, 19 RBI and a .480 slugging percentage in 24 CCIW games this season.

North Central's Ed Mathey won his fourth CCIW Coach of the Year honor after leading the Cardinals to both the CCIW regular season and tournament titles in 2017. North Central will face Washington University of St. Louis this Thursday in the NCAA Regional.    

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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2015-16 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,600 academic all-conference recipients, 14 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 36 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients and over 100 all-Americans.