NAPERVILLE — The 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) baseball season opened with multiple high-scoring non-conference series, producing early results that have been defined by offensive output. 
 
Augustana currently holds the conference’s highest overall winning percentage at .750, while Millikin has recorded the most total victories with four wins through the first two weeks of play. With the calendar moving toward the end of February, several programs have already appeared on national statistical leaderboards in categories ranging from batting average to earned run average.
 
Explosive Outings: Early Action Across the Region
Early season competition included several games decided by double-digit margins, along with notable individual performances. 
 
On Feb. 13, Millikin opened the season with a 4-3 win over LaGrange as Pete Britton delivered an RBI single and relief pitcher Nolan Reiman worked 4.1 scoreless innings … Augustana posted the highest single-game run total of the early season on Feb. 15 with a 20-1 win over Grinnell. In that contest, Ryan Coon drove in five runs and hit a home run, while Kaileb Hackman finished with five hits and three RBIs … On Feb. 18, Illinois Wesleyan earned a 17-10 victory against Greenville, highlighted by Jack Flagg’s two home runs and five RBIs.
 
The trend continued on last Friday as Millikin defeated No. 15 Webster, 8-1, behind Easton Steck’s three-run home run and four total RBIs, while pitcher Caleb Akins struck out six over six innings … Also last Friday, Wheaton recorded one of the season’s larger comebacks, defeating Covenant 17-13 in extra innings. Will Clegg finished with six RBIs, including a three-run home run, and Charlie Scofield added a bases-clearing double that produced four RBIs. 
 
Carroll earned its first win last Saturday with a 17-6 decision over Berea as Evan Becker drove in four runs and Dalton Lamberson collected three hits … On Tuesday, Augustana secured a 12-1 run-rule victory over Westminster in seven innings, with Christian Clark recording three RBIs and starting pitcher Blake Nettleton throwing four no-hit innings with seven strikeouts.
 
Batting Barrage: Record-Setting Performances at the Plate
Several individual offensive performances have set early statistical benchmarks through the opening weeks of the 2026 season. Illinois Wesleyan’s AJ Weller was named the CCIW Hitter of the Week after batting .692 (9-for-13) with a 1.308 slugging percentage in a three-game series against Greenville on Feb. 18-19. Weller’s series included a 4-for-4 performance with two doubles and three RBIs. In the same series on Feb. 18, teammate Jack Flagg recorded his first career multi-home run game and drove in five runs.
 
Augustana’s Kaileb Hackman produced a high-volume outing on Feb. 15 against Grinnell, going 5-for-6 with two doubles and three RBIs … Wheaton’s Will Clegg recorded one of the conference’s highest single-game RBI totals to date, finishing with six RBIs in the 17-13 win over Covenant last Friday. In that same doubleheader at Covenant, James Scott batted .833, opening the season 5-for-6 with a double across the first two games. Those performances have contributed to multiple CCIW hitters appearing among the national leaders in batting average and slugging percentage.
 
National Notables: CCIW Programs Climb the Charts
Multiple CCIW teams and individuals are listed on the initial NCAA Division III national statistical leaderboards for the 2026 season. 
 
In team categories, Augustana ranks eighth nationally in slugging percentage (.623) and 15th in scoring at 12.0 runs per game … Illinois Wesleyan is 17th nationally in batting average at .362 … On the defensive side, Millikin ranks eighth in the nation in sacrifice flies with seven and 19th in double plays with six.
 
Individually, Millikin’s Nolan Reiman and North Park’s LeBaron Lee Jr. are tied for first nationally with a 0.00 earned run average. Reiman was also named CCIW Pitcher of the Week after throwing 5.0 scoreless innings in relief to secure two saves against ranked opponents … Offensively, Wheaton’s Tyler Burr ranks 23rd nationally in batting average at .692, while Wheaton’s James Scott and Illinois Wesleyan’s AJ Weller are tied for 52nd at .615. Weller also ranks 26th nationally in slugging percentage at 1.154.
 
Standings Check: Augustana Leads Tight Early Race
Through Thursday, Augustana leads the CCIW with a 3-1 overall record and a .750 winning percentage. Carroll and Millikin are next, each holding .667 winning percentages; Carroll is 2-1, while Millikin has played the most games among conference teams at 4-2. Illinois Wesleyan and North Park are both 1-2 (.333), followed by Wheaton at 1-3 (.250). 
 
Carthage, Elmhurst and North Central have not yet played a regular-season game.
 
Upcoming Slate: Preseason Favorites Join the Action
The final weekend of February includes several matchups that will continue to shape early records. On Friday, Millikin hosts Aurora for a doubleheader, featuring a Millikin squad that leads the conference in total wins and sacrifice flies … Also on Friday, North Central is scheduled to open its season against Ripon in Westfield, Ind., marking the debut of the program selected as the preseason favorite in the CCIW Coaches’ Poll.
 
Augustana will host Luther for a doubleheader on Friday at Swanson Stadium, with Augustana currently leading the conference in scoring and slugging percentage … On Saturday, Illinois Wesleyan – led in batting average by AJ Weller – travels to face DePauw in Memphis … In addition, Carthage is scheduled to open its 2026 season with a Friday game at Spalding in Louisville.
 
Statistical Milestones: Multi-Homer Games and Defensive Clips
Several notable statistical marks were recorded during the opening stretch of the 2026 season. Illinois Wesleyan’s Jack Flagg posted his first career multi-home run game on Feb. 18 against Greenville. In that same series, AJ Weller nearly hit for the cycle in a single game and completed the feat across the two-day series … Augustana’s Ethan Sosnowski recorded the conference’s first grand slam of the season during a 13-run fifth inning against Grinnell on Feb. 15. 
 
On the mound, Millikin’s Nolan Reiman carried a 0.00 ERA through his first 5.0 innings, a mark that leads both the conference and the nation … Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan’s Matt Hudik recorded a career-high four stolen bases in a single game against Greenville on Feb. 18.