NAPERVILLE — The previous week of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) baseball was highlighted by productive offensive stretches and several strong performances on the mound as league programs wrapped up early-season spring trips. 
 
Millikin owns the league’s best record, Augustana gained momentum with an unbeaten weekend in Florida, North Park returned to the .500 mark with a notable sweep in Sauget and North Central picked up key wins during its trip to Texas. With the schedule beginning to shift toward regional non-conference competition and the first conference contests drawing closer, teams across the league continue to establish early trends on both sides of the ball.
 
Last Thursday, North Central opened a three-game set against Mary Hardin-Baylor, with Yuhki Yamada homering and collecting two hits … Last Friday saw North Park secure a 2-1 victory over 15th-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse behind a strong start from Jackson Nuese, who worked seven innings and did not allow an earned run. 
 
Augustana opened a series sweep of Pitt-Bradford last Saturday with an 11-4 win, as Kaileb Hackman drove in four runs … Millikin added to its strong week last Sunday with a 4-2 victory over Lawrence behind six innings and six strikeouts from Matthew Brummer … Carthage followed on Monday with an 11-2 win over Aurora, paced in part by three doubles from Michael Ossenfort. 
 
Tuesday featured additional movement around the league, including North Central’s 10-8 win over Concordia (Texas) with 2.2 scoreless relief innings from Jim Shortall, Wheaton’s matchup with Bethany Lutheran behind a four-hit effort from Jack Gill and Carroll’s 13-3 win over Grinnell with Bryten Staab earning his first win after working 6.1 innings.
 
Individual Excellence at the Plate and Mound
A number of CCIW student-athletes turned in standout individual performances over the last seven days. Hackman helped lead Augustana to an 11-4 win over Pitt-Bradford on Saturday by going 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored … On Sunday, North Park’s Joe Perona paced the Vikings in a 10-3 victory over Webster by finishing 4-for-6 with two doubles, three runs scored and two stolen bases. 
 
Millikin also received dominant efforts in last Saturday’s action, including a complete-game outing from Caleb Akins in a 12-1 win over Lawrence. Akins allowed just one hit and one run while striking out eight over seven innings … Teammate Easton Steck powered the Big Blue offense in a 12-0 win over Knox by going 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI. 
 
Wheaton freshman Jamin Van Grouw added a strong pitching performance of his own on Tuesday, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits in a 1-0 victory over Hamline to collect his first collegiate win.
 
Statistical Authority and National Recognition
CCIW teams and student-athletes continue to appear prominently in the NCAA Division III statistical rankings. Wheaton’s James Scott leads the nation in hit by pitches with 14, while Millikin’s Caleb Akins is fourth in Division III in complete games with one. 
 
Within the conference, Augustana’s Hackman leads the league with a .552 batting average, while North Central’s Payton Diaz tops the CCIW in slugging percentage at 1.053 … Millikin’s Leyton Ivers has drawn a conference-best 12 walks, and the Big Blue also enter the week with the lowest team ERA in the league at 1.83.
 
Sorting the Standings in Pre-Conference Action
As of Tuesday, Millikin holds the CCIW’s top record at 10-3 … Augustana is next at 8-3 after a 4-0 weekend at the Gene Cusic Classic, while Carroll follows at 7-3 … North Park moved back to even at 5-5 with consecutive wins over nationally-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse, Buena Vista and Webster. 
 
North Central improved to 3-4 with a pair of wins in Texas, including 20-5 and 10-8 decisions. Carthage and Elmhurst both stand at 3-5, while Wheaton is 3-8 and Illinois Wesleyan is 1-8 after a three-game series against WashU
 
Upcoming Slate: Homestands and Regional Tests
The upcoming slate presents several opportunities for teams to continue building momentum before conference play begins. On Friday, Millikin will host Marian with the conference’s top pitching staff carrying a 1.83 ERA into the contest … Wheaton is also scheduled to face Crown on Friday, while North Central opens an 11-game homestand against Baldwin Wallace at Pfund Stadium in Carol Stream, Ill. On Saturday, the Cardinals return to action against Adrian as North Central enters the week leading the conference in team batting average at .361. 
 
Augustana will host Eureka on Saturday, with Hackman entering the weekend as the CCIW leader in both hits (32) and RBI (22).
 
Program History and Collegiate Firsts
Several milestones were also reached across the conference during the past week. North Park’s Taylor Joseph hit his first career home run in Saturday’s 14-9 win over Buena Vista, and the Vikings followed with the first Sauget sweep in program history after Sunday’s victory over Webster. In that same game, sophomore first baseman John Greenwood was issued five intentional walks. 
 
Wheaton’s Van Grouw recorded his first collegiate victory in Tuesday’s 1-0 shutout of Hamline, while Millikin posted its first shutout of the season with a 12-0 win over Knox earlier in the week.