NAPERVILLE — College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) baseball moved from non-conference spring trips into the opening stages of league play during the past week, with conference results, individual milestones and pitching performances drawing notice across the league. 
 
North Park opened CCIW action at 3-0 to move into first place in the standings, while Millikin remained in the national rankings. Records were set at Wheaton, and North Central recorded its first complete-game shutout in four seasons. 
 
With conference doubleheaders set to expand in the coming days, several CCIW student-athletes also continue to rank among the national statistical leaders in NCAA Division III.
 
A Viking Voyage to the Top
North Park moved to the top of the conference standings after winning 11 of its last 12 games, including a 3-0 start in CCIW play. The Vikings’ weekend included a cycle from sophomore shortstop Taylor Joseph in a 14-11 win over Carthage last Saturday. Joseph finished 4-for-5 with four RBI and completed the cycle with a seventh-inning double. 
 
On the mound, senior Sam Jackson was named CCIW Pitcher of the Week after a career-best outing against Carthage last Friday. Jackson threw 8.1 innings, allowed two hits and matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in a 3-1 victory. North Park added a 20-6 non-conference win over Dominican last Monday, when Joe Perona established a school single-game record with five stolen bases.
 
Mastery on the Mound in Naperville
North Central sophomore Payton Diaz turned in one of the conference’s top pitching performances of the week in an 11-0, eight-inning win over Carroll on Wednesday. Diaz threw a complete-game shutout, the program’s first since 2022, and faced 30 batters without issuing a walk or hitting a batter while striking out eight. 
 
North Central’s offense backed the effort with two home runs and two triples, including a three-run home run by Parker Wyatt. The Cardinals also entered the week coming off a three-game sweep of Calvin in non-conference action. In last Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, Chris Rogers and Ryan Gerdes both earned wins, while Diaz also contributed at the plate with a 4-for-5 performance in the second game.
 
Titans Turn the Tide Against Top Competition
Illinois Wesleyan posted its first series victory of the season last Sunday and followed it with a win over nationally-ranked Millikin on Wednesday. Senior Cole Shamhart led the Titans in a 7-2 victory over the No. 22 Big Blue, allowing no runs over 6.2 innings with eight strikeouts. Illinois Wesleyan took advantage of four Millikin errors, while AJ Weller finished with three hits, including a triple. 
 
Earlier in the week, the Titans recorded a walk-off win against Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Saturday when Matt Hudik delivered a single in the 10th inning for an 8-7 result. Gage Wolfe contributed in that series with his first career home run and a game-tying RBI single in the eighth inning.
 
By the Numbers: CCIW Among National Leaders
Several CCIW student-athletes remained among the nation’s statistical leaders through games played on March 25. North Central’s Parker Wyatt ranked first in Division III in doubles per game at 0.75. Wheaton outfielder James Scott stood second nationally in total hit-by-pitch with 20, a total that has already set the program’s single-season record. 
 
North Central’s Caleb Coberley ranked 12th in the country with a .509 batting average, while North Park’s Joe Perona was seventh in runs scored with 35 and 11th in stolen bases per game at 1.11. 
 
As a team, Millikin ranked third nationally in both WHIP at 1.12 and walks allowed per nine innings at 2.33.
 
Records Falling in Carol Stream
James Scott’s national standing also came during a week in which Wheaton split its opening conference doubleheader with Millikin and earned a 10-9 midweek win over Dubuque on Tuesday. In the Dubuque victory, the Thunder collected 11 hits, with Sean Dmytrowicz, Jack Gill and Charlie Scofield each recording multi-hit games. Nathan Hedlund delivered a bases-clearing double in the first inning, and JD Van Hook picked up his fourth save of the season with two strikeouts in the ninth. 
 
In the first game of last Saturday’s conference-opening twinbill, Alex Bagley threw eight innings, struck out seven and did not issue a walk in Wheaton’s 9-1 win.
 
Shutout Showcases and Pioneer Power
Carthage and Carroll both recorded wins during the week. Carthage posted a 13-0 shutout of Concordia Wisconsin on Tuesday after scoring four runs in the first inning. Joe Zuleger drove in three runs, while Santino Pignotti-Wojtak struck out six over four innings. 
 
Carroll swept a doubleheader from Beloit last Sunday by scores of 6-3 and 6-5. Jimmy Williams drove in three runs in the opener, including a two-run triple, while Erik Jaschinski earned the game-one win with 10 strikeouts over seven innings. 
 
Elmhurst also closed its Florida trip with a 14-1 victory over Purchase St. on Wednesday, using a nine-run first inning and a complete-game effort from Landon Banaszynski.
 
The Road Ahead and Conference Standings
As of Friday, the CCIW standings were North Park at 3-0, Illinois Wesleyan at 1-0, North Central at 1-1, Wheaton at 1-1, Millikin at 1-2, Augustana at 0-0, Elmhurst at 0-0, Carroll at 0-1 and Carthage at 0-2. 
 
The upcoming conference schedule includes Augustana at Wheaton on Friday at 5 p.m.
 
Saturday’s slate features Carthage at North Central and Millikin at Illinois Wesleyan at noon, along with North Park at Carroll and Wheaton at Augustana at 1 p.m. 
 
Sunday’s schedule includes Carroll at North Park, Elmhurst at Millikin and North Central at Carthage, with all three games set for 1 p.m.