NAPERVILLE — The latest week of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) baseball featured several high-scoring games, strong pitching performances and notable career milestones.
 
A Masterclass in Mound Dominance
Augustana’s Blake Nettleton and Millikin’s Caleb Akins were named CCIW Co-Pitchers of the Week following their performances. In a 9-0 win over North Central last Saturday, Nettleton struck out 15 batters and allowed five hits over 8.1 innings. His season earned run average moved to 2.62, and his 80 strikeouts lead the conference. 
 
Akins recorded a 10-inning complete-game shutout against Carroll last Saturday, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks. He ranks seventh nationally in complete games with three and 10th in WHIP at 0.88. Millikin also received another strong outing from Brayden Saling, who improved to 7-0 after earning a seven-inning win against Carroll last Sunday.
 
Carthage’s Slugger: Michael Ossenfort Fires Up Firebirds
Carthage freshman Michael Ossenfort was named CCIW and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Hitter of the Week after batting .600 with five home runs and a 1.400 slugging percentage over five games. During a series against Illinois Wesleyan, he went 6-for-8 with four home runs. 
 
In the Firebirds’ 15-3 win last Sunday, Ossenfort finished 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI. He leads the CCIW with eight home runs and ranks 36th nationally in slugging percentage at .760. His production helped Carthage complete a two-game sweep of Illinois Wesleyan, following an 8-6 victory last Saturday and the 15-3 result last Sunday.
 
Titans and Fireworks: Bloomington’s High-Octane Offensive Week
Illinois Wesleyan was involved in two of the highest-scoring games of the week, both wins at Horenberger Field. Last Tuesday, the Titans overcame an early deficit to defeat Benedictine 22-18 in a game that produced 38 runs and 37 hits. Matt Hudik and Jack Novak each collected five hits, marking the first five-hit game by a Titan since March 2025. AJ Weller added four hits and six RBI, including a three-run home run. 
 
IWU followed with a 12-11 win over Elmhurst on Wednesday. John Philip Ferraro drove in five runs in the victory, which moved the Titans to 5-5 in conference play.
 
Cardinals Clipped Then Soared: North Central’s Naperville Revival
North Central responded to a doubleheader sweep by Augustana last Saturday with three straight victories. After losses of 9-0 and 5-3, the Cardinals returned with a 15-7 win over Augustana last Monday, supported by home runs from Jackson Bland, Luke Wallace and Parker Wyatt. 
 
NCC then posted a 21-8 seven-inning win over North Park on Tuesday, scoring 11 runs in the fourth inning. Parker Wyatt hit his fourth home run in six games in that contest, while Payton Diaz drove in four runs. Wyatt added a two-run home run last Thursday in a 10-2 win over Benedictine as North Central completed a season sweep.
 
History in the Making: Milestones and Stolen Bags
Several conference players reached significant career marks during the week. Carroll outfielder Joey Appino became the program’s all-time hits leader last Thursday, recording his 185th career hit during a doubleheader sweep. In a 10-7 win over Carthage that same day, he also stole five bases and raised his season total to a conference-best 31, which ranks eighth nationally. 
 
North Park’s Joe Perona tied his program’s career stolen-base record last Friday against Dubuque and then became the all-time leader with his 99th career steal against Concordia Chicago on Monday. Perona also ranks 17th nationally in runs scored per game.
 
The National Stage: CCIW Names Among the Elite
Several CCIW players and teams also remained visible in the NCAA Division III national rankings. North Park’s Taylor Joseph ranks 17th in batting average at .462 and 22nd in slugging percentage at .798. 
 
Wheaton’s James Scott is fourth nationally with 22 hit-by-pitches and 23rd in on-base percentage at .564. North Central’s Parker Wyatt ranks second in the country with 17 doubles and 15th in RBI with 47. 
 
Illinois Wesleyan leads the conference and ranks 19th nationally in double plays per game at 0.93. Millikin’s pitching staff ranks second nationally with a 2.74 team ERA.
 
The Race to the Postseason: Standings and Series on Tap
As of last Thursday, Millikin led the CCIW standings at 10-5 (.667), followed by North Park at 6-3 (.667). Augustana was third at 6-5, while North Central stood fourth at 7-6. Illinois Wesleyan entered the week at 5-5, followed by Carroll at 6-7, Wheaton at 5-7, Carthage at 4-8 and Elmhurst at 3-6. 
 
The upcoming schedule begins Friday with Carthage at Wheaton at 4 p.m. 
 
Saturday’s schedule includes North Central at Illinois Wesleyan at 12 p.m., along with Wheaton at Carthage, North Park at Augustana and Carroll at Elmhurst, all at 1 p.m. 
 
On Sunday, Millikin travels to Elmhurst for a 1 p.m. game, while Augustana finishes its series at North Park with a 2 p.m. doubleheader. Next Tuesday, Carroll visits Augustana at 6 p.m., Elmhurst hosts North Park at 4 p.m. and Millikin travels to North Central for a 6 p.m. start.