Dupage Policy Journal

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Baseball Championship will see its top four seeds in action during the double-elimination phase starting Thursday. This follows the quarterfinal victories by third-seeded Carthage and fourth-seeded Millikin at Horenberger Field in Bloomington, Illinois on Wednesday.

In the first game, Millikin defeated Wheaton with a score of 5-2. Millikin took an early lead by scoring twice in the first inning and maintained their advantage throughout the game. Tyler Gade's home run in the third inning was a highlight, contributing to Millikin's lead alongside other key plays from seven different players who hit safely. Caleb Akins, recently named CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year, pitched into the ninth inning and secured the win for Millikin.

The Thunder managed to score with Daniel Hillyer's RBI single in the fifth inning but were unable to close the gap as Julian Cabanin and Kolby Koslofki extended Millikin's lead. Nolan Reiman concluded the game with his sixth save of the season.

In Game 2, Carthage claimed victory over North Park with a 6-2 result. Max Cairo set an aggressive tone for Carthage with a first-inning home run and reached base five times throughout the game. Contributions from Collin Callahan and Drew Knecht bolstered Carthage’s offense, while Bryce Schaum delivered a strong performance on the mound with eight strikeouts over seven innings.

Carthage built a solid lead early on, which included PJ Moser's two-run double and Knecht's RBI single in the third inning. Despite North Park's efforts to rally late in the game, including contributions from Vinnie Marvucic and Rylan Li, Carthage maintained control to secure their spot in the next round.

North Park accumulated 10 hits during their effort but ultimately fell short against Carthage’s robust defense led by reliever Jake Hartman.