Any CCIW fans here? Yes, I know it's not P4, so many people will dismiss it and scoff at it, but the CCIW is a great D3 conference and there is a ton of local talent representing well in the conference. The CCIW tournament starts tomorrow, so why not break it down like the one guy did for HS playoffs, since I'm bored at work anyway!
#1 Seed - Illinois Wesleyan - Without sounding too biased, this is a complete team top to bottom. The top team in the conference in hitting, fielding and pitching. Only 1 conference loss in 2 1/2 years. The top pitcher in the conference who is from Grayslake and a stud catcher from WWS lead the way. The shortstop (Bishop Mac), 2nd baseman and 3rd baseman , but they are studs. The pitching is deep and so is the lineup.
#2 Seed - Millikin - Started off the season very strong, faded a bit down the stretch, but they are still talented. Solid pitching and a great leadoff hitter who can really run, a stud catcher, and one of the best power hitters in the conference from NWI playing right field. Some Illinois Stars talent on this roster as well, including a top notch pitcher who is their #1.
#3 Seed - Augustana - Started the season off very bad, but have been really good down the stretch. They hit more home runs than anyone in the conference by far, (one girl from NWI is a leader in conference in HR's) and the freshman slapper (who I think was a cheetah) with that speed now gives them a different lineup than they had earlier in the year. They gave IWU their only loss in conference in 2 1/2 years. Will the pitching be enough?
#4 Seed - North Central - Its all about pitching for them. They have 2 stud pitchers but not much else. The pitchers are experienced and local (Benet and Huntley), and they are the real deal. The problem is they will likely have to win games 1-0, as they don't score much.
#5 Seed - Carthage - One of the best players in maybe all of D3 on this team. This senior from Appleton, WI is ridiculously good and can do it all from the left side of the plate. They have another really good outfielder as well from Appleton. One of their pitchers is from Minooka. They can score, but not sure if they have the pitching to beat the top teams.
#6 Seed - North Park - Fun year for this team. They have 3 exciting seniors who are having their best years ever. The shortstop is from Vernon Hills and is solid and experienced. The outfielder from Lafayette is fun to watch from the left side of the plate, and set the triples record this year. The catcher (Evanston) lead all of D3 in runners thrown out. They have to ride the arm of a freshman pitcher from Beecher who is very good, but that's about the extent of their pitching. How far can she take them if they have to play multiple games in a day?
Should be a fun tournament!
Re: CCIW Tournament
Posted by The Messenger on May 7, 2026, 8:49 am, in reply to "CCIW Tournament "
I hope to see more post about other conferences. I really like Illinois Wesleyan.
What about D2 Conferences and NAIA?
Re: CCIW Tournament
Posted by college softball fan on May 8, 2026, 10:48 am, in reply to "Re: CCIW Tournament "
I would love to see that as well! Lots of great college softball all over, not just D1/P4.
On the CCIW front. Augustana looks tough, they won both games easily yesterday. Big showdown with them and IWU today. IWU hasn't even been in the losers bracket in this tournament in years.
Re: CCIW Tournament
Posted by Thank you. on May 6, 2026, 6:40 pm, in reply to "CCIW Tournament "
Really appreciate this post. I enjoyed learning about these teams. Go CCIW!
, but they are studs. The pitching is deep and so is the lineup. 
