Midwest Conference

Lawrence's Andrew Wong Repeats As Academic All-American
Lawrence senior third basemen Andrew Wong (right) was selected as an Academic All-American for the second year in a row after being named to the second team of the COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Baseball Team. Wong, a history major who was a second-team member last season as well, paced Lawrence at the plate this season after hitting .344 with five home runs, 29 runs scored, 34 RBI and a .574 slugging percentage. Click here for complete team


All-Midwest Region Team Honors Nine MWC Student-Athletes
The 2006 NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region Baseball Team features nine Midwest Conference student-athletes, including a pair of first-teamers in Ripon seniors Tyler Haddock (right) and Eric Schwendimann (left), the 2006 MWC North Pitcher and Player of the Year, respectively. Schwendimann (.392, 34 RBI, 7 HR, .641 Slg%) paced the Red Hawk offense from his catcher position in 2006, while Haddock (8-1, 1.78 ERA, .338, 41 RBI) was chosen as a utility player after excelling on the mound and at third base for Ripon. Monmouth senior Dan Dunn (right - 7-4, 2.58 ERA, 78 K), the MWC South Pitcher of the Year in 2006, was joined on the All-Midwest Region second team by Ripon junior shortstop Kyle MacFarland (.348, 31 RBI, .921 Fld%) and Illinois College junior third basemen Josh Leinberger (.437, 35 RBI, 7 HR, .723 Slg%). Leinbeger (left) shared MWC South Player of the Year honors with Knox senior first basemen Matt Briggs (below right - .343, 19 R, 11 RBI, 13 SB), who was an All-Midwest Region third-team pick. A pair of Lawrence infielders were also honored on the third team, as senior first basemen Kevin Fitzsimmons (.359, 27 R, 35 RBI, 7 HR) and senior third basemen Andrew Wong (.344, 29 R, 34 RBI, 5 HR) were both selected. Grinnell’s Leo Martin (3.04 ERA, 7 Sv, 48 K, .383, 25 RBI) rounded out the MWC’s picks, as the senior pitcher/outfielder was selected as a utility player on the third team.


Ripon Sets Conference Win Mark During Historic 2006 Season
The Ripon baseball team set a Midwest Conference record for victories in a season in 2006, as the Red Hawks closed the year with an overall record of 34-7. Ripon became the 12th team in league history to finish the conference season unbeaten this season and the first-ever to record a 16-0 mark during their perfect campaign. Bob Gillespie’s (right) Red Hawks finished the regular-season 29-5, swept through the MWC Championship tourney with a 3-0 record and won their first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Ripon’s run fell one win short of an NCAA Division III World Series berth, as UW-Stevens Point topped Ripon twice in the Regional Championship. Ripon, who won its MWC-best 16th league title in 2006, became the first team in league history to reach 30 wins in 2001 (30-7), before topping that season’s win total with a 31-3 record in 2003.


Lawrence's Wong Named To Academic All-District Team
Lawrence senior Andrew Wong has been chosen for the 2006 COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team. A second-team Academic All-American last year, Wong was a first-team district five selection for the second consecutive year and is again eligible for the national ballot. The Academic All-America Team will be announced on May 30. The three-time Academic All-MWC selection finished his career with a .345 batting average. He is Lawrence 's career leader in hits (154), RBI (100), doubles (35), and games played (129). Wong ranks second in runs scored (91) and triples (9) and is third in homers (13). Click here for complete release


Ripon Earns Top Seed in Midwest Regional
The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has announced the teams that will compete in the 2006 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. Ripon (32-5) is seeded No. 1 in the Midwest region and received a bye for the first game. The Red Hawks will play the winner of the St. Scholastica (36-4)/Wisconsin-Stevens Point (28-15) game at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17 at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. The Division III championship provides for a maximum field of 53 teams. Six teams will compete at three first-round sites; seven teams will compete at five first-round sites. All first rounds will use a double-elimination format. Thirty-two conference champions qualified automatically. Winners of the eight first-round tournaments will qualify for the double-elimination championship at Appleton, Wisconsin, May 26-30. Click for complete regional seedings. Click for information on regional.


Ripon Sweeps Yearly MWC North Awards; All-Conference Teams Announced
The Ripon Red Hawks swept a pair of doubleheaders from each of their MWC North conference foes en route to a perfect league record of 16-0 in 2006. Ripon pulled off another season sweep as the 2006 MWC Baseball award winners were announced in junction with the 2006 MWC North and South All-Conference Teams. Click here for complete All-Conference Release



Friday & Saturday, May 12-13
Hosted By Monmouth

Ripon Looks To Extend Reign Over MWC Baseball At 2006 Championship
The four teams making up the field at the 2006 Midwest Conference Baseball Championship are no strangers to the conference postseason tournament that will crown the league’s champion and issue an automatic berth to the 2006 NCAA Tournament on Friday & Saturday, May 12-13. Click here for Championship Preview Release

Friday, May 12
Game 1 (at Monmouth)
at (#1S) Monmouth 4, (#2N) St. Norbert 0
Game 2 (at Knox)
(#1N) Ripon 11, (#2S) Grinnell 2
Game 3 (at Knox)
Grinnell 12, St. Norbert 7
Game 4 (at Monmouth)
Ripon 6, Monmouth 3

Saturday, May 13 (all games at Monmouth)
Game 5
at Monmouth 1, Grinnell 0 (11 inn.)
Game 6 - Championship
Ripon 7, Monmouth 3


Ripon Completes Perfect MWC Season, First-Ever To Accomplish 16-0
The Ripon baseball team’s 4-1 and 13-1 victories over Carroll on May 6 completed a perfect conference season for the Red Hawks. The pair of wins ran Bob Gillespie’s (right) squad’s record in MWC games this season to 16-0, making Ripon the 12th team in league history to go unbeaten in conference play while a two-division format was in place. The Red Hawks are the third such team to win 10 games or more during their perfect campaign and the first-ever to finish 16-0. The 2006 North Division champs have won 17 straight league games and have left next year’s team in prime position to try and tie and break St. Norbert’s MWC record 19-game conference winning streak, which was set earlier this season and ended by Ripon.

Undefeated Conference Seasons (seasons with two-division formats only)
Year-Team (Record, Division)
1956-Knox (6-0, South)	1968-St. Olaf (5-0, North)
1957-Coe (7-0, South)	1969-Monmouth (10-0, South)
1959-Coe (7-0, South)	1978-Coe (8-0, West)
1961-St. Olaf (3-0, North)	1979-Lawrence (4-0, East)
1966-Ripon (8-0, North)	1991-Ripon (12-0, North)
1967-Ripon (8-0, North)	2006-Ripon (16-0, North)


St. Norbert's MWC Winning Streak Reaches Record 19 Games
The St. Norbert baseball team set a new Midwest Conference record when the team swept a pair of games from Beloit on Saturday, April 22. The pair of victories ran the Green Knights MWC winning streak to a conference-record 19 straight games, dating back to an 11-5 win over Ripon on April 16, 2005. Ripon held the previous mark with an 18-game winning streak that started during the 2003 season and carried over into 2004.


Dannhoff Becomes Carroll's All-Time Winningest Baseball Coach
The Carroll Pioneers 16-3 victory over Finlandia on March 18th at the Gene Cusic Classic in Ft. Myers , Florida , made Pioneers head coach Steve Dannhoff (right) the school’s all-time leader in victories. Dannhoff, who is currently in his seventh season leading the Carroll baseball program, notched his 71st career victory in the win over Finlandia. Dannhoff passed Mark Rhode, who won 70 games at Carroll from 1981-1989. Dannhoff’s 2001 squad set a school record for the most wins in a season when they finished the year 19-18 and advanced to the championship game in the Midwest Conference Championship tourney.


Illinois College's Kielma Named NCBWA National Player Of The Week
Illinois College pitcher Phil Kielma was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Player of the Week after the sophomore lefty threw a no-hitter in a 10-0 win over Calumet on March 15. Kielma, who struck out ten hitters in the seven-inning contest, fell short of a perfect game after allowing four walks. Click here for complete release


Illinois College's Kielma Throws No-Hitter
Illinois College sophomore pitcher Phil Kielma (right) became the first Blueboy pitcher in two decades to throw a no-hitter when the lefty blanked Calumet College in a 10-0 Illinois College victory on March 15. Kielma struck out ten hitters in the seven-inning contest, while allowing four walks.


Monmouth & Ripon Tabbed As Divisional Favorites In 2006 Coaches Poll
Two-time defending MWC Baseball champion Ripon, the 2005 MWC North runner-up, and four-time defending MWC South champ Monmouth were named the divisional favorites in the 2006 MWC Baseball Coaches Poll. Click here for complete release


Fighting Scots & Red Hawks Appear In 2006 Preseason Top 30 Poll
A pair of MWC teams received mention as the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (baseballnews.com) released its Top 30 poll for the upcoming 2006 season. After finishing 29-4 last season, Monmouth enters 2006 as the No. 28 team in the country in NCAA Division III. Ripon, who finished 23-15 in 2005, including a 5-3 win over the Scots in the first round of the MWC Tournament, fell into the “receiving votes” category of the poll. The Red Hawks went on to defeat St. Norbert in the conference title game and advanced to the Illinois Wesleyan NCAA Regional where they defeated Aurora , before falling to Edgewood and Illinois Wesleyan.

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