CHICAGO, Ill. – North Park Baseball cracked into the NCAA Region VIII Rankings on Wednesday afternoon, slotted seventh. Boasting a 26-10 record and controlling their own destiny for a CCIW title, the Vikings are just a week away from playoff baseball.

North Park took two of three games from the Big Blue earlier this season, but Millikin (25-12, 15-3 CCIW) got the nod as the third ranked team in the region. The Big Blue were one spot ahead of Benedictine, who the Vikings will finish the regular season with this coming Sunday.

Coach Luke Johnson's Vikings are ranked across Division III in all facets of the game: 7th in stolen bases (118), 17th in hit-by-pitch (83), 17th in fielding percentage (.972), 31st in WHIP (1.39), 43rd in hits per 9inn (8.72), and 45th in ERA (4.33).

The Vikings and Big Blue also received votes in this week's D3baseball.com National Top 25 poll on Tuesday morning. 

The Regional Rankings, done by a select committee of coaches that represent each region, are a good indicator of at-large bids for the Division III Baseball Tournament. 

Schedule Update

Also, due to a shaky forecast on Friday, the Vikings have bumped their doubleheader with Illinois Wesleyan up to 2pm / 5pm.