RIPON, Wis. - The Red Hawks enjoyed one of the best seasons in the program’s history last season, as Bob Gillespie’s club fell three runs short of a berth in the 2006 NCAA Division III World Series. The Red Hawks posted a 16-0 mark in Midwest Conference play and swept through the conference championship tourney for their third straight league crown, an MWC-best 16th overall title and a league and school-record for wins in a season with 34 total victories. This season looks to be more of the same for Ripon, who is the favorite for its sixth MWC North Division title in seven years according to the 2007 MWC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll. Three teams share the top spot in a wide-open South Division.

Ripon received all four possible first-place votes en route to being picked as the North’s top team. St. Norbert, the 2005 North champ, picked up the remaining first-place nod to finish second. Lawrence was tabbed third, with Beloit and Carroll rounding out the poll, respectively.

Monmouth owns six consecutive MWC South titles, but the Scots tied with Grinnell and Illinois College for the top spot in the South poll. Monmouth received two first-place votes, while the Pioneers and Blueboys notched one apiece. Knox was picked to finish fourth in the division.