Former Grinnell College pitching star Gary Kahn '09 continues to make his mark in baseball overseas.

After playing in the top league in Sweden the past four months, Kahn has taken his talents to a league in South Africa. He signed a six-month contract to play for the Durbanville Villains of the Western Province Major League, which is the South African equivalent of Major League Baseball in the United States.

The league is a 10-team wooden bat league that has produced numerous signees for professional baseball, and more than three-quarters of the players from the South African National Team that competed in the recent World Baseball classic came from the league. Durbanville is about 20 kilometers from Cape Town.

More information on the Durbanville team can be found at Durbanville Baseball. As a senior at Grinnell, Kahn was tops in the Midwest Conference in opponent batting average at .191. He ranked third in ERA at 2.82 and fifth in strikeouts with 44 while compiling a 3-0 mark.

Gary Kahn '09, an All-Midwest Conference South Division pitcher for Grinnell College who now plays baseball overseas, is featured on the D3baseball.com Web site Click here for Web site.

Kahn, from Cooper City, Fla., plays for the Karlskoga Bats of the Elitserien League in Sweden. The league is the highest level of professional baseball in Sweden, and Karlskoga won the 2007 Elitserien Cup and advanced to the title game last season.

As a senior with the Pioneers, Kahn was tops in the Midwest Conference in opponent batting average at .191. He ranked third in ERA at 2.82 and fifth in strikeouts with 44 while compiling a 3-0 mark.

Grinnell College shortstop Ben Mendoza '09 has been named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region Baseball Team.

Mendoza, from Gallup, N.M., (Eldorado HS), was a Third Team selection. He led the Midwest Conference in doubles with 21 and was also first in the nation in doubles per game with 0.66. He ranked fourth in the MWC in runs scored with 38 and fifth in steals with 21.

Mendoza was one of nine MWC players selected to the first, second or third teams.
2009 ABCA All-Central Region

Grinnell College designated hitter Mike Nodzenski '12 (top) has been named the Midwest Conference South Division Positional Co-Player of the Year in a vote of league coaches.

Nodzenski, of Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North HS), was one of six Pioneers to earn a spot on the All-MWC South Division First Team. Grinnell had one Second Team selection.

Joining Nodzenski on the First Team were pitcher Ryan Harris '10 (middle row, left), first baseman Brett Maloney '09 (middle row, center), shortstop Ben Mendoza '09 (middle row, right), outfielder Paden Roder '10 (bottom row, left) and second baseman Chad Takabuki '10 (bottom row, center). The Second Team selection was pitcher Gary Kahn '09 (bottom row, right).

Nodzenski was among the league leaders in several categories, including first in home runs with eight. He ranked second in slugging percentage at .653 and fifth in RBIs with 36. He hit .347 on the season.

Harris, from St. Louis, Mo. (Vianney), led the Pioneers in pitching wins with six and had a 3.26 ERA. He was tops on the team in innings pitched with 58 and games started with 10.

Maloney, from Wheaton, Ill. (St. Francis Prep), was third on the team with a .446 on base percentage and homers with five, and fifth in slugging percentage at .555.

Mendoza, from Gallup, N.M., (Eldorado), led the league in doubles with 21 and was also first in the nation in doubles per game with 0.66. He ranked fourth in the MWC in runs scored with 38 and fifth in steals with 21.

Roder, from Sutherland, Iowa (South O'Brien), was among the league leaders in many categories. He was second in runs scored (39), third in doubles (14) and homers (six), and fourth in slugging percentage (.624) and hits (53).

Takabuki, from Honolulu, Hawaii (Mid Pacific), ranked second on the team in stolen bases with 15, was third in doubles with 12 and fifth in runs scored with 28.

Kahn, from Cooper City, Fla. (Cooper City), was tops in the MWC in opponents batting average at .191. He ranked third in ERA at 2.82 and fifth in strikeouts with 44 while compiling a 3-0 mark.

Joining Nodzenski as South Division Positional Co-Player of the Year was Kevin Malone of Knox College. Robbie Hinkle of Monmouth College was named Pitcher of the Year, while Monmouth's Roger Sander was the Coach of the Year.
2009 All-Midwest Conference Baseball Teams

The Grinnell College baseball team saw its historic campaign come to an end Friday, May 8, with a pair of setbacks at the Midwest Conference Championships in De Pere, Wis.

Grinnell lost a hard-fought 9-8 decision to host St. Norbert College in the opening round, and then fell 12-2 in eight innings to Monmouth College in the elimination round. Grinnell finished the season with a 22-14 mark, with the win total being the most in school history.

In the opener, Grinnell trailed 6-4 before taking the lead with three runs in the seventh inning and another in the eighth. However, the hosts scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead for good. Paden Roder '10 sparked Grinnell's offense by going 4-for-5 at the plate, while Ben Mendoza '09 homered.

Grinnell scored in the top of the first on Mendoza's solo homer. After St. Norbert tied the game in the second, Grinnell went up 4-1 in the third on RBI singles by Brett Maloney '09 and Chad Takabuki '10 and an RBI groundout by Brian Sollo '10.

St. Norbert cashed in during the middle innings, scoring twice in the fourth and sixth frames and once in the fifth for a 6-4 lead. But Grinnell went ahead with three runs in the seventh thanks to a two-run single by Sollo and RBI single by JP Prouty '10. Roder's RBI single in the eighth pushed the visitors ahead 8-6, but the Green Knights rallied for the win.

Tony Jandron worked the final 2 1/3 innings on the mound to earn the win, while Ben Pope '12 was tagged with the loss.

In the loss to Monmouth, the contest was scoreless through three innings before Monmouth erupted for six runs in the fourth inning, another in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Grinnell got both its runs in the bottom of the fifth with the aid of Roder's RBI double. Both Greg Suryn '11 and Mike Nodzenski '12 had three hits for Grinnell.

Monmouth had 16 hits in the game. Robbie Hinkle tossed a complete game for the win, while Rick Berdelle suffered the loss.

Beloit College edged Monmouth 7-6 in the other first-round game, and then the Buccaneers worked past St. Norbert 6-3 in the championship round.
St. Norbert 9, Grinnell 8
Monmouth 12, Grinnell 2

The Grinnell College baseball team will take aim at its first Midwest Conference title in school history when it competes in the league tournament this weekend at De Pere, Wis.

The Pioneers, 22-12 on the season, open up the tourney on Friday, May 8, against host St. Norbert College in a 10 a.m. affair. St. Norbert enters the game with a 21-11 mark.

Grinnell is ranked in the top three in the conference in both batting average (.311) and earned run average (4.55). The Pioneers' hitting attack has been sparked by Paden Roder '10 (.378 batting average), Ben Mendoza '09 (.371) and Brett Maloney '09 (.359). Ryan Harris '10 and Gary Kahn '09 have anchored the pitching staff with ERAs of 2.72 and 2.82, respectively. Kahn has a 3-0 mark and Harris is 6-2.

St. Norbert, which has won three North Division titles in a row, is sparked by last year's division Pitcher of the Year Trevin Hillsheim (3-2, 2.61 ERA). Justin Wotachek complements him with a 6-1 mark and 3.32 ERA. Hitting-wise, the Green Knights are sparked by Jared Yost, whose .473 average is second in the league. Tony Jandron and Brett Birkholz are both hitting .353.

In Friday's other opening-round game, Beloit College is taking on Monmouth College. The tournament continues into Saturday, with the winner earning the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
2009 Midwest Conference Tournament Release
Tournament Schedule

Monmouth College worked past Grinnell College 15-4 in seven innings Monday, May 4, at North Diamond to clinch the South Division's top seed for the upcoming Midwest Conference Tournament.

With the loss, Grinnell is the second seed and will meet North No. 1 seed and tourney host St. Norbert College in the first round on Friday. Monmouth will play either Ripon College or Beloit College.

Monday's game was tied 3-all after the first inning, as Brett Maloney '09 blasted a three-run homer to plate all of Grinnell's runs. Scoring on the hit were Paden Roder '10 and Ben Mendoza '09. Grinnell went up 4-3 in the third inning when a single by Brian Sollo '11 scored Takabuki.

But after that it was all Monmouth. The Fighting Scots took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth frame, and then scored twice in the fifth inning and seven more runs in the sixth.
Monmouth 15, Grinnell 4

The Grinnell College baseball team is heading to the Midwest Conference Tournament after winning two of three games from Monmouth College on Sunday, May 3, to share the South Division title with the Fighting Scots.

The only thing to decide is which team will enter the tourney as the division's top seed and which will be the second seed, something that will be decided when the squad's meet at noon Monday in Grinnell for a one-game playoff.

Grinnell, 8-4 in the division and 22-11 overall, opened Sunday's action with a 5-3, 19-inning win in a contest that was suspended due to darkness Saturday in Monmouth. After that the Pioneers edged Monmouth 8-7 before falling 10-7.

The Pioneers struck immediately when the suspended game resumed in the top of 19th inning by scratching out two runs on a solo homer by Brian Sollo '10 and a run by Ben Mendoza '09. Ryan Harris '10 took the mound for Grinnell in the bottom of the 19th and closed out the win for Ben Pope '12.

Mendoza, Mike Nodzenski '12 and Sollo all had four hits in the contest.

Brett Maloney '09 (pictured) went 3-for-4 in the next game. After Monmouth went up 3-0 in the top of the first, Grinnell responded with a two-run homer by Paden Roder '10 and solo shot by Maloney to tie things at 3-all.

The teams each scored once in the second inning, with Grinnell's run coming on a sacrifice fly by Mendoza. Monmouth scored single runs in the next three innings for a 7-4 lead, but Grinnell bounced back with two in the fifth with the aid of a wild pitch. The Pioneers closed out the scoring in the seventh as Roder belted a two-run homer.

Gary Kahn '09 was the winning pitcher, scattering eight hits over seven innings, while Pope worked the last 1 2/3 innings for the save.

Grinnell never led in the final game after seeing Monmouth score four runs in the top of the first. Grinnell closed within 4-3 with two runs in the bottom of the first on a solo homer by Mike Nodzenski '12 and RBI single by Sollo, and scoring again in the second on Mendoza's RBI double.

Monmouth went up 7-3 with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth, but the Pioneers closed within two in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run homer by Jim Malewitz. However, the Fighting Scots scored three runs in the top of the seventh. Grinnell got two runs back in the bottom of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Roder and RBI single by Maloney, who again went 3-for-4 in the game.
Grinnell 5, Monmouth 3
Grinnell 8, Monmouth 7
Monmouth 10, Grinnell 7

The Grinnell and Monmouth College baseball teams combined to set an NCAA Division III record in their 19-inning game that was suspended Saturday, May 2, and completed Sunday.

The teams combined to leave 43 runners on base in Grinnell's 5-3 win, breaking the previous Division III mark of 39 established by Southern Maine and Keene State in 2000. That contest was a 14-inning affair.

The 43 stranded runners equals the overall NCAA record set by San Diego State and Hawaii in a Division I game during the 1994 season.

The fate of the Grinnell College baseball team will come down to Sunday, after the Pioneers lost to Monmouth College 10-0 on Saturday, May 2, and the second game between the teams was suspended due to darkness with the score tied 3-3 in the 19th inning.

The teams will finish the extra-inning game at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at North Diamond in Grinnell, after which the teams will play their regularly-scheduled doubleheader. Monmouth enters Sunday leading the MWC South Division with a 7-2 mark, while Grinnell is 6-3. Overall, Grinnell is 20-10 and Monmouth is 13-13.

The top two teams in the South advance to the MWC playoffs, a scenario in which Knox College is also involved. The Prairie Fire are 6-4 entering Sunday's doubleheader at Illinois College.

In Saturday's opener, Matt Bourne limited Grinnell to two hits as the Fighting Scots won in seven innings. In the second game, Grinnell broke out to a 3-0 lead with solo runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Brett Maloney '09 scored an unearned run in the second, while the fourth-inning run came via an RBI single by Greg Sollo '10, who knocked in Chad Takabuki '10 who had doubled. In the fifth, Mike Nodzenski '12 belted a solo homer to make it 3-0.

However, Monmouth scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie things up and the teams played 12 scoreless innings after that.
Game 1

The Grinnell College baseball team made history on Tuesday, April 28, in a 6-5 home non-conference baseball win over Simpson College.

Coach Tim Hollibaugh's (pictured) Pioneers collected their 20th victory of the season, a new-single season school record. The previous mark of 19 wins was established in 2001.

Grinnell pounded out 13 hits in the game, including three each by Greg Suryn '11 and Brett Maloney '09. Ben Pope '12, the last of four Pioneer pitchers, earned the win to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Grinnell jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Maloney's RBI single, but Simpson tied things in the top of the second. The Pioneers pushed across solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings for a 3-1 lead. In the fourth, Mike Bogard '12 had an RBI single while Mike Nodzenski '12 had an RBI double in the fifth.

Simpson tallied four runs in the seventh for a 5-3 lead, but the Pioneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by Nodzenski and run-scoring single by Maloney. Grinnell closed out the scoring in the eighth on Nodzenski's sacrifice fly.

Grinnell is slated to play a twin bill at Monmouth College on Saturday and then host the Fighting Scots on Sunday.
Box Score

Grinnell College's Mike Nodzenski '12 has been named the Midwest Conference Baseball Performer of the Week.

Nodzenski, a catcher/designated hitter from Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North HS), belted a staggering five home runs in four games and hit .450 overall, going 9-for-20 at the plate with 15 RBIs and nine runs.

He had three homers alone to go with six RBIs in an 18-9 victory at Illinois College, a win that gave the Pioneers a season sweep of the Blueboys and pushed them into a tie for the Midwest Conference South Division lead.

Kurt Roeder of Ripon College was named the MWC Pitcher of the Week.

Mike Nodzenski '12 hit a homer trifecta on Sunday, April 26, as his three-round trippers and six RBIs sent the Grinnell College baseball team to an 18-9 win at Illinois College to help the Pioneers complete a season sweep of the Blueboys.

The victory pushed the Pioneers into a tie for the Midwest Conference South Division lead with a 6-2 mark while moving to 19-9 overall. Illinois College is 0-8 in the league and 10-16 overall.

Grinnell pounded out 20 hits in the game, including four by Greg Suryn '11 and three each by Nodzenski, Ben Mendoza '09 and Paden Roder '10. After giving up a run in the top of the first, Grinnell exploded for seven in both the first and second innings for a 14-1 lead. Nodzenksi had a three-run homer to spark the big first inning, while Mendoza added an RBI double, Chad Takabuki '10 a run-scoring single and Brian Sollo '10 and JP Prouty '10 sacrifice flies.

In the second, Nodzenski led off with a solo homer, while Sollo and Suryn later added three-run shots. Roder hit a homer in the third to push the Pioneers ahead 15-1. Illinois College made a surge in the middle innings, scoring three times in the fourth and sixth innings and twice in the fifth to come within 15-9.

Grinnell finished off the scoring with one run in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth. Nodzenski had a solo homer in the seventh, while Mark Wilcox '09 added a solo homer in the eighth and Nodzenski knocked in a run on a fielder's choice.

Marshall Chavez '10 was the winning pitcher, working a strong five innings. Grinnell plays host to non-conference foe Simpson College on Tuesday, with the first pitch set for 2:30 p.m.
Box Score

The Grinnell College baseball team came away with a pair of big wins Saturday, April 25, sweeping Illinois College in a Midwest Conference twin bill at Jacksonville, Ill.

Grinnell got a 4-for-5 hitting performance by Mike Nodzenski '12 in a 10-9 victory over the hosts in the opener. Nodenski had four runs scored three RBIs, while Paden Roder '10 added three hits and Brett Maloney '09 three RBIs.

After Illinois College grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Grinnell tied things in the fourth on Nodzenski's solo homer. The hosts went up 2-1 in the bottom of the inning before Grinnell went up to stay with five runs in the fifth. Maloney had a two-run double in the frame, while Nodzenski and Chad Takabuki '10 had RBI singles and Brian Sollo '10 plated another run with a sacrifice fly.

Illinois College came within 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth, but Grinnell answered with two runs in the sixth with the aid of an RBI single by Nodzenski. Maloney had the other RBI in the frame. After the hosts scored three times in the bottom of the sixth, Grinnell made it 10-7 in the eighth on a two-run homer by Roder.

Illinois College scored twice in the bottom of the ninth before Ben Pope '12 came in to shut the door and earn the save. Ryan Harris '10 was the winning pitcher.

The Pioneers had a much easier go in the second game, winning by a 15-4 score in eight innings. Gary Kahn '09 and Chad Christoff '10 combined to toss a six-hitter, with Kahn striking out five in five innings and Christoff three in three innings. Offensively, Maloney went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a pair of homers.

Grinnell shot out to a 10-0 lead through its first four at bats. In the first inning, Maloney's three-run homer put Grinnell ahead. An RBI single by Ben Mendoza '09 helped Grinnell go up 5-0 in the second, while a solo homer by Maloney and RBI single by Sollo made it 7-0 in the third. In the fourth, Grinnell scored three runs on a two-run single by Nodzenski and run-scoring double by Takabuki.

Illinois College got its first two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Grinnell countered with a run in the fifth on Mendoza's RBI double. Illinois College scored twice in the sixth before Grinnell got four runs in the eighth with the aid of three errors and an RBI single by Nate Pierce '10.

With the wins, Grinnell improved to 5-2 in the MWC and 18-9 overall, while Illinois College is 0-7 in the league and 10-15 in all games. The teams meet for the final time this season at noon Sunday in Jacksonville. The game is a rescheduled contest that was rained out last week.
Game 1
Game 2

The potential for stormy weather this weekend has forced the Grinnell College baseball team to switch its plans for upcoming Midwest Conference games.

The Pioneers are still slated to play at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill., at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 25. But Grinnell's scheduled home doubleheader on Sunday (April 26) against Monmouth College has been moved to the following Sunday (May 3), starting at 1 p.m. Instead, Grinnell will play a makeup game at Illinois College this Sunday, starting at noon.

The Pioneers' scheduled doubleheader at Monmouth next Saturday (May 2) is still on as planned.

In a thrilling baseball game that featured a triple play turned by the Grinnell College defense, the Pioneers lost an 8-7 decision at Coe College on Thursday, April 23, in Cedar Rapids.

Grinnell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame on a two-run single to center by Paden Roder '10. However, Coe raced back with three runs in the fourth inning and four more in the sixth for a 7-2 lead.

Coe was in position to add to that lead in the sixth before the Pioneers turned the rare triple play. With the bases loaded, a Coe batter lined to shortstop Ben Mendoza '09, who got one out when he threw to third baseman Brian Sollo '10 as the runner broke for home. Sollo then fired to first baseman Ronnie Gray '12 to get another runner.

That seemed to spark the Pioneers, as they tallied five runs in the seventh inning. Michael Goldfien '12 and Mendoza both had RBI doubles before Mike Nodzenski '12 cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left to tie things at 7-all. However, Coe got a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth for what proved to be the winning run.

Coe is now 19-14 on the season, while Grinnell dipped to 16-9. The Pioneers jump back into Midwest Conference action on Saturday with a twin bill at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.
Box Score

The Grinnell baseball team pounded out 15 hits on its way to a 15-3, seven-inning home victory over Cornell College on Sunday, April 19.

Greg Suryn '11 (left) had a hot bat, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Mike Nodzenski '12 (right) added a 3-for-3 performance at the plate with a pair of RBIs.

Ryan Harris' 10 was the winning pitcher, giving up eight hits and fanning seven batters through six innings. Marshall Chavez '10 pitched the final inning.

Cornell scored all of its runs in the top of the first inning, but Grinnell answered with four in the bottom of the inning with the aid of RBI singles by Suryn and Brett Maloney '09, plus a sacrifice fly by Brian Sollo '10. The Pioneers scored again in the second on Suryn's RBI double to right.

In the third, Nodzenski knocked in two runs with a double and Suryn two more with a single as Grinnell stretched its lead to 9-3. The Pioneers tacked on four more runs in the fifth as Chad Takabuki '10 delivered a two-run single, Suryn hit an RBI single and Paden Roder '10 was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Grinnell padded its lead in the sixth when JP Prouty '10 belted a two-run homer over the left-field fence. With the win, Grinnell improved to 16-8 while Cornell fell to 4-20.

Grinnell plays another Iowa Conference opponent on Thursday with a contest at Coe College. Game time is at 4:30 p.m.
Box Score

The Grinnell baseball team combined strong hitting and a solid pitching performance by Rick Berdelle '09 to roll past Illinois College 9-2 in a Midwest Conference contest Saturday, April 18, at North Diamond.

The game was halted for 45 minutes in the sixth inning due to rain, and more rain forced the second game of the twin bill to be called off. No makeup date has been announced.

Berdelle (pictured) tossed a complete-game eight-hitter and fanned three batters in improving to 3-2. Five Pioneers had two hits each, with Paden Roder '10, Brett Maloney '09 and Chad Takabuki '10 each coming up with two doubles, Ben Mendoza '09 a double and single and JP Prouty '10 a pair of singles. Takabuki finished with three RBIs.

Grinnell opened up the scoring with two runs in the second inning on an RBI double by Takabuki and run-scoring single by Prouty. Two more runs came across in the third on Takabuki's two-run double.

The Pioneers scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning, with Greg Suryn '11 hitting an RBI triple in the fourth and Prouty knocking in a run during the fifth. Grinnell wrapped up its scoring in the sixth as Sollo knocked in two runs with a single and Maloney another with a double.

Berdelle held Illinois College scoreless until the Blueboys tallied two runs in the ninth. Grinnell improved to 3-2 in the MWC and 15-8 overall, while Illinois College fell to 0-5 in league play and 8-12 in all games.

Grinnell is slated to host Cornell College in a non-conference game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Box Score

The Grinnell College baseball team won a slugfest Tuesday, April 14, posting a 17-10 non-conference baseball win over Simpson College at Indianola.

The Pioneers pounded out 22 hits on the day, including a 5-for-6 performance by Ronnie Gray '12 and 4-for-4 effort by Mike Bogard '12. Both had three RBIs. Paden Roder '10 added three hits, while Chad Takabuki '10 had two hits and five RBIs. Also coming up with two hits were Brian Sollo '10 and Mike Nodzenski '12.

Grinnell shot out to a 5-0 lead through its third at-bat, scoring twice in the second inning with the aid of Ben Mendoza's '09 RBI and three more runs in the third as Takabuki's double plated two runs and Bogard's single another.

Simpson cut into the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third before the Pioneers took off, scoring once in the fifth inning and five runs in both the sixth and seventh for a 16-3 lead. Bogard had an RBI single in the fifth, while Gray added a two-run single in the sixth. Bogard had an RBI double during the sixth and Takabuki and Sollo each had run-scoring singles.

In the seventh, Takabuki knocked in two runs while Nodzenski, Jim Malewitz '09 and Gray all had RBI singles. Simpson kept the game going with four runs in the bottom of the seventh and tacked on three more in the eighth. The Pioneers completed the scoring with a run in the ninth with the aid of a wild pitch.

Ben Pope '12 was the winning pitcher while helping Grinnell improve to 14-8. Simpson fell to 15-14. Grinnell jumps back into Midwest Conference play Saturday when Illinois College visits for a twin bill. Action begins at 10 a.m. at North Diamond.

Ryan Harris '10 (left) and Marshall Chavez '10 (right) combined on a masterful one-hitter as the Grinnell College baseball team rolled past Knox College 12-1 on Saturday, April 11, at North Diamond.

Knox came back to win the second game of the doubleheader, though, rallying for a 5-4 win. Before the twin bill, the teams completed a contest that had been suspended last Saturday in Galesburg, Ill., with the Prairie Fire eventually earning a 5-4, 16-inning win.

In improving to 4-1 on the season, Harris tossed four innings of hitless ball and struck out six while walking just one. Chavez finished things off as he allowed just one hit in the last three innings to collect his first save as Grinnell ended the game via the mercy rule.

Grinnell scored all it needed in the bottom of the first with three runs, as Brett Maloney '09 knocked in one with a single to center and Paden Roder '10 plated two more with a single to left.

The Pioneers then erupted for seven runs in the third inning with the aid of five hits and two errors. Roder, Greg Suryn '11, JP Prouty '10 and Maloney all had RBI singles in the inning, while Mark Wilcox '09 and Brian Sollo '10 also had RBIs.

Grinnell made it 12-0 with solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Chad Takabuki '10 knocked in the run in the fourth, while Suryn had a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Knox scored its lone run in the top of the seventh.

In the second game, Grinnell shot out to a 4-0 lead through four innings. Roder belted a two-run homer to left in the second inning, while an error allowed a run to score in the third inning and Jim Malewitz '09 had an RBI single in the fourth. Knox slowly chipped away, though, and scored twice in the fifth, again in the seventh and twice in the eighth to pull out the win.

In the suspended game, Knox had taken a 2-0 lead in Galesburg before Grinnell went ahead with a run in the third inning and two more in the fifth. Maloney had a sacrifice fly in the third and Mike Nodzenski '12 sparked the fifth with an RBI double. Knox went ahead 4-3 before Grinnell forced extra innings with a run in the ninth with the aid of a wild pitch.

The game resumed in Grinnell in the 13th inning and neither team could put a den
Knox 5, Grinnell 4 (completion of suspended game)
Grinnell 12, Knox 1
Knox 5, Grinnell 4

Chad Takabuki's '10 (left) RBI double to the center field fence in the bottom of the 10th inning sent the Grinnell College baseball team to a 9-8 home win over Central College on Wednesday, April 8.

Takabuki's hit scored Michael Goldfien '12, who was pinch running for Jim Malewitz '09 who had led off the inning with a single to center. JP Prouty '10 then sacrificed Goldfien to second before Takabuki's game-winner.

Ben Mendoza '09 (right) sparked Grinnell's 12-hit attack by nearly hitting for the cycle, coming up with a double, triple and homer to go along with two RBIs. Getting two hits each were Takabuki and Malewitz. Ben Pope '12 was the winning pitcher, throwing no-hit ball over the final 1 1/3 innings as Grinnell improved to 12-6 on the season. Central dipped to 10-12.

The Dutch struck for two runs in the top of the first, but Grinnell countered with three in the bottom of the inning and two more in both the second and third frames for a 7-2 lead. Takabuki and Brian Sollo '10 led off the bottom of the first with solo homers, while another run came across on an error.

In the second, Mendoza blasted a two-run homer to score Prouty, who had doubled. Brett Maloney '09 crushed a towering homer over the center-field fence in the third to score Mike Nodzenski '12. Central came back with a run in the top of the fourth, but Grinnell scored in the bottom of the inning with the help of an error.

Central scored four runs in the fifth to come within a run and forced extra innings with a run in the ninth. Pope sat the Dutch down in order in the top of the 10th to set up the exciting finish.

Grinnell entertains Knox College on Saturday, with action beginning at noon as the teams complete a game that was suspended last Saturday. After that, they play their regularly-scheduled doubleheader.
Box Score

Due to recent inclement weather and other situations, there have been changes made to the Grinnell College baseball schedule.

On Saturday, April 11, Grinnell and Knox will resume an extra-inning game that was suspended due to darkness last Saturday. Action is slated for noon, with the teams' regularly-scheduled doubleheader to follow. The Pioneers' game at Simpson College that was slated for April 15 will now be played on April 14 in Indianola with a 4 p.m. start time.

Grinnell's game at Coe College that was postponed this past Sunday will be played April 23 in Cedar Rapids, starting at 4:30 p.m.

The Grinnell College baseball team opened up Midwest Conference play with a 4-2, 11-inning win over Knox College on Saturday, April 4, in Galesburg, Ill.

The second game of the twin bill was suspended due to darkness with the score tied 4-all in the 12th inning. That game will be resumed at noon next Saturday prior to Knox's scheduled doubleheader at Grinnell.

Grinnell shot out to a 2-0 lead in the opener with a pair of runs in the fifth inning when Mike Nodzenski '12 (pictured) homered to score Paden Roder '10, who reached base on an error. Knox tied the game in the bottom of the sixth and the teams eventually went to extra innings. In the 11th, Brian Sollo '10 was hit by a pitch, was sacrificed to second by Ben Mendoza '09 and scored on a single by Roder. Brett Maloney '09 and Nodzenski both singled before Greg Suryn '11 singled to knock in another run.

Grinnell shut down the hosts in the bottom of the 11th to preserve the win and improve to 11-6 while Knox fell to 0-12. The winning pitcher was Rick Berdelle '09, who worked the final four innings. He gave up just two hits and fanned three.

Grinnell's game at Coe College on Sunday has been postponed due to anticipated inclement weather.
Grinnell 4, Knox 2

The Grinnell College baseball team clipped Cornell College 5-4 in a non-conference contest Wednesday, April 1, in Mount Vernon. The Pioneers are now 10-6 on the season, while Cornell fell to 4-12.

Grinnell had a balanced scoring attack, with Chad Takabuki '10 (left) and Brett Maloney '09 (right) coming up with two hits apiece. The Pioneers struck first with a run in the top of the third inning on RBI by Ben Mendoza '09, and took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI single to right by Mike Nodzenski '12.

Cornell came within 2-1 in the sixth, but Grinnell answered with a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Brian Sollo '10. But Cornell tied things at 3-all in the bottom of the frame, just to see Grinnell score twice in the eighth on RBIs by Nodzenski and Jim Malewitz '09. The hosts added a run in the bottom of the ninth to conclude the scoring.

Mike Bogard '12, the fourth of six Pioneer pitchers, picked up the victory while Ben Pope '12 earned the save. Grinnell opens Midwest Conference play Saturday with a twin bill at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., starting at 1 p.m.
Grinnell 5, Cornell 4

Due to inclement weather, the Grinnell College home baseball doubleheader with Monmouth College scheduled for Sunday as been moved to April 26.

Grinnell College lost a 6-2 decision to Central College in non-conference baseball action on Wednesday, March 25, in Pella.

Grinnell scored once in the first inning on an RBI by Mike Nodzenski '12. Central tied the game in the third and took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth.

The Pioneers closed within 4-2 in the seventh on JP Prouty's '10 RBI single, but the Dutch tallied twice in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final margin. For the game, Prouty (left) had two of Grinnell's seven hits as did Michael Goldfien '12 (right). Goldfien had a double among his totals.

The Pioneers open Midwest Conference play on Saturday when they host Monmouth College, starting at 1 p.m.
Central 6, Grinnell 2

Grinnell College's Ryan Harris '10 and Juan Carlos Perez '11 have been named the Midwest Conference Baseball Pitcher and Men's Tennis Performer of the Week, respectively.

Harris sported a perfect 0.00 ERA in two appearances during the team's spring break trip to Fort Pierce, Fla. He pitched 13 innings while striking out seven batters, scattering seven hits and walking just one batter. He was the winning pitcher in both games - beating Lawrence University and Mount St. Vincent - to improve to 3-0 with a 0.47 earned run average on the season. The Baseball Performer of the Week was Jimmy Marlin of Carroll University.

Perez, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division III Central Region, was perfect during Grinnell's trip to Orlando, Fla., going 5-0 in singles play and 4-0 in doubles. Among the singles wins, he beat the region's 11th- and 18th-ranked players. He is now 10-3 in singles play during the 2009 spring campaign.

Gary Kahn '09 (left) tossed a complete-game three-hitter as the Grinnell College baseball team shut out Lawrence University 9-0 in the first game of a twin bill Monday, March 23, in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Kahn struck out six batters on the day and walked just two while picking up the win. Chad Takabuki '10, Paden Roder '10 and Matt Skelly '12 all had two hits to spark the offense, while Ryan Fletcher '11 (right) had three RBIs.

Fletcher got the offense going immediately with a two-run single in the first inning, while Greg Suryn '11 also had an RBI single. Grinnell made it 5-0 in the third inning as Fletcher recorded another RBI, and tacked on another run in the fourth on Ben Mendoza's '09 RBI double for a 6-0 lead.

The Pioneers closed out the scoring with three runs in the sixth, a frame that was sparked by Roder's RBI single and a pair of Lawrence errors.

In the second game, Lawrence worked past the Pioneers by a 7-4 score. The winners scored twice in the first inning, only to see Grinnell counter with two runs in the second on a two-run single by Mark Wilcox '09. Lawrence went ahead to stay with a pair of runs in the fourth, although Grinnell did close within 4-3 in the bottom of the frame when Wilcox knocked in a run. The Vikings tacked on three runs in the sixth before Grinnell got one run back in the seventh on Mendoza's RBI double.

Grinnell is now 9-5, while Lawrence evened its mark at 2-2. The Pioneers are slated to travel to Pella on Wednesday to play Central College in a 2 p.m. affair.
Grinnell 9, Lawrence 0
Lawrence 7, Grinnell 4

Ryan Harris '10 fired a five-hit shutout as the Grinnell College baseball team won the second game of a twin bill against Lawrence University by a 7-0 score Sunday, March 22, in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Harris (left) struck out five batters and walked just one while improving to 3-0 on the season. Mark Wilcox '09 (right) sparked the offense by going 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs. Others with two hits were Ben Mendoza '09, Greg Suryn '11 and Matt Skelly '12.

Grinnell scored all the runs it needed in the opening inning with two runs, both coming on Wilcox's single to right. There was no more scoring until the Pioneers put up two runs in the sixth on Skelly's two-run single. In the seventh, Grinnell tacked on three more runs as Wilcox, Suryn and Chad Takabuki '10 all had RBIs.

In the opening game, former Pioneer assistant and first-year Lawrence coach Jason Anderson collected his first career victory as the Vikings slipped by Grinnell 1-0. Aaron Leitner of Lawrence tossed a three-hit shutout while striking out five, while Grinnell's Rick Berdelle '09 also had a strong performance by scattering seven hits and fanning five. The lone run of the game came in the first inning on an RBI single by Andy Frelich.

Grinnell, 8-4 on the season, finishes off its spring break trip with another game against Lawrence on Monday morning. The Pioneers have a quick turnaround when they return to Iowa, as they play at Central College in Pella at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Lawrence 1, Grinnell 0
Grinnell 7, Lawrence 0

Sparked by a 19-hit attack, the Grinnell College baseball team coasted to a 20-4 victory over Crown College of Minnesota on Thursday, March 19, in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Mike Bogard '12 (pictured) was 5-for-5 at the plate with six runs scored, while Mike Nodzenski '12, Ryan Fletcher '11 and Marshall Chavez '10 had three hits each. Grinnell showed it meant business from the start, tallying five runs in the first inning with the help of Brian Sollo's 10 two-run double.

The Pioneers stretched their lead to 6-1 by the second inning and then put the game away with a 10-run fourth inning. Grinnell had nine hits in the frame, including a two-run triple by Nodzenski and two-run single by Jason Kemis '12. The Pioneers tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning as Ronnie Gray '12 and Nate Pierce '10 both had RBIs, and added another run in the seventh to complete the scoring.

Andrew Myers '12 was the winning pitcher, giving up just two hits over three innings of work. Grinnell, 7-3 on the season, plays Delaware Valley on Saturday morning.
Grinnell 20, Crown 4

The Grinnell College baseball team continued its successful spring break trip by winning two of three games in recent days in Fort Pierce, Fla., to move to 6-3 on the young season.

The Pioneers posted consecutive wins on Monday and Tuesday, beating Utica 11-0 and shutting out Mount St. Vincent 5-0. Three pitchers combined on the shutout win, with Ryan Harris '10 (left) gaining the victory by tossing six innings of two-hit ball while fanning two batters. Marshall Chavez '10 and Ben Pope '12 finished off the win.

Ben Mendoza '09 (center) and Greg Suryn '11 (right) had three hits in the game each, while Paden Roder '10 added two. Grinnell scratched out solo runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings. Mike Nodzenski '12 had a sacrifice fly in the first and Suryn added an RBI single in the fifth.

The Pioneers finished off the scoring in the seventh with two runs coming on RBIs by JP Prouty '10 and Mendoza.

Roder, Brett Maloney '09 and Suryn all had three hits to spark Grinnell against Utica. The Pioneers trailed 2-1 before scoring three runs in the third inning with the aid of Maloney's two-run double. Utica tied it at 4-all in the fourth, but the Pioneers countered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on Mendoza's two-run double. Utica tied it again in the fifth before Grinnell went ahead to stay with four runs in the seventh with the aid of three Utica errors and an RBI single by Suryn.

Grinnell added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by Maloney, and Utica closed out the scoring with three runs in the ninth. Chris Peconga '12 was the winning pitcher and Jake Ehrenberg '10 earned the save.

Grinnell dropped a 7-6 decision to Carleton on Wednesday after leading 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Suryn, Jim Malewitz '09 and Prouty each had two hits for the Pioneers. Grinnell scored three runs in the second inning with the aid of Prouty's two-run triple and Mendoza's RBI double. In the fourth, Malewitz clubbed an RBI single and an error pushed across another run in the sixth.

Grinnell closed out its scoring with a run in the seventh on Roder's RBI double, but Carleton erupted for four runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.
Grinnell 11, Utica 9
Grinnell 5, Mount St. Vincent 0
Carleton 7, Grinnell 6

Grinnell College's baseball team sailed to a pair of victories on Sunday, March 15, beating Crown College 13-4 and then Earlham College by a 15-4 score.

In the opener, Grinnell was outhit 10-7 but benefitted from seven Crown errors. Winning pitcher Mike Bogard '12 (left) improved to 1-1 on the season by scattering two hits over four innings and fanning seven batters.

Offensively, Paden Roder '10 (right) had a six-hit day, including a 2-for-2 performance against Crown that included three RBIs. Ryan Fletcher '11 also had two hits, while Nate Pierce '10 knocked in three runs.

The Pioneers shot out to a 9-0 lead through four innings, including four-run outbursts in the first and fourth frames. In the first, Roder had a two-run single and he added an RBI double in the fourth. Grinnell also scored a run in the second with the aid of Pierce's sacrifice fly.

Crown tallied three runs in the fifth inning to pull within 9-3, only to see the Pioneers counter with four runs in the sixth with the aid of a two-run single by Jason Kemis '12. Crown completed the scoring with a run in the seventh.

In the win over Earlham, Grinnell pounded out 17 hits and benefitted from a 10-run seventh inning. Roder again had the hot bat, going 4-for-5 with six RBIs and three doubles. Ben Mendoza '09 added three hits, including two doubles. Winning pitcher Rick Berdelle '09 was the winning pitcher, tossing four innings of six-hit ball and fanning two.

The game was tight early, with Grinnell scoring a run in the first only to see Earlham scored twice in the second and once in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. In the first, Roder had an RBI double. The Pioneers drew even at 3-all with two runs in the fifth on Roder's two-run double.

Grinnell then all but put the game away with its 10-run seventh inning. The Pioneers had seven hits in the frame, including a three-run triple by Brian Sollo '10 and two-run single by JP Prouty '10. Earlham scored once in the bottom of the inning before Grinnell concluded things with a two-run ninth inning.

The wins pushed Grinnell to 4-2 on the season.
Grinnell 13, Crown 4
Grinnell 15, Earlham 4

Grinnell College pounded out 12 hits as it knocked off Westminster College by a 12-3 score on Saturday, March 7, in Fulton, Mo.

The hosts came back to win the second game by a 3-2 margin. Grinnell is now 2-2 on the season, while Westminster is 1-1.

In the first game, Paden Roder '10 went 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBIs while others with two hits were Ben Mendoza '09, Mike Bogard '12, Greg Suryn '11 and JP Prouty '10. Roder (left) and Suryn (right) each had homers among their totals, while Ryan Harris '10 was the winning pitcher, tossing three innings while giving up two hits, no earned runs and striking out three.

Grinnell shot out to a 6-0 lead with three runs in the first inning, another in the third and two more in the fourth. Roder had a two-run homer in the first frame and added an RBI in the third. In the fourth, Prouty and Mendoza both had RBI singles.

Westminster scored a run in the bottom of the fourth before the Pioneers tacked on three runs in the fifth to make it 9-1. Suryn and Mendoza both had RBI singles in the frame, while Prouty knocked in a run with a double.

Westminster added a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the Pioneers stretched their margin to 12-2 in the top of the seventh. Suryn had a solo homer in the inning, while Chavez knocked in another run. Westminster scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final score.

In the second game, Westminster scored twice in the fourth inning and again in the fifth for a 3-0 lead before the Pioneers scored twice in the sixth inning. In that frame, Roder knocked in both runs via an error. For the game, Mendoza, Brian Sollo '10 and Roder each had two hits.

Grinnell is off until its spring break trip to Fort Pierce, Fla.
Grinnell 12, Westminster 3
Westminster 3, Grinnell 2
Game Photos

Grinnell College was picked as co-favorite to win the 2009 Midwest Conference South Division baseball title in voting by league coaches.

Grinnell and Illinois College both received two first-place votes while sharing the top spot. Monmouth College was selected to finish third and Knox College fourth. Ripon College received three votes on its way to being named the MWC North Division favorite. St. Norbert College was picked second and had the other two first-place votes, followed by Beloit College, Carroll University and Lawrence University.
2009 MWC Baseball Preseason Release

The Grinnell College baseball team scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and then another in the ninth to pull out a 10-9 win in the second game of a twin bill against Carleton College on Monday, March 2, at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

The win puts Grinnell at 1-1 after losing the opener to Carleton 2-0.

In the seventh inning of the nightcap, Brett Maloney '09 led off with a double and Paden Roder '10 walked before Ben Mendoza '09 sacrificed the runners. Michael Goldfien '12 knocked in one run on a groundout and Greg Suryn '11 hit in another with a single. In the bottom of the ninth, Roder led off with a double and scored the winning run on Mendoza's (left) single.

For the game, Mendoza was 3-for 4 with two RBIs and Roder went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. JP Prouty '10 went 2-for-3 at the plate and Maloney 2-for-4. Chris Peconga '12 was the winning pitcher in relief.

Carleton erupted for three runs in both the first and second innings for a 6-4 lead. Grinnell scored once in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Maloney, and added three runs in the second with the assistance of Brian Sollo's 10 two-run double. Grinnell got within 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth on Mike Bogard's '12 RBI.

The teams traded runs in the fifth, with Grinnell scoring its on an RBI double by Mendoza. Carleton scored twice in the top of the sixth for a 9-6 lead, but the Pioneers countered with one in the bottom of the frame on the aid of a wild pitch. That led to Grinnell tying the game in the seventh and winning in the ninth.

In the opener, Grinnell shut down Carleton nearly the entire way before the latter eked out a 2-0 victory. Gary Kahn '09 (right) tossed shutout ball over four innings for Grinnell and had four strikeouts, while Chad Christoff '10 added another shutout inning. The winners scored both runs in the bottom of the sixth. Grinnell managed just three hits in the game.

The Pioneers head to Fulton, Mo., this weekend to play Westminster. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for noon.
Game 1
Game 2