{"id":144,"date":"2010-05-04T20:39:25","date_gmt":"2010-05-05T01:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/?p=144"},"modified":"2010-05-09T04:09:46","modified_gmt":"2010-05-09T09:09:46","slug":"perfect-ten-pioneer-baseball-team-clinches-division-title-to-host-midwest-conference-tournament-for-first-time-since-2000-by-justin-abramson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/archives\/144","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Ten: Pioneer baseball team clinches division title, to host Midwest Conference Tournament for first time since 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"
May 4, 2010<\/div>\n

\"harris\"<\/p>\n

Much to the delight (and to some, the disbelief) of the Grinnell College baseball<\/a> community, it became official late Saturday afternoon: the Pioneers<\/a> are a perfect 10-0 in Midwest Conference play and South Division champions for just the second time ever.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be hosting the Midwest Conference Tournament<\/a> beginning on Friday, May 14, and despite what the Chinese calendar might say, the team could not be more confident that this is finally the year of the Pioneer.<\/p>\n

On the mound, the Pioneers have arguably the best one-two starting pitching tandem in the history of the program. \u00a0Ryan \u201cDon\u2019t touch the\u201d Harris<\/a> <\/strong>\u201910 <\/strong>takes the ball in Game 1 with a 4-1 record, a 2.41 ERA and a K\/BB ratio of almost 3:1<\/a>.\u00a0 The big lefty from St. Louis will look to do something on May 14 that no Pioneer has ever done before: advance the Pioneers to the winner\u2019s bracket with a Game 1 victory.\u00a0 Backing him up is Ben Pope<\/a> \u201912, <\/strong>whose numbers are even better at 6-1, 1.39<\/a>.\u00a0 He has also finished five of the eight games he has started, and will take the hill in Game 2.<\/p>\n

However, no other pitcher with an ERA below 5 has logged a start for the Pioneers this year.\u00a0 Candidates to take the ball in Game 3, should the Pioneers make it that far, are Chris Peconga \u201912<\/a>, <\/strong>who has logged the most starts of anyone not named Pope or Harris and compiled a 1-3 record with an 8.42 ERA, or David \u201cHave another beer\u201d Platt<\/a> \u201910, <\/strong>who has started just one game but holds a 5.16 ERA and a 1-0 record, both the best on the team among pitchers not named Pope or Harris who have thrown five innings or more.\u00a0 In addition, closer Chad \u201cYou don\u2019t need a bottle opener, that\u2019s a\u201d Christoff<\/a> \u2019<\/strong>10 <\/strong>(2 SV) may be called upon before the ninth inning in a tight ballgame.\u00a0 As someone who has attended three College World Series and seen his Miami Hurricanes bow out on elimination day all three times, this writer can testify that although two stud pitchers can get you to the dance, it takes more than that to win it all.\u00a0 It will be very interesting to see who steps up for this Pioneer pitching staff on Day Two of the tournament, when all teams\u2019 Conference starters will be used and games are likely to be much higher-scoring.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the ball, the Pioneers are led in nearly all offensive categories by sophomore sensation Mike \u201cSmile and\u201d Nodzenski<\/a> <\/strong>\u201912, whose sizzling .453 batting average and mind-blowing 1.367 OPS makes him an offensive force like no Pioneer lineup has seen since the days of Jason Anderson \u201902, <\/strong>whose walk-off grand slam catapulted the Pioneers to their only other South Division championship all the way back in 2001. However, some say Nodzenski is having the greatest season of anyone ever to don the scarlet and black, already with ten round-trippers and the season not over yet.<\/p>\n

Hitting right in front of him in the Pioneer lineup is Greg \u201cAll Present and Accounted for\u201d Suryn \u201911<\/a>.\u00a0 Suryn currently owns a torrid .446 batting average and an other-worldly 1.180 OPS while leading the team with four triples.\u00a0 While his power (2 HR) does not approach Nodzenski\u2019s, one of those home runs will be counted among the most important in the history of Grinnell College baseball.\u00a0 Suryn\u2019s crucial blow came in the bottom of the eighth inning of the eventual division-clincher, tying the game up and forcing it into extra innings, where the Pioneers eventually won, 10-6, on Nate Pierce<\/a> <\/strong>\u201910\u2019s walk-off grand slam, <\/strong>who two seasons ago was not even wearing a Pioneer uniform.<\/p>\n

Finally, no account of the Pioneers\u2019 offensive abilities would be complete without mention of senior Paden \u201cEnd of the\u201d Roder<\/a> <\/strong>\u201910, <\/strong>whose team-leading total of ten home runs more than justifies his other <\/em>team-leading total of 23 free passes.\u00a0 Roder\u2019s uncanny ability to both get on base consistently and <\/em>find the other side of the wall, along with leadoff hitter Chad Takabuki<\/a> \u2018<\/strong>10\u2019s disruptive power-speed combination (11 XBH, 8 SB) helps this offense strike some serious fear not only into opposing pitchers, but catchers as well.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the Pioneers\u2019 chances (and most think they are very real), the alumni response to the team\u2019s achievement has been nothing short of remarkable.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations on the two big wins!\u201d said former all-MWC pitcher Gary \u201cWrath of\u201d Kahn \u201909 <\/strong>via facebook all the way from South Africa.\u00a0 \u201cI know I had nothing to do with it, but I am so proud of this team,\u201d remarked 2003 second-team all-MWC outfielder Peter Leo \u201906, <\/strong>currently a Drake University law student. <\/strong>Jim Malewitz \u201909, <\/strong>currently in Iowa City studying journalism and author of his blog, the Iowa City Digress<\/a>, <\/em>is \u201cstoked beyond belief\u201d to come back and watch the Pioneers vie for their first-ever conference title. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Former All-MWC second-teamer Robbie Unsell <\/a>\u201908 <\/strong>proclaims that \u201chis spirit will be with\u201d the Pioneers as he studies veterinary medicine in London, England.\u00a0 <\/strong>2008 MWC South Division pitcher of the year Rick \u201cEverybody knows about the\u201d Berdelle<\/a> \u201909 <\/strong>(Clarendon Hills, IL) will be coming to the tournament and is \u201cwilling to accept any sleeping accommodations\u201d to watch the Pioneers next weekend.\u00a0 Golden Sombrero founder and former Pioneer captain Mike Rosenbaum<\/a> \u201908 <\/strong>will be making the trek in from St. Louis, having already taken in a Pioneer doubleheader sweep of Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL.\u00a0 Former Pioneer ace Sam Eaton \u201907 <\/strong>(Austin, TX) and all-MWC first-teamers Kevin Byrne \u201906 <\/strong>(Chicago, IL) and Baylor dental school first-year Daniel Dee Clark<\/a> <\/strong>\u201908 (Farmington, NM) also may be in attendance to watch the Pioneers make their run at history as part of what will undoubtedly be a raucous crowd come May 14th.<\/p>\n

The Pioneers are three games\u2014just 27 innings\u2014away from history, as they\u2019ll look to capture Grinnell\u2019s first-ever Midwest Conference title next weekend on the North Diamond.\u00a0 And if you can\u2019t make it, that\u2019s no problem whatsoever\u20142008 first-team all MWC South Division catcher Jim Malewitz \u201809 along with myself, Justin Abramson \u201908, the one-time voice of Pioneer athletics, will have the call for you for Midwest Conference Television, with coverage starting ten minutes before first pitch.\u00a0 You can catch all the action at www.pennatlantic.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So come on out to the ballpark with us for the Midwest Conference tournament!\u00a0 From Honolulu, Hawaii all the way to Durbanville, South Africa, Pioneer baseball fever has struck the globe, and the only cure may be a conference championship.\u00a0 The Pioneers lit the fire this fall as they do every year, and while sometimes that fire is nothing but a few glowing embers after the first week of May, there is no doubt now that it will be a roaring blaze at the North Diamond come tournament time.
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May 4, 2010 Much to the delight (and to some, the disbelief) of the Grinnell College baseball community, it became official late Saturday afternoon: the Pioneers are a perfect 10-0 in Midwest Conference play and South Division champions for just the second time ever.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be hosting the Midwest Conference Tournament beginning on Friday, May […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7,18,10,14],"tags":[284,287,291,285,286,288,49,250,50,289,290,67,3458],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions\/147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thegoldensombrero.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}