GRINNELL – The Grinnell College baseball team will take aim at its first Midwest Conference title in program history this weekend at North Diamond.

The Pioneers, who won the MWC South Division with an 8-4 mark, will take on North second-seed Beloit College at 9 a.m. Friday. At the same time, North top seed St. Norbert College meets Knox College, the No. 2 seed in the South, at William Penn University in Oskaloosa.

After that, all action will be contested at North Diamond, with a champion crowned on Saturday.

Grinnell, 16-18 overall, has relied on steady hitting and pitching this season. Leading the team at the plate has been three-time defending MWC South Division Player of the Year Mike Nodzenski '12, who is batting .366 with seven homers, 14 doubles and 32 RBIs.

Michael Goldfien '12 and J.R. Dowrick '15 are both hitting .333, Ronnie Gray '12 is at .301 and Kainoa Inafuku '14 is hitting .296.

On the mound, Andrew Kelley '14 has shut down foes with a 5-2 record and 2.31 ERA. Andrew Platt '13 owns a 3.21 ERA, two-time defending MWC South Pitcher of the Year Ben Pope '12 is 4-1 with a 3.65 ERA and Will Pahos '14 is 3-2 with a 4.22 ERA.

Beloit, 9-7 in the MWC North and 17-19 overall, has been paced at the plate by Evan Mascitti (.366), Jordan Jaenicke (.341 with six homers), Jake Tresemer (.315), Andrew Edwards (.309), Alex Jennings (.301) and Emory Nelms (.300).

On the mound, Alex Norman is 6-2 with a 2.22 ERA, Al Loth owns a 2-1 mark with a 3.52 ERA, Jim Leyhane is 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA and Grant Henricksen is 3-1 with a 4.48 ERA.

The tournament champion earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

Grinnell College's Midwest Conference Baseball Championships Page

2012 Midwest Conference Baseball Championships Page