In the official opening weekend when all Midwest Conference teams square off against each other, the defending conference champion Pioneers sent notice to the rest of the league that they are the team to beat in 2016.  In home matches on Saturday, April 9, Grinnell prevailed over Carroll U., 8-1, and then defeated 2015 league runner-up, Lake Forest, 9-0.

"Clearly all the preparation we tried to get before the Midwest Conference schedule helped us fare well.

While we were a bit inconsistent versus Carroll, I thought all our guys played real well in the Lake Forest Match," commented Coach Andy Hamilton.

Strong doubles play set the tone versus Carroll as Tommy Pitcher and Jose Coloma prevailed, 8-3, while CJ Ray and Cole Miller and Bryson Cale and Will Hamilton won. 8-2, at No. 2 and 3 doubles, respectively.

The only nick in the score book was at No. 1 singles where Coloma fell in a third-set breaker.  At No. 2 Miler won 6-0-, 6-2; at No. 3 Tracy Johnson rolled 6-0, 6-2; Sam Stickels prevailed 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4; Pitcher went 6-1, 6-0 for the victory at No. 5 and Sam Catanzaro won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6.

"We tried to use our depth a little in the Carroll match so that the bulk of our guys would be rested and energized against Lake Forest," Hamilton projected.

In the afternoon match Grinnell versus Lake Forest roared out to a 3-0 lead with tenacious doubles play. Johnson and Stickels assumed their normal position at No. 3, rolling 8-4 to put the first point on the board. Pitcher and Coloma were convincing in their 8-2 win while Miller and Ray took all hopes away from Lake Forest as they surged in the final games of the match for an 8-3 win.

"Playing 8-game prosets in doubles is tricky because you never know how the results will turn out.  Today, however, I think our guys controlled the matches with good execution which set us up going into singles play," evaluated Hamilton.

In the most competitive singles match, Coloma rallied for a win at No. 1, 6-4, 6-1.  Miller held off a late first-set charge by his opponent to win 7-6, 6-0 at No. 2 and Ray parlayed a great first set into a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 3.  Johnson controlled his match for a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 4 and Stickels prevailed 6-0, 7-5 at No. 5.  Pitcher rounded out the scoring at No. 6, 6-0, 6-0.

Hamilton suggested, "In big matches you need all your guys playing well.  This match may have been the best we've played at all nine positions this season."

On Saturday, April 2 the Pioneers narrowly lost to Coe, 5-4, and then defeated Augustana by the same score.

Coe entered the match ranked No. 8 in the Central Region and No. 34 nationally while the Pioneers were No. 14 in the Central Region.

Strong doubles play gave the home team hope for an upset as the PIoneer's No. 1 and 3 teams notched points.  Coloma and Pitcher took down the No. 10 team in the region, 8-5.  At No. 3 Johnson and Stickels won 8-3 but Ray and Miller could not win at No. 2, falling 9-7.

Johnson and Pitcher posted wins at No. 4 and 6 singles but no other Pioneer could find a victory despite all the matches being extremely competitive.  Both Coloma and Stickels did rally to cause third sets but both players suffered from cramping in the final stanzas.

"Heading into the Coe match I wondered how good our team is compared to the Region's elite teams.  The past few years we've played them competitively in the matches but have produced very few individual victories.  It was gratifying to put some points on the board and really reach for the victory this year," said Hamilton.

Faced with a depleted team due to cramping in the Coe match, the Pioneers played at Augustana later that evening.   The Vikings were seeking to legitimize their No. 18 regional ranking.

Hamilton proclaimed, "Coming away with a 5-4 victory over Augie was a pretty amazing result.  That win will go down as one of the all-time greats since I've been coaching our men."

Needing success in doubles, Coloma and Pitcher produced at No. 1, 8-4, and Miller and Ray worked hard for an 8-4 win at No. 2.  Johnson and Catanzaro fell, 9-7, at No. 3.

Needing three points for the team win in singles play, the Pioneers found the points in unusual places. 

Substituting at the bottom of the lineup, Beau Bressler rolled at No. 6, 6-1, 6-2, and Catanzaro won a close match at No. 5, 6-4, 6-4.  With the match on the line the Pioneers needed one more point and Tommy Pitcher became the man of the hour.  Having moved up to the No. 3 position, Pitcher found himself down 5-2 in the first set but he ralllied to win 7-6.  Then in the second set he was down an early break but surged to win 6-3 to put the final point on the board for the team victory.

The Pioneers host three Midwest Conference matches next weekend.  At 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16 Monmouth comes to town and then Knox arrives for a 3:30 tilt.  On Sunday, April 17 the Pioneers complete their home schedule with a match against Illinois College at 9:00 a. m.