Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157
GRINNELL, Iowa – Sophomore second basemen Ryan Sparks of Monmouth College had a big week at the plate to be named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week, while Jake McMahon of St. Norbert College didn’t give up an earned run in two appearances to earn Pitcher of the Week honors.
Weekly Notes
McMahon worked 8 2/3 innings allowing five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts to earn a win and a save. McMahon worked eight innings in Wednesday's 8-2 win over Grinnell College, allowing five hits and no earned runs with one walk and five strikeouts. McMahon also earned a save in Monday's 3-0 win over Greenville College, entering the game with the bases loaded and one out and striking out the two batters he faced to end the game.
Sparks, the Fighting Scots’ leadoff hitter, opened the week with a 3-for-5 performance in an 11-2 win at Iowa Wesleyan College last Wednesday. He heated up even more in Sunday's 15-5, 12-6 double header sweep of Blackburn College. Sparks picked up four hits, including a home run, and drove in a pair of runs in the opener. He blasted his second round-tripper of the day in the nightcap, a third-inning grand slam to stake the Scots to a 10-0 lead. For the week the sophomore hit .600 (9-for-15) with five runs scored, two homeruns, a slugging percentage of 1.067 and seven RBI. He was also perfect in the field on 18 chances.
Notable Player Performances
Drake Sykes closed out Knox College’s spring trip to Fort Myers, Fla. on a tear at the plate. He recorded three multi-hit games in the last four contests, two of them wins, and was 10-for-15 (.667) at the dish during that stretch with six RBI, six runs scored, and three stolen bases. He batted a team-best .433 during the eight games in Florida and paced the squad in total hits, extra-base hits, and runs batted in.
Matt Godinsky had a hot bat for Grinnell last week, compiling a .417 batting average with five hits in 12 at bats and three RBI. He also pounded a pair of homers to help him put up a .917 slugging percentage. Additionally, Godinsky had a spotless fielding percentage.
Troy Rottier hit .462 for St. Norbert over the past eight games. Rottier was 12-for-26 during the stretch with eight RBI, including a .517 on-base percentage. Rottier also scored six runs, hit one double, one triple and one home run, and added two stolen bases. He also had 30 defensive chances without an error.
Notable Pitching Performances
Tyrus Hartman was impressive in his second collegiate start, holding North Park to four singles and no earned runs over nine innings in Cornell College's 4-1 victory Sunday in Chicago, Ill. The Ram sophomore retired 18 of the final 20 batters he faced. Hartman struck out six and walked four.
In two outings over the past week, Grinnell’s Sam Tinkham fanned 13 batters in eight innings and had a miniscule 1.12 ERA. He picked up the victory in an 8-3 decision over Ripon College, striking out 11 batters in seven innings of work while issuing just one walk. For the season, Tinkham is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 13 innings on the mound.