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RIPON, Wis. – Ripon finished atop the North Division for the first time since 2006 and now serve as host for the 2013 Midwest Conference (MWC) Baseball Championship that is set for May 10-11. Knox claimed its seventh South Division crown and will be joined by St. Norbert and Grinnell to battle for a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Tournament action opens at 9 a.m. on Friday morning when Knox takes on St. Norbert at Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wis. while Ripon hosts Grinnell at Francis Field on the campus of Ripon at 9 a.m. The winners of the two opening games will meet at 1:00 p.m. with the losers to play in the first elimination game at 4:00 p.m. The winner of the double elimination MWC Championship will also earn the conference’s bid to the NCAA Tournament.

A year after missing out on the MWC Championship Tournament in 2012 for the first time since 2009 the Red Hawks aim to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years. Ripon used hot bats en route to winning the MWC North division with a 14-2 division record and finished the regular season second in the league with a .311 average while slugging .450 which was best in the league. They also blasted 25 home runs, collected 355 hits and scored 241 runs that were all first or second in the ten team league. Taylor Koth headlines the hitting attack with a .395 average (fourth in the league) with nine doubles, a home run and 18 runs batted in. Adam Grambow (.367/.430/.563) and Kyle Bosquez (.331/.382/.554) have combined for 12 home runs and 20 doubles while striking out only 21 times in 298 plate appearances. On the mound Tom Fish leads the rotation with a 2.80 ERA in 45 innings to go along with a 4-2 record and a .263 opponent batting average. Patrick Van Daalwyk (3-3, 2.83 ERA) leads the team with 37 strikeouts in 54 innings to lead the Red Hawks pitching attack.

St. Norbert is back in the championship tournament for the 11th time in the last 12 years and is defending a championship in 2012. The 2013 version used a strong mix of pitching and hitting to finish just two games back of Ripon in the North Division. Offensively the Green Knights hit .298 on the season and were led by Nick Pierre with a .348 average that included 12 doubles, two triples, and four home runs. Alex Larsen batted .246 and led the team with six home runs and 30 runs batted in while Roy Rottier also hit .346 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 40 runs scored. The Green Knights finished third in the league with a 4.21 ERA and held opposing hitters to an average of only .259. Staff ace Kevin Nutley led the MWC in opposition batting average (.217), innings pitched (62.2), and strikeouts (54) while Brett Nohr was 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA in seven starts and posted a 1.17 WHIP.

Knox is in the championship again for the second consecutive year after winning the MWC South Division for the first time since 2008, which is also the last time the Prairie Fire won the MWC Championship. Leading the offensive charge was Caleb Weaver who finished fifth in the league with a .394 average and was third with a .583 slugging percentage. Weaver pounded out 50 hits on the season that included a league best 15 doubles while also homering three times. Erik Smoy hit .391 with four doubles and a pair of home runs while Jackson White hit .352 with 11 extra base hits (nine doubles, two home runs). Peter Marquardt posted a perfect 5-0 record in seven starts that included 40.2 innings, 32 strikeouts and a 3.76 ERA. Ryan Stoens held hitters to a .230 average in 33 innings and threw the Prairie Fire’s only complete game of the season with Gabe Ayers winning four games in his 16 relief appearances.

Grinnell is in the championship for the fifth straight season and plays for its first MWC Championship and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Grinnell earned its way to the tournament on the backs of one of the strongest pitching staffs in the league that finished the year with a league-low ERA of 3.77. The Pioneers also are holding hitters to a .282 average (third in MWC) and are led by Jason Ormond who tops the league with a 1.49 ERA giving up only seven runs and 39 hits in 42.1 innings. Will Pahos has three wins with a 3.66 ERA while 2012 MWC South Division Pitcher of the Year Andrew Kelley is second in the league with three saves and has made 14 appearances, striking out more than a hitter an inning (35 strikeouts, 32.2 innings). Offensively Kainoa Inafuku leads the team with a .359 average with five doubles and 42 hits and only ten strikeouts in 131 plate appearances. Walker Bell leads the team with 12 extra base hits (ten doubles, two home runs) while also hitting .333 and collecting 38 hits.

For information on the 2013 MWC Baseball Championship go to the [championship page]. To order 2013 MWC Baseball Championship apperal please go to the [MWC Online Store]