Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157

GRINNELL, Iowa – The Ripon College Red Hawks have been selected to win the Midwest Conference (MWC) North Division for the third straight season, while the Cornell College Rams have been picked to top the South Division in the 2015 MWC Baseball Coaches’ Poll after a breakout season in 2014.

Cornell and Grinnell College both received two first place votes, however the Rams earned one more point, 13, than the Pioneers 12.  Nipping at the two clubs heels are Monmouth College and Illinois College who both earned 10 points apiece.  The Fighting Scots earned the fifth and final first place vote in what should be a tight race for the two spots in the MWC Tournament from the south.  Rounding out the division is Knox College with five points. 

Ripon (15 points) edged out defending MWC Champion St. Norbert College (14 points) by just one point in the North Division.  The Red Hawks were picked to finish first by three coaches, with the Green Knights earning the remaining two first place votes.  Beloit College was selected third with 11 points, with Carroll University earning nine points in fourth.  Lawrence University completes the poll in fifth with four points.  

The 2015 season begins on Saturday, Feb. 28 with Lawrence traveling to play Spalding University and Baldwin Wallace University and Grinnell playing a doubleheader at Westminster College.  The baseball season preview will be released on Thursday, Feb. 26.