GRINNELL’S NODZENSKI, KELLEY ARE NAMED MWC SOUTH PLAYER, PITCHER OF THE YEAR IN 2012
Grinnell College Athletics
GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College baseball players Mike Nodzenski ’12 and Andrew Kelley ’14 have been named the Midwest Conference South Division Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, in a vote of league coaches.
Nodzenski is the division’s Player of the Year for the fourth time in a row and Kelley earned the pitching honor for the first time. Nodzenski shared Player of the Year honors with Terry Davis of Illinois College.
Nodzenski and Kelley were joined by several other Pioneers as Grinnell boasted six of the 14 All-MWC South Division Team members. Others on the All-Division Team were Michael Goldfien ’12, Ben Pope ’12, Kainoa Inafuku ’14 and J.R. Dowrick ’15. Goldfien and Pope are All-MWC South picks for the third time each.
Grinnell’s Tim Hollibaugh was also named the MWC South Division Coach of the Year for the third year in a row and the fifth time in his career.
Nodzenski, a catcher from Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North), rewrote the Grinnell record book during his career. Among the preseason All-American’s career marks are batting average (.395), home runs (38), doubles (50), RBIs (169), slugging percentage (.725) and on-base percentage (.483). This season, he ranked second in the league in slugging percentage (.642) and doubles (16), was third in home runs (seven) and fifth in on-base percentage (.483). He was sixth in RBIs with 33 and eighth in batting average at .366.
Kelley, who is from Springfield, Ill. (Sacred Heart-Griffin), was among the top five in the conference in ERA (2.96), victories (5-2 record) and opponent batting average (.250). Kelley was second on the Pioneers’ squad in strikeouts with 29 and ranked third in innings pitched with 45 2/3.
Goldfien, a shortstop from Mill Valley, Calif. (Tamiscal), was seventh in the MWC in hits with 49 and among the leaders in batting average at .336. He was tops for the Pioneers in runs scored with 30 and assists with 106, second in batting average, third in slugging percentage at .425 and fourth in on-base percentage at .408.
Pope, who is from Maryville, Tenn. (Alcoa), was the MWC leader in strikeouts with 54 while ranking third in opponent batting average (.234) and 10th in ERA (3.79). He had a 4-3 record and a career mark of 19-8. He was twice named MWC South Pitcher of the Year during his career.
Inafuku, a third baseman from Waipahu, Hawaii (Kamehameha Schools), ranked third for Grinnell in on-base percentage (.421) and fourth in batting average (.311), runs scored (25) and RBIs (16). He was second in assists with 92 and fifth in hits with 38 while ranking among the league leaders in stolen bases with 11.
Dowrick, a second baseman from Gilbert, Ariz. (Seton Catholic), had a huge first season for Grinnell. He ranked second in the MWC in triples with four, and ranked second for Grinnell in slugging percentage (.489), on-base percentage (.431) and doubles (seven). He was third in batting average at .322 and assists with 70.
In the North Division, Garrick Fisher of St. Norbert College was named Player of the Year and Kevin Nutley of St. Norbert and Alex Norman of Beloit College the Co-Pitchers of the Year.
