Week Ten MWC Performers of the Week
Grinnell College Athletics
GRINNELL, Iowa – Cornell College slugger Walker Breard and Monmouth College pitcher Connor McDonald have been selected as the Midwest Conference (MWC) Performers of the Week after the final seven days of the regular season.
Weekly Notes
Breard went 3-for-4 with a school-record eight RBIs in Sunday’s 18-5 Game 1 win at Grinnell that clinched an MWC Tournament berth for the Rams. In seven games last week, Breard batted .400 (10-for-25) with six runs, two doubles, a homer and 10 RBI. He was walked seven times, raising his school-record season total to 32.
McDonald was at his best when Monmouth needed him most on Sunday afternoon. Needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive, the sophomore flirted with a no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Knox. McDonald gave up just one hit in the first inning and shut down the Fire offense the rest of the way facing the minimum from the second inning on. McDonald fanned eight and walked no one in his seven inning complete game victory. He finished the season leading the team in wins and a 1.45 ERA.
Notable Performances
In the four-game sweep of Ripon College that secured a spot in the MWC Tournament, Beloit College senior Kam Sallee hit .412 (7-for-17) with five RBI, a double, a .945 OPS, two walks and no strikeouts. He also handled 37 chances defensively without an error. For the season, he is hitting .387 (55-for-142) with one home run, 40 RBI, a .986 OPS, and has handled 313 chances at first base without an error.
Tyrus Hartman went 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 14 innings to lead Cornell to a pair of key MWC wins last week. The senior right-hander helped Cornell clinch an MWC Tournament berth in Sunday’s 18-5 Game 1 victory at Grinnell College. Hartman wound up leading the conference with 34 strikeouts in MWC-only games.
Ben Binversie continued his impressive season as the Grinnell College closer, posting a perfect 0.00 ERA in three appearances against Cornell College. In 4-2/3 innings pitched, he struck out four and walked just one while limiting hitters to a .222 batting average. A closer, he still ranks second in the league in wins with a perfect 6-0 record. His three saves rank third.
