Tickle City o'-the Week Award: Week Thirty Three

There have been several email submissions this past week, but the story behind the Grinnell College baseball team’s weekend, sent in by outfielder JP Prouty, has out-tickled them all.

The Pioneers beat Illinois College three times, pounding out 11 home runs and 43 runs in their victories. Grinnell is now tied with Monmouth at the top of the Midwest Conference standings with a conference record of 6-2. At 19-9 overall, Grinnell is just one triumph away from a 20-win season.

Catcher Mike Nodzenski ’12 went yard three times in Sunday’s game, in which Grinnell stormed out to a 14-1 lead after just two innings. Brett Maloney homered twice in the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader, a 15-4 eight inning win. Pitchers Gary Kahn and Chad Christoff combined to throw a six hitter, striking out five and three, respectively.

Another Pioneer who made a significant impact at the plate was Paden Roder, who hit two home runs on the weekend and raised his average to .404 (104 AB). Grinnell’s impressive hitting onslaught coupled with some effective pitching secured the season sweep over the Blueboys.

To get some insight into the minds of the Grinnell players, Prouty casually interviewed his teammates:

"Nodzenski, when asked from where he derives his hitting abilities, replied, 'I believe my diet of eating live babies and my regimen of devoting 10 hours a day to baseball allows me to hit yardballs.'"

Prouty also did research pertaining to Maloney’s post-game customs:

“It is rumored that after the game, Brett Maloney showered with the IC Blueboys to further intimidate them with his athletic physique and close resemblance to Michaelangelo's 'David'. In reality, Brett was the only one of the Pioneers that couldn't find the visiting team's locker room.”

Finally, the junior outfielder from Stilwell, Kansas, contributed the pictures (above), with the following captions:

"The first is of Paden Roder making a catch in right field with his mouth wide open."The second is of Mike "Baby-Killer" Nodzenski punishing a ball to deep center."

Prouty will be presented with the award in the next couple of days. Grinnell College baseball, you are tickle city!