Galesburg, IL – Knox College’s Student Athletic Advisory Council is hoping to feed a lot of people that will be on campus Sunday attending athletic events.
Sunday marks the home openers for the Prairie Fire baseball and softball teams. The baseball squad has a doubleheader against Beloit College at Blodgett Field while the Knox softball field will be the site of a twinbill between the Fire and Illinois College. The doubleheaders both are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
Members of SAAC will be on hand grilling out and selling concessions. They’ll be located in a tent behind the baseball field’s home dugout. The menu will include hot dogs and popcorn while soft drinks and water will also be available for purchase. Drink sales could be brisk. Sunday’s weather forecast is calling for a record-high temperature in the 80s.
The students are hoping for a large crowd at the two doubleheaders. The money raised will help cover the cost of a SAAC-sponsored field day on May 19.
The Knox softball team is playing at home after eight games on the road to start the 2012 season. The Prairie Fire (3-5) wants to get off to a good start in Midwest Conference South Division play. The Lady Blues have played six home games to date. Their first MWC South games are on Saturday at Grinnell College. IC has a 3-10 record going into the games against the Pioneers.
The Prairie Fire last played on Wednesday, splitting a doubleheader at Eureka College. Knox dropped the first game 8-0 then came from behind for a thrilling 6-5 victory in the nightcap against the Red Devils.
The Fire’s two other wins were on the road against Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. Coach Ashley Sims’ team blanked the Hornets 6-0 in the first game before completing the sweep with a 7-4 victory in game two.
The Knox baseball team kicks off the weekend with a pair of games on Saturday at Grinnell College. The Pioneers are playing at home for the first time this season and taking on their first Midwest Conference South Division opponent.
Grinnell was picked by the league’s coaches to repeat as champions of the MWC South in the 2012 preseason poll. The Pioneers (5-12, 0-0 MWC South) finished the 2010-11 campaign with an 18-18 overall record, including an 11-1 mark in league play.
Grinnell played four games in St. Louis and two in Fulton, Missouri to kick off the season, followed by another 11 in Winter Haven, Florida. The Pioneers are trying to end a three game slide, including an 8-3 defeat at Central College (IA) on March 28.
Three of Knox’s first four games were against Central – two in Jacksonville to kick off the season in and one in Fort Myers, Florida. The Prairie Fire won one of the three games against the Dutch (13-3), the finale of the doubleheader in Jacksonville.
Knox (6-8, 1-1 MWC South) has won its last two games and four of its last six. The Fire defeated Eureka College 9-2 in its most recent game on the road March 26. Coach Jami Isaacson’s squad began conference play by splitting a doubleheader at Illinois College (10-6, 1-1 MWC) on March 24. The Blueboys won the first game 3-1. The Fire came back to take game two 8-3.
Beloit College (4-10) has lost four straight games. The Bucs dropped a pair of one run games on March 28 at North Central College and then got swept at home in a doubleheader by Illinois Wesleyan 6-4 and 11-6.
SAAC and the two teams in action are hoping for a big turnout on Sunday.
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