The 2013 Hope softball team ranked third among all NCAA Division III teams in stolen bases per game while recording a school-record 97 steals.
Coach Mary Vande Hoef's Flying Dutch stole 97 bases in 111 attempts for an average of 2.69 steals per game. The leader among the 402 Division III softball-playing teams was Trinity
of Washington, D.C. with an average of 3.09 steals per game (68 in 22 games. Wittenberg (Ohio) ranked second at 2.78 steals oper game (100 in 36 games).
Hope freshmen Jen Buckingham of Novi (Northville HS) and Autumn Anderson of Dorr (Wayland HS) also were among the nation's leaders in stolen bases. Buckingham ranked 21st among all players with 27 steals while Anderson was 34th with 20. Anderson was a perfect 20-for-20 on theft attempts.
The Flying Dutch finished tied for fourth place in the regular season standings of the Michigan Intecollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and gained a berth in the league's NCAA qualifying tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Flying Dutch had a 19-17 season record and were 9-7 in MIAA games.
Four players received all-conference honors from the MIAA. Senior rightfielder Laura Tjepkema of Dorr (South Christian HS) joined Anderson on the first team. Tjepkema was honored for a second year.
Sophomore third baseman Kelsey Cooper of Romeo (Romeo HS) and sophomore pitcher Natalie Hiser of Westland (Livonia Churchill HS) each made the All-MIAA Second Team.
