The Hope College baseball team is aiming to repeat as Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions during the 2014 season.
In 2013, the Flying Dutchmen tied for first place in the MIAA with Adrian College for their 23rd league championship overall and ninth under coach Stu Fritz. Fritz matched the MIAA record for baseball titles by a single coach held by Frank Joranko of Albion College (1973-95).
Hope hosted the MIAA Tournament before finishing the season with a 27-15 record.
Hope's 2014 roster of 31 players features 22 returning letterwinnners. There are eight seniors, four juniors, 12 sophomores and seven freshmen.
Co-captains this season are seniors Eric Dawson of Grand Haven (Midland HS), Alex Hunt of Holland (West Ottawa HS), Josh Kranz of Carpentersville, Ill. (Jacobs HS), and Kevin Olson of Lake in the Hills, Ill. (Jacobs HS).
The Flying Dutchmen return four players who received All-MIAA honors last season. Sophomore second baseman Brady VanderWeele of Kalamazoo (Parchment HS) received first-team recognition, while three of his teammates made the second team: Dawson at third base, junior Eric Vachon of Sterling Heights (Warren DeLaSalle HS) at catcher and senior outfielder Tim Bodine of Gurnee, Ill. (Warren Township HS) as an outfielder.
Bodine is Hope's top returning hitter. He batted .371 in 30 games last season with eight extra-base hits, 22 runs scored and 10 RBIs. Dawson, pictured, batted .301 and topped Hope with 10 doubles. Hunt finished second on the team with 28 RBIs.
Other returning letterwinners are: senior pitcher Phil Haywood of Grand Rapids (Forest Hills Northern HS), senior pitcher Tom Tresh of Grand Rapids (Northpointe Christian HS), junior first baseman Ben Pearson of Madison, Wis. (West HS), junior outfielder Devin Schaefers of Lake Forest, Calif. (El Toro HS), junior pitcher Currey Thomas of Grandville (Grandville HS), sophomore third baseman Alex Arthurs of Holland (West Ottawa HS), sophomore pitcher Kyle Bernaciak of Chicago (Brother HS), sophomore first baseman Luke Brower of Holland (Holland Christian HS), sophomore pitcher Jake Chipka of Waterville, Ohio (Anthony Wagner HS), sophomore first baseman Colton Curtiss of Zeeland (Zeeland East HS), sophomore pitcher Austin Goodyke of Grandville (Calvin Christian HS), sophomore pitcher Matt Glowacki of Goodrich (Goodrich HS), sophomore catcher Nick Glowacki of Goodrich (Goodrich HS), sophomore outfielder Ryan Konkle of Marshall (Marshall HS), and sophomore pitcher Mitch Reitsma of Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Christian HS).
Hope opens the 2014 season with its annual spring trip to Florida on Friday-Thursday, March 14-20. The Flying Dutchmen's home opener is scheduled for Saturday, March 22, vs. Trine.
