The Hope College baseball team aims to reach the 20-win plateau for the seventh consecutive season and challenge for a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title during the 2015 season.
Coach Stu Fritz and the Flying Dutchmen start their season March 13-19 with their annual spring break trip to Florida.
Photo of Austin Goodyke
Hope's home opener is also its MIAA opener — a March 21 doubleheader against Trine.
Fritz is entering his 22nd season. He has a roster of 31 players that includes four seniors, 11 juniors, six sophomores and 10 freshmen.
Co-captains this season are senior first baseman Ben Pearson of Madison, Wisconsin (West HS), senior second baseman/outfielder Devin Schaefers of Lake Forest, California (El Toro HS), junior pitcher Jake Chipka of Waterville, Ohio (Anthony Mason HS), and junior pitcher Austin Goodyke of Grandville, Michigan (Calvin Christian HS).
Junior Brady VanderWeele of Kalamazoo, Michigan (Parchment HS), is making the switch to shortstop after being an All-MIAA First Team second baseman as a sophomore and freshman.
VanderWeele is Hope's top returning hitter with a .323 average last season. VanderWeele also scored 29 times, third highest among Flying Dutchmen in 2014.
Senior righthander Currey Thomas of Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS), returns after posting a team-high five wins on the mound in 2014.
Thomas is joined by three teammates who totaled four wins apiece: Chipka, Goodyke and sophomore Ty Van Wieren of Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven HS).
Thomas (5-5) and Goodyke (4-3) shared the team lead with 10 starters in 2014. Goodyke has the lowest ERA for returning pitchers at 2.60, while Thomas was next at 3.78.
Two relievers who recorded a team-high two saves last season also return: junior righthander Matt Glowacki of Goodrich, Michigan (Goodrich HS) and sophomore lefthander Eric Plaehn of Lansing, Michigan (Catholic Central HS).
The Flying Dutchmen must overcome the graduation of their two other All-MIAA honorees: first-team catcher Eric Vachon and second-team outfielder Tim Bodine.
Hope was picked second in the MIAA preseason coaches poll. The Flying Dutchmen finished third in the 2014 MIAA standings and had a 22-21 overall record.
Fritz has a career record of 457-334. He shares the MIAA baseball coaching record with nine league championships — a mark equaled by Albion's Frank Joranko (1973-95).
Fritz and the Flying Dutchmen welcome a new pitching coaching this season. Dane Wysocki, who played at the University of Michigan and was a successful high school and travel coach, has replaced former 13-year pitching coach and former major leaguer Rick Huisman.
