The Hope College baseball team came in third place in the 2017 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association preseason coaches poll.
Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen totaled 22 points. They finished behind unanimous preseason favorite and reigning champion Adrian and Kalamazoo. Coaches could not vote for their own teams.
Hope returns 20 letterwinners from a team that advanced to the championship game of the MIAA Tournament and had a 25-17 overall record.
The Flying Dutchmen return five seniors: outfielder J.P. Batts of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS), pitcher Eric Plaehn of Lansing, Michigan (Catholic Central), pitcher Michael Thomas of Troy, Michigan (Troy), outfielder Jack Twitty of Oakland Township, Michigan (Rochester Adams), and pitcher Ty Van Wieren of Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven).
Hope opens the season on Friday-Saturday, March 10-11 with a three-game tournament in Carbondale, Illinois.
MIAA POLL
1 Adrian (7) - 7
2 Kalamazoo (1) - 17
3 Hope - 22
4 Alma - 25
5 Trine - 29
6 Calvin - 34
7 Albion - 41
8 Olivet - 49
