2024 Hope College Softball Preview

Pictured, seniors Sydney Zombo and Emily Martin

The Hope College softball team is excited to usher in a new year as first-year head coach Michelle Brander Metiva leads the Flying Dutch into the 2024 season.

The 2003 Mid-American Conference Softball Player of the Year at Central Michigan University and 1999 Miss Softball from Jenison High School was named Hope's seventh head softball coach last summer.

Brander came to Hope with extensive softball credentials as a student-athlete and a professional coach and trainer.

Since 2020, Brander had served as the varsity softball coach at her high school alma mater. Last spring, Brander guided Jenison to a 35-4 overall record and a final ranking of seventh in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association Division 1 poll.

At Hope, Brander is aiming to bring a sense of calmness to the field and the team with her arrival.

"My hope is that the players will know that they can play without fear of making mistakes and that if they play with their hearts for each other, the success will come," Brander said.

2024 Schedule

The Flying Dutch begin their 2024 season and their 19-game preseason schedule with a three-game weekend in Edwardsville, Ill. Hope takes on Carroll University (Wis.), Belhaven University (Miss.), and Illinois College on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 23-24.

Hope heads to Florida for a spring break trip to continue preseason play, playing 10 games in five days in March.

The Flying Dutch host the University of Olivet on Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m. for the home and MIAA opener at Wolters Stadium.

MIAA Preseason Poll

Hope placed fifth in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Flying Dutch finished with 39 points in the nine-team poll. Coaches could not vote for their own teams. Trine University, last season's MIAA and national champion, topped the poll with 63 points and seven of eight possible first-place votes.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Michelle Brander Metiva, 1st season
Assistant Coach: Mercede Daugherty

2024 Roster

Hope returns one All-MIAA First Team selection from last season in senior Peyton Benjamin (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids HS).

The 2024 roster of 24 features 16 returners.

Senior Emily Martin (Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall) returns after leading Hope in at-bats with 134 and hits with 43 last season.

Junior Grace Connelly (Grandville, Michigan / Grandville) returns to the circle after firing 79 strikeouts for the Flying Dutch in 91 1/3 innings in 2023.

Coach's Outlook

"We have a large senior class that is excited and ready to hit the field for their senior season. This team is very relationship-focused as well and we're excited to see how that translates in our success on the field. One challenge this season is that we're in an extremely strong and competitive conference, so every game we will need to show up and execute to compete. We need to take advantage and capitalize on any errors other teams make and take every open base we can. We have a lot to prove on the field this season after a year of growing through adversity and challenges, and the girls are excited to come back stronger. The girls worked extremely hard from the start of the fall and put in as much effort in their own workouts and lifts as when we were together as a team, and it has shown in their play. They are a smart group of players who continue to impress us with their ability to make adjustments and read plays as needed."

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Players Mentioned

#3 Peyton Benjamin: OF; Senior; Psychology

#27 Grace Connelly: P; Junior; Communication

#23 Emily Martin: 3B; Senior; English Education - Secondary

Players Mentioned

#3 Peyton Benjamin
: Senior; Psychology
: OF

#27 Grace Connelly
: Junior; Communication
: P

#23 Emily Martin
: Senior; English Education - Secondary
: 3B