Adam Clements Named to Two All-Region Teams
Hope senior pitcher Adam Clements of Saline (Saline HS) has been named to two All-Mideast Region baseball teams. He is a first team honoree by the website D3baseball.com and for the second consecutive year a second team selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). continue

Adam Clements, Jon Ponte, Ty Peterson,

Eric Dawson, Chris Mattson, T.J. Klein, Cory Schmidt

All-MIAA Baseball Team is Announced (5/9/12)
All-MIAA Team
Hope senior pitcher Adam Clements of Saline (Saline HS) heads the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) all-conference baseball team announced today by the league's coaches. Clements has been named the MIAA's most valuable pitcher and is joined by six teammates of the all-conference teams.

Clements posted a 6-1 record in league games with a 2.12 earned run average. He topped the MIAA in strikeouts with 58 in 47 innings pitched. For the regular season he posted a 7-2 record to become Hope's career leader for victories (24-7) and complete games pitched (20). His career record in MIAA games was 18-5.

A two-time All-MIAA honoree, Clements is joined on the first team by battery mate Jon Ponte, a senior from Novi (Dearborbn Divine Child HS).

Hope players named to the All-MIAA second team include junior second baseman Ty Peterson of Wheaton, Ill. (Warrenville South HS), sophomore third baseman Eric Dawson of Grand Haven (Midland HS), senior shortstop Chris Mattson of Muskegon (Mona Shores HS), junior outfielder T.J. Klein of Circle Pines, Minn. (Centennial HS), and junior pitcher Cory Schmidt of Milan, Ohio (Edison HS).

Coached by Stu Fritz, the Flying Dutchmen tied for second place in the MIAA standings and posted a 22-18 regular season record.

Flying Dutchmen Bow to Adrian in MIAA Tournamernt Final (5/11/12)
Box Score
Regular season champion Adrian followed form by winning the first-ever conference tournament behind a 17-2 title game romp of the Flying Dutchmen on Friday. The third-seeded Flying Dutchmen simply ran out of pitching in playing their fourth game over three days. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen end the season with a 24-20 record.

Hope sent five pitchers to the mound over the course of the nine-inning contest. Adrian's leadoff batter hit a homerun to signal the start of a 19-hit attack. Hope collected 10 hits, but stranded 11 baserunners.

Senior catcher Jon Ponte collected two singles to become Hope's alltime career leader for hits with 177 over four seasons covering 146 games. Senior shortstop Chris Mattson also had a pair of hits.

Flying Dutchmen Advance to MIAA Championship Game (5/10/12)
Hope 7, Albion 0 / Hope 3, Trine 1
The Flying Dutchmen have advanced to the championship game of the first-ever conference tournament by posting a pair of victories on Thursday in games being played at Adrian. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen opened the day with a 7-0 victory over Albion behind yet another complete game pitching gem by Adams Clements and then avenged a Thursday tournament loss to Trine by topping the Thunder 3-1.

Hope (24-19) will meet Adrian (34-8) in Friday's championship game beginning at noon. An Adrian win will send the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament while a Hope victory would force another game immediately following the first with the winner of that headed to post-season play.

Hope scored its runs in each Thursday game in a single inning. In the opener the teams were scoreless through seven innings when the Flying Dutchmen scored seven unearned run in the eighth to back the five-hit pitching performance of Clements who improved to 8-2 tying the Hope single season mark for pitching victories. Jon Ponte and Ty Peterson each had two hits and a pair of RBIs. In the nightcap the Flying Dutchmen scored three runs in fourth inning, again all unearned. Cory Schmidt (6-2) pitched six innings and Jordan Carrigan finished it with his sixth save of the season. Hope had only three hits in the game, all singles.

Flying Dutchmen Bow in MIAA Tournament Opener (5/9/12)
Tournament Website
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen face an uphill climb after dropping their opener in the first-ever double elimination conference tournament on Wednesday. Host Trine topped the Flying Dutchmen 6-3. Action now shifts to Adrian today. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen (22-19) meet Albion (19-22) at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to a 4 p.m. game while the season will be over for the loser. In Wednesday's other game, Adrian blanked Albion 2-0.

Trine was in control of the game from the beginning behind a two-run first inning. The Thunder led 4-0 after four innings. Hope scored once in the fifth and added a pair in the ninth. Danny Detmar (2-7) suffered the pitching loss. Hope collected nine hits, but stranded 12 baserunners. Eric Dawson batted 3-for-4 while Jon Ponte had a pair of singles.

MIAA Tournament Begins on the Road for Hope (5/7/12)
The Flying Dutchmen will play its games in the first-ever MIAA tournament on the road beginning Wednesday at Trine. Hope and Trine tied for second place in the final regular season standings, but the tie-breaker used to determine home field advantage went to the Thunder. The first games of the double-elimination tournament will put #3 Hope at #2 Trine and #4 Albion at #1 Adrian beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The action will then shift to Adrian on Thursday and Friday. All games will be nine innings. The tournament winner will advance to the NCAA Division III championships. Hope and Trine during the regular season split their four-game series. The Flying Dutchmen won nine of their last 10 games to post a 22-18 season record.

Flying Dutchmen Win 3-of-4 Over Calvin; Tournament Next (5/5/12)
Friday: Hope 4, Calvin 3 / Calvin 1, Hope 0
Saturday: Hope 3, Calvin 0 / Hope 2, Calvin 1 (8)
The Flying Dutchmen capped a successful regular season by winning three-of-four games over rival Calvin in a weekend series. After splitting their games in Grand Rapids on Friday, coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen returned home on Saturday to win a pair.

Next for the Flying Dutchmen is the first-ever league tournament that will determine the MIAA representative to the NCAA championships later this month. The double-elimination tournament begins Wednesday with Hope playing Trine at a site yet to be determined. Trine plays Adrian today with the outcome to determine the second and third place finishers in the league standings. Right now Trine is second and Hope third. An Adrian sweep today would put Hope in second and give the Flying Dutchmen the home field advantage in Wednesday's tournament game.

The Flying Dutchmen (22-18) won nine of their last 10 games to post an 18-10 record against MIAA opponents. It marks the 13th time in 19 years under coach Fritz that Hope has won 20-or-more games in a season.

In Saturday's 3-0 opener, pitchers Cory Schmidt (5-2) and Jordan Carrigan (5th save) combined for the five-hit shutout. Leadoff hitter TJ Klein batted 4-for-4 with three doubles. The nightcap, an extra inning 2-1 win, ended with one out in the eighth on Jon Ponte's clutch RBI single that brought Klein home from second. Carrigan (3-3) gained the victory in relief of Phil Haywood who pitched six strong innings.

Flying Dutchmen Split One-Run Games With Rival Calvin (5/4/12)
Hope 4, Calvin 3 / Calvin 1, Hope 0
The Flying Dutchmen split a pair of one-run decisions with rival Calvin on Friday. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen opened with a 4-3 win while Calvin took the nightcap 1-0. Heading into the final regular season doubleheader at home on Saturday against Calvin, the Flying Dutchmen are in third place in the MIAA at 16-10. Hope is one game behind Trine (17-9). While the Flying Dutchmen are assured on playing in the conference tournament next week they need to finish in second place to gain the home field advantage.

In the opener TJ Klein delivered a two RBI double to highlight a four-run fourth inning. Adams Clements (7-2) gained the pitching victory with a save going to Jordan Carrigan. Hope was limited to three singles in the second game as Danny Detmar suffered another tough loss.

Flying Dutchmen Score Series Sweep Over Alma (4/28/12)
Hope 5, Alma 4 / Hope 6, Alma 5
The Flying Dutchmen posted a pair of one-run victories over host Alma on Saturday to remain in the thick of the conference tournament race. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen swept the four-game weekend series winning on Saturday 5-4 and 6-5 after taking two on Friday, 6-1 and 13-3. One of Friday's wins was the 400th under coach Fritz.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Flying Dutchmen are in third place in the MIAA standings with a 15-9 record. The Flying Dutchmen play a four-game series against rival Calvin next Friday and Saturday. With a six-game winning streak, the Flying Dutchmen are above the .500 mark (19-17) for the first time since the opening week of the season.

On Saturday the Flying Dutchmen needed late inning rallies to score their wins. In the opener, TJ Klein's RBI double broke a 4-4 in the seventh inning and in the nightcap Ben Pearson's single in the fifth inning drove in two runs to erase anAlma lead. Pearson had four RBIs in the game.

Reliever Jordan Carrigan (2-3) gained the win in the opener and then had his 13th career save in the nightcap with the win going to freshman Currey Thomas (2-0). In the nightcap, Chris Mattson and Pearson each had three hits.

Flying Dutchmen Have Milestone Day in Twinbill Sweep
Hope 6, Alma 1 / Hope 13, Alma 3
The Flying Dutchmen celebrated a milestone day by sweeping a home doubleheader over Alma on Friday, 6-1 and 13-3. The opening game victory marked the 400th under veteran coach Stu Fritz and was also a career record pitching victory (#33) for senior Adam Clements (pictured right after game).

The sweep puts Hope in third place in the MIAA standings at 13-9 and at the .500 mark overall (17-17) for the first time since mid-March.

Clements (6-2) pitched his seventh complete game of the season and record 20th of his career scattering six hits while striking out eight and walking none. Senior pitching teammate Danny Detmar (2-5) finally got some offensive support in winning the nightcap. Entering Friday's game, the Flying Dutchmen had scored just 11 runs over Detmar's seven previous outings.

Leadoff hitter TJ Klein had four hits in the doubleheader, including a double and homerun. Shortstop Chris Mattson also had four hits.

Saturday Sweep Makes It 3-for-4 Against Albion (4/21/12)
Friday: Hope 7, Albion 1 / Albion 3, Hope 2
Saturday: Hope 19, Albion 7 / Hope 6, Albion 5
The Flying Dutchmen gained sole possession of third place in a tight MIAA race by sweeping a doubleheader over host Albion on Saturday, 19-7 and 6-5. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen won 3-of-4 in the two-day series to improve to 11-9 in the MIAA and 15-17 overall. The sweep brings coach Fritz to within a victory of his 400th over a 19-year coaching career at Hope.

In the opener, the Flying Dutchmen had a season-high 19 hits highlighted by a nine-run sixth inning. Starter Cory Schmidt improved to 4-2 with five innings of work. Thirteen Hope batters had a hit led by Jon Ponte who 3-for-4 with three RBIs. In the nightcap the Flying Dutchmen came from behind in the seventh with RBI singles from Ponte and Josh Kranz. Designated hitter Chris Blair was 3-for-4 as Hope collected 12 hits highlighted by a three-run homer from Chris Mattson. Reliever Jordan Carrigan gained the win impressively as all of his outs (six) were strikeouts.

Flying Dutchmen Split Doubleheader With Britons (4/20/12)
Hope 7, Albion 1 / Albion 3, Hope 2
The Flying Dutchmen split a doubleheader with visiting Albion on Friday winning the opener 7-1, but losing the nightcap 3-2. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen have a 9-9 conference record and are 13-17 overall heading into a doubleheader at Albion on Saturday.

In the opener senior Adam Clements (5-2) became alltime career leader for complete games pitched. He went the distance for the sixth time in seven outings this season to raise his career total to 19. His 22nd career win places him in a tie for the career mark first set by Greg Heeres (1982-85) and John Klunder (1982-86). Hope led 6-0 after two innings. Collecting two hits apiece were Chris Blair, Ben Pearson and Alex Hunt. The Flying Dutchmen collected only three singles in the second game as senior Danny Detmar (1-5) suffered a tough loss.

Flying Dutchmen Split Doubleheader With Aquinas (4/17/12)
Hope 3, Aquinas 1 / Aquinas 9, Hope 6
The Flying Dutchmen split a non-league doubleheader with Aquinas at Fifth Third Ballpark on Tuesday. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen won the opener 3-1 while the host Saints took the nightcap 9-6. Hope has a 12-16 season record.

Hope 3, Aquinas 1: Two young, promising pitchers, freshman Cooper Hartman and sophomore Tom Tresh, gave strong outings and alltime Hope save leader Jordan Carrigan finished it off as the Flying Dutchmen won the opener. Hope scored single runs in three different innings highlighted by an off-the-wall triple by leadoff hitter TJ Klein in the fourth. Klein got on base four straight times.

Aquinas 9, Hope 6: A goal of coach Fritz when playing non-league games is to use players who don't see a lot of action in conference contests. That was the case in this game with a starting lineup of nine players completely different from the opener. Starter Alex Luke pitched three shutout innings, before the Aquinas bats erupted for nine runs over the next three. Hope's nine-hit attack was led by freshmen Ben Pearson and Ray McNamara who each had a pair of hits. Hope stranded 11 baserunners in the game.

Flying Dutchmen Split Series With Trine (4/13/12)
Thursday:Hope 9, Trine 3 / Trine 3, Hope 1
Friday: Trine 3, Hope 1 / Hope 1, Trine 0
The Flying Dutchmen remain in a tie for third place in the MIAA race after splitting a four-game series with Trine on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday Hope won the opener 9-3 and Trine took the nightcap 3-1. It was reverse Friday with Trine winning the first game 3-1 while Hope took the second 1-0. The split leaves Hope and Trine tied in the MIAA standings at 8-8. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen are 11-15 overall.

Sophomore pitcher Phil Haywood came within an out of making Hope baseball history. His bid for a no-hitter was spoiled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh on a single to left field by Trine designated player Jordan Baer. Haywood (2-2) struck out 11 batters and walked just one. Hope's run was scored in the fifth off Ty Peterson's RBI single.

In the opener the Flying Dutchmen were held to three hits. Hope scored first on Jon Ponte's first inning RBI single, but the Thunder answered with single runs in three separate innings.

Flying Dutchmen Split Doubleheader at Trine (4/12/12)
Hope 9, Trine 3 / Trine 3, Hope 1
Midway through the conference season, the Flying Dutchmen have a .500 record (7-7) after splitting an MIAA doubleheader for the fifth time this spring. On Thursday coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen split a twinbill at Trine winning the opener 9-3, but losing the nightcap 3-1. Hope has a 10-14 season record.
Hope 9, Trine 3: Senior pitcher Adam Clements (4-2) tied the Hope record for career complete games as he went the distance for the 18th time. He shares the career mark with Nate DeVisser who also went the distance 18 times between 1998-2001. The win was Clement's 21st, one shy of the career mark of 22 set by Greg Heeres (1982-85) and John Klunder (1982-86). Clements was backed by a 14-hit attack led by leadoff hitter TJ Klein who was 3-for-4 and Eric Dawson who collected four RBIs highlighted by a three-run homerun. Dawson, Josh Kranz, Alex Hunt and Ty Peterson each had two hits. A defensive highlight came in the third inning when the Flying Dutchmen executed a triple play. Shortstop Chris Mattson snagged a line drive, between a runner trying to return to second and then fired to first baseman Curtis Drozd who did the same.

Trine 3, Hope 1:Hope's bats went silent in the nightcap as the Flying Dutchmen were held to five hits and didn't score until there were two outs in the last inning. Senior Danny Detmar (1-4) took the complete game loss allowing five hits. Hope's offense has faltered behind Detmar scoring just two runs over the last 25 innings he has been on the mound. TJ Klein continued to shine in the leadoff spot with a pair of hits.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer Last-at-Bat Defeat (4/9/12)
Box Score
The Flying Dutchmen suffered a tough 10-9 non-league defeat to the Univ. of Chicago on Monday. Hope held a two-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning but a dropped a popup gave Chicago new life. The next batter followed with walk-off bases-loaded triple to end the game. Hope drops to 9-13 on the season. Hope's 17-hit attack by led by leadoff batter TJ Klein who was 3-for-6 with two RBIs. Adding two hits apiece were Eric Dawson, Jon Ponte, Alex Hunt and Ty Peterson. Jordan Carrigan, the fifth Hope pitcher, was tagged with the loss.

Flying Dutchmen Bounce Back to Sweep Olivet (4/7/12)
Hope 5, Olivet 1 / Hope 13, Olivet 10
The Flying Dutchmen bounced back from a pair of shutout losses on Friday to sweep a doubleheader at Olivet on Saturday, 5-1 and 13-10. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen stand 6-6 in MIAA games and are 9-12 overall.
Hope 5, Olivet 1 -- Junior Cory Schmidt (3-1) pitched an efficient complete game four-hitter that took just 79 minutes to complete. Hope's eight-hit attack was led by Eric Dawson and Jordan Herman who each had a pair of hits.
Hope 13, Olivet 10 -- It took two hours, 37 minutes for the Flying Dutchmen to emerge victorious in a game that counted 32 hits and consumed eight pitchers, four from each team. Freshman Correy Thomas, Hope's third pitcher, collected his first collegiate victory while junior Jordan Carrigan collected his 11th career save, a Hope record. Collecting three hits apiece were Eric Dawson, Chris Blair and Steve Esbin. Blair was credited with four RBIs.

Flying Dutchmen Blanked Twice by Comets (4/6/12)
Olivet 3, Hope 0 / Olivet 4, Hope 0
The Flying Dutchmen suffered a pair of shutout defeat to visiting Olivet on Friday, 3-0 and 4-0. The losses drop coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen to 4-6 in the MIAA and 7-12 overall. Hope travels to Olivet on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Olivet 3, Hope 0: Hope was held hitless until there was one out in the seventh inning. The Flying Dutchmen ended with a pair of singles by Steve Esbin and Ben Pearson. Adam Clements (3-2) suffered the loss. He was forced to leave the game following a collision at first base in the sixth inning.
Olivet 4, Hope 0: The Flying Dutchmen stranded nine baserunners. Leading Hope's seven-hit effort were Jon Ponte and Eric Dawson with two singles each. Danny Detmar (1-3) suffered the loss although two of the runs he allowed were unearned.

Flying Dutchmen Sweep Hornets to Improve to .500 in MIAA (3/31/12)
Hope 2, Kalamazoo 0 / Hope 12, Kalamazoo 2
Two complete game pitching performances highlighted a doubleheader sweep over Kalamazoo on Saturday. Junior Cory Schmidt pitched the Dutchmen to a 2-0 victory in the opener. The Flying Dutchmen broke out their bats in the nightcap to gain a 12-2 victory. The sweep puts coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen at 4-4 in the MIAA and 7-10 overall.

Schmidt (2-1) pitched his first complete collegiate game scattering eight hits while striking out five and walking none. Hope scored its two runs in the first inning. TJ Klein had two of Hope's five hits.

In the nightcap, Hope trailed 2-1 after three innings but erupted for six runs in the fourth and added five more in the sixth. Phil Haywood (1-2) gained the win allowing seven hits while striking out three and walking one. Hope had six extra base hits highlighted by a homerun by Jon Ponte and a bases loaded triple by Alex Hunt who was 3-for-3.

Flying Dutchmen Split Pitching Duel With Hornets (3/29/12)
Hope 2, Kalamazoo 1 / Kalamazoo 2, Hope 0
Hope and longtime MIAA rival Kalamazoo split a doubleheader Thursday in games dominated by the pitchers. The Flying Dutchmen won the opener 2-1 behind a seventh inning rally while Kalamazoo captured the nightcap with a complete game pitching performance 2-0. Hope stands 2-4 in the MIAA and 6-10 overall.

In the opener senior Adams Clements (3-1) pitched his 17th career complete game behind a four-hitter. He is one shy of the Hope career mark for complete games set by Nate DeVisser from 1998-2001. The Flying Dutchmen rallied with two runs in the seventh inning with Jon Ponte collecting the game-winning RBI.

Kalamazoo's Tommy Carlon limited the Flying Dutchmen to four hits in the nightcap. Two of them were singles by Eric Dawson. Danny Detmar (1-2) suffered the loss allowing both Kalamazoo runs on seven hits over six innings.

Flying Dutchmen Drop Two One-Run Decisions
Adrian 5, Hope 4 (10) / Adrian 1, Hope 0
The Flying Dutchmen dropped a pair of one-run decisions to Adrian on Monday. The defending MIAA champion Bulldogs came from behind to win the opener in 10 innings 5-4 and then gained a 1-0 triumph in the nightcap. Adrian took three-out-of-four games in the league-openiong series. Two of the games went into extra innings and three were decided by one run. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen are 4-9 on the season.

In the opener the teams were tied 3-3 after seven innings. Hope went ahead 4-3 in the top of the 10th, but Adrian came back with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Second baseman Kevin Olson batted 3-for-4 while TJ Klein collected a pair of singles.

The Flying Dutchmen were held hitless until the seventh inning of the nightcap. Singles by Eric Dawson and Steve Esbin spoiled A. Buchmayer's bid for a no-hitter. Hope's Phil Haywood allowed just three hits in suffering the loss.

Flying Dutchmen Split MIAA Opening Doubleheader (3/24/12)
Hope 3, Adrian 2 / Adrian 4, Hope 1 (9)
The Flying Dutchmen split a conference oopening home doubleheader with defending MIAA champion Adrian on Saturday. Hope opened with a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs while Adrian captured the nightcap 4-1 in nine innings. The split leaves coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen with a 4-7 season record.

In the opener, senior Adam Clements (2-1) pitched his third consecutive complete game allowing five hits while striking out 11 batters. Eric Dawson and Steve Esbin each had a pair of hits. Senior Danny Detmar (2-1) took the loss in the nightcap. TJ Klein hit a leadoff homerun and Adrian tied the score in the fourth. The Bulldogs scored three times in the ninth. Klein and Jon Ponte each had a pair of hits.

Flying Dutchmen Bow in Final Florida Game (3/22/12)
The Flying Dutchmen were victim of a shutout in their final spring break game in Florida bowing to Benedictine, Ill. 3-0 on Thursday. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen posted a 3-6 record in Florida and will now prepare for their regular season opener, a home doubleheader on Saturday against defending MIAA champion Adrian.

Benedictine scored single runs in the first, sixth and ninth innings, each off a different Hope pitcher. Starter Cooper Hamilton suffered the loss despite giving up just an unearned run over five innings. Hope was limited to four hits and only five baserunners. The hits were spread across four batters with Chris Mattson hitting a double.

Flying Dutchmen Lose Slugfest in Florida (3/21/12)
Hope and Grinnell combined for 28 hits with the Iowa team gaining a 12-5 victory over the Flying Dutchmen on Wednesday. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen are 3-5 heading into their final game in Florida. Hope out-hit Grinnell 15-13, but was unable to get the clutch hit stranding 11 baserunners. Cory Schmidt, the first of five Hope pitchers, took the lost. TJ Klein batted 3-for-5, including a pair of triples while Jordan Herman had a pair of singles.

Flying Dutchmen Split Doubleheader in Florida (3/21/12)
The Flying Dutchmen split a doubleheader with Elmhurst, Ill. on Tuesday in Florida. Elmhurst took the opener 4-3 while the Flying Dutchmen won the nightcap 8-1. Hope is 3-4 on its Florida trip with two games remaining before returning to Michigan for the Saturday opening of MIAA play.

In the opener the Flying Dutchmen stranded eight baserunners as senior Adam Clements suffered the complete game defeat. Josh Krantz and Jon Ponte each had two hits for Hope.

Danny Detmar pitched the second game victory as the Flying Dutchmen collected a season high 13 hits. Eric Dawson batted 3-for-3, including a homerun.Alex Hunt (West Ottawa HS) was 3-for-4 while collecting two hits apiece were TJ Klein and Chris Mattson.

Flying Dutchmen Suffer Loss in Florida (3/19/12)
Box Score
Hope scored first and last but in between Washington & Jefferson scored 10 times in gaining a 10-4 victory over the Flying Dutchmen in Florida on Monday. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen are 2-3 in spring break games being played this week. Starter Phil Haywood allowed six runs in five inning to suffer the loss. Hope had eight hits led by TJ Klein's 2-for-5. Hope's only extra base hit was a double by Steve Esbin.

Flying Dutchmen Split Season-Opening Doubleheaders (3/17/12)
Playing in Florida, the Flying Dutchmen split their doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday. On each day Hope won the opener, but lost the nightcap.
Friday: Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen defeated Ripon in their season opener 4-3, but dropped the nightcap 7-6. Senior Adam Clements picked up where he left off a year ago by pitching a complete game in the victory. Sophomore first baseman Chris Blair had a triple and homerun, including the game-winning RBIs in the sixth inning. In the nightcap, Ripon broke a 6-6 tie with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Danny Detmar pitched five solid innings. Hope's seven hits were all singles with no player getting more than one. Hope 4, Ripon 3 / Ripon 7, Hope 6

Saturday: The Flying Dutchmen defeated Allegheny, Pa. 5-2 in the opener but bowed in the nightcap 6-3. In the victory, junior starter Cory Schmidt went five innings allowing just two hits to gain the victory. Freshman Austin Brown was credited with a save. TJ Klein batted 2-for-4. In the second game the Flying Dutchmen out-hit Allegheny 14-7, but stranded eight baserunners including the bases loaded in the seventh. Klein and Eric Dawson each batted 3-for-4 with each getting a double.

The Flying Dutchmen will be seeking to maintain the momentum of a string of successful seasons as they approach a reconfigured conference season. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has instituted a post-season tournament to determine who will represent the conference in the NCAA championships. In past years the regular season champion has received the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Beginning this spring the top four teams in the regular season will play in the qualifying tournament.

Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen finished second in the MIAA last spring and posted an overall 26-14 record. The Dutchmen had a successful season-opening trip, winning seven of their nine games. Hope split its four-game series with conference champion Adrian, highlighted by a season-ending doubleheader sweep on the Bulldogs' diamond.

Over 18 years coach Fritz has guided the Flying Dutchmen to eight conference championships and 384 victories. His teams have won 20-or-more games in a season 12 times, including each of the past three years.

Hope's pre-season roster of 30 players includes 19 returning letterwinners. The team consists of eight freshmen, 10 sophomores, six juniors and six seniors.

The co-captains are senior Danny Detmar of Chesterton, Ind., junior TJ Klein of Circle Pines, Minn. (Centennial HS), senior Chris Mattson of Muskegon (Mona Shores HS), and senior Jon Ponte of Novi (Divine Child HS). Ponte, Hope's starting catcher since his freshman year, has the distinction of being a captain as both a junior and senior.

The Flying Dutchmen return six players who received All-MIAA honors in 2011. First team returnees include junior second baseman Ty Peterson of Wheaton, Ill. (Warrenville South HS), senior shortstop Chris Mattson, and senior pitcher Adam Clements of Saline (Saline HS). All-MIAA second team returnees are Jon Ponte, junior outfielder TJ Klein, and senior pitcher Danny Detmar. Mattson and Ponte have received All-MIAA honors twice in their careers. Ponte carries a .356 career batting average.

In addition to receiving All-MIAA honors, Clements was honored as an All-Region pitcher behind a sterling 1.29 earned run average and 7-3 record. Among all pitchers in NCAA Division III, he ranked ninth in earned run average and was in the top 100 in victories (#76, 7-3), fewest hits allowed per nine innings (#62, 6.94), and fewest walks allowed per nine innings (#36, 1.29). With a 17-5 career record, Clements should challenge Hope's alltime mark of 22 victories, a mark shared by John Klunder and Greg Heeres in the 1980s.

Junior pitcher Jordan Carrigan of Buchanan (Berrien Springs HS) is Hope's alltime career leader for saves (10). Sophomore third baseman Chris Dawson of Grand Haven (Midland HS) had an outstanding first collegiate season as he ranked 20th nationally as the toughest batter to strikeout (4 Ks in 142 plate appearances) and 54th in sacrifice flies (five).

The Flying Dutchmen play their games at the college's four-year-old Boeve Baseball Stadium.

Flying Dutchmen Picked for Second in Pre-Season MIAA Poll (2/13/12)
The Flying Dutchmen have been picked to finish second behind defending MIAA champion Adrian in the first-ever pre-season poll of coaches. Coach Stu Fritz's Flying Dutchmen received three of the eight first-place votes while Adrian garnered the remaining five. A year ago Hope finished second behind Adrian in the MIAA standings. The teams split their four-game series, each sweeping a doubleheader on the other team's field. Hope posted a 26-14 overall record.

Adrian is the three-time defending conference champion. Poll Results (coaches could not vote for their own team): 1. Adrian (5) 9 pts. 2. Hope (3) 11. 3. Calvin 23. 4. Albion 24. 5. Trine 33. 6. Alma 39. 6. Kalamazoo 39. 8. Olivet 46.

The Flying Dutchmen open their season with the annual series of games in Florida from March 16-22. The regular season has an exciting beginning as Hope and Adrian launch it with a home-and-away series on March 24 (at Hope) and March 26 (at Adrian).

This year will also mark the first time that the MIAA will hold a post-season conference tournament to determine the qualifier for the NCAA championships. In the past the regular season champion has been the automatic qualifier. The four-team MIAA tournament will take place May 9-11.