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The Flying Dutchmen finished the season strong to gain a .500 record (20-20). At one point the team was seven games below the .500 mark, but nine wins over the final 11 games salvaged the season and put the Flying Dutchmen in a tie for third place in the final Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) standings (15-13). A season highlight was the no-hitter thrown by sophomore Derek Fairchild of Saline, Mich. (Saline HS) The 8-0 gem against Albion was the sixth in school history. Senior first baseman Matt VanderVelde (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS) ranked third in all of NCAA Division III as the toughest player to strikeout. Over 39 games and 147 at-bats, VanderVelde struck out only twice. Two Hope players were voted to the All-MIAA second team -- senior outfielder Paul Neumann of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS) and freshman catcher Jon Ponte of Novi, Mich. (Dearborn Divine Child HS). Hope players named MIAA Players of the Week during the season included sophomore pitcher Derek Fairchild of Saline, Mich. and senior third baseman Dustin Wuis of Kalamazoo, Mich. (Comstock HS).
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