The Flying Dutchmen will be seeking to maintain the momentum of the end of the 2009 season as they challenge for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship and an opportunity to compete in the NCAA Division III tournament.

Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen finished the 2009 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 MIAA standings (15-13).

Coach Fritz begins his 17th year at the helm of the Flying Dutchmen. His record entering the 2010 season is 330-261-2. His teams have won more than two-thirds of their MIAA conference games (236-120, .663) and won eight conference championships.

The pre-season roster of 29 players includes 18 returning letterwinners. There are 10 freshmen, seven sophomores, six juniors and six seniors.

Tri-captains of the team will be seniors Alex Fryer of Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater HS), Robby Poll of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), and Scott Snyder of Berrien Springs, Mich. (Berrien Springs HS).

The Flying Dutchmen will be playing for the third season in the Boeve Baseball Stadium, a beautiful facility that ranks with the best in NCAA Division III.

Returning sophomore catcher Jon Ponte of Novi (Divine Child HS) was named to the All-MIAA second team as a freshman. He batted .368 for the season and struck out only five times in 159 at-bats. Junior pitcher Derek Fairchild of Saline, Mich. went into the MIAA record book a year ago when he threw a no-hitter against Albion. It was the sixth in school history. Robby Poll was voted to the 2008 All-MIAA second team.

The Flying Dutchmen return six players who hit .300 or better in 2009 -- Jon Ponte .368, Alex Fryer .341, junior Wyatt Curry of Sault St. Marie, Mich. (Sault Area HS) .338, sophomore Steve Esbin of Carmel, Ind. (Carmel HS) .333, sophomore David Winters of Hudsonville, Mich. (Hudsonville HS) .333, and junior Colton Bodrie of Fremont, Mich. (Fremont HS) .300. Sophomore pitcher Adam Clements of Saline, Mich. (Saline HS) fashioned a 5-0 record in 12 appearances as a freshman.

Four returnees have lettered three years -- pitcher Michael Dekker of Hamilton, Mich. (Hamilton HS),pitcher Steve Tompkins of Glen Elyn, Ill. (Glenbard West HS), Pete Zessin of Holland, Mich. (Holland HS), and captains Scott Snyder, Robby Poll and Alex Fryer.

Other returning letterwinners include sophomore Zach Van Noord of Hudsonville, Mich. (Hudsonville HS), sophomore Chris Mattson of Muskegon (Mona Shores HS), junior Steve Lewis of Ada, Mich. (Forest Hills Central HS), junior Andrew Klinkman of Ann Arbor (Dexter HS), sophomore Danny Detmar of Chesterton, Ind. (Chesterton HS), junior Drew Carmody of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), and sophomore David Winters of Hudsonville, Mich. (Hudsonville HS).

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).