Hope Places Two on All-MIAA Baseball Teams (5/12/08)
Two Hope baseball players have been named to the coaches' All-MIAA teams. Senior outfielder Matt Sattler of Brighton, Mich. (Hartland HS) has been named to the first team for a second consecutive year while sophomore second baseman Robby Poll of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS) is a second team honoree.

Sattler ranked second in the MIAA in batting this spring with a .413 average. He batted .403 for the entire season and ended his career as Hope's alltime leader in total hits (176) and triples (11). Poll, who is also a starting pitcher, batted .357 in league games.

Flying Dutchmen Split Season-Ending Twinbill (5/9/08)
Hope 16, Olivet 6 / Olivet 13, Hope 1
Weary pitching arms were no match for swinging bats as Hope and Olivet split a season-ending doubleheader on Thursday. Hope won the opener 16-6 behind a season-high 19-hit attack while Olivet took the nightcap 13-1 with an 11-hit onslaught. Hope was playing its seventh and eighth games since last Saturday.

The split means the Flying Dutchmen will end fourth in the final MIAA standings with a 13-15 record. Coach Stu Fritz's team ended 15-25 overall.

Hope 16, Olivet 6 -- Catcher Brock Doud had four hits, including a pair of homeruns, to back the complete game pitching performance by Robby Poll (4-6). Bobby Edelberg and Rich Burling each added three hits while Matt Sattler, Matt VanderVelde, Pete Zessin and Joey Gobe each had two.

Olivet 13, Hope 1 -- Hope scored the game's first run, but Olivet followed with the next 13 off five Flying Dutchmen pitchers. Hope had only four hits in the game.

Flying Dutchmen Win Home Finale (5/6/08)
Olivet 9, Hope 3 / Hope 5, Olivet 4 (10)
The Flying Dutchmen closed out the home portion of their schedule at the new Boeve Stadium in dramatic fashion Tuesday topping Olivet 5-4 in 10 innings. It was the nightcap of a doubleheader that saw the visiting Comets win the opener 9-3. Hope travels to Olivet on Wednesdayu for the final doubleheader of the season. A .500 league record is still within reach for the Flying Dutchmen who are 12-14 in conference games. Hope is 14-24 overall.

Senior Joey Goeb's single to centerfield with two outs in the bottom of the tenth gave the Flying Dutchmen the victory. He drove home pinch runner Drew Carmody who came in for Matt VanderVelde who had opened the tenth with a single.

Senior leadoff hitter Matt Sattler became Hope's alltime leader in total hits. He had five hits, including four doubles, in the doubleheader to raise his career total to 173 hits. The previous mark was 172 hits by Mike VanderVelde from 2004-07.

Freshman starter Steve Tompkins suffered the opening pitching loss while sophomore reliever Michael Dekker gained the nightcap win. Matt VanderVelde had three hits in the victory while Sattler, Scott Siommavilla and Robby Poll each had two. In the opener Sattler had three hits while Paul Neumann and Scott Sommavilla each had a pair.

Through the 2008 school year, she has coached 1,714 athletic coaching seasons. Her records by sport are: softball (648-356), volleyball (375-194), field hockey (40-26-7), basketball (24-21) and tennis (14-9). She had coached teams with winning records in a season 45 times compared to eight losing campaigns and three .500 marks.

This year's softball team posted a 25-14 record, marking the fifth straight year that the Flying Dutch have won more than 20 games. A season highlight was also the opening of the college's new softball stadium named in honor of Karla and her husband Tom.

Flying Dutchmen Split Twinbill at Alma (5/5/08)
Hope 7, Alma 3 / Alma 9, Hope 6
The Flying Dutchmen began its makeup stretch of the season by splitting a doubleheader at Alma on Monday. The regular season was supposed to end last Saturday, but weather-caused postponements are forcing the Flying Dutchmen, and most of the rest of the MIAA, to play an abundance of makeup doubleheaders this week. Hope faces makeup doubleheaders with Olivet in the next 48 hours beginning with a home set on Tuesday and ending Wednesday at Olivet. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen are 11-13 in the MIAA and 13-23 overall.

Hope 7, Alma 3 -- A five-run sixth inning erased an Alma lead. Bobby Edelberg started the game at shortstop when it was first played last Friday before the rain came. On Monday he was on the mound gaining his second collegiate pitching victory. Edelberg helped his own cause with a pair of hits. Also collecting two hits were Scott Sommavilla and Robby Poll.

Hope 9, Alma 6 -- The Flying Dutchmen couldn't hold a 5-3 lead as the Scots scored four times on just two hits in the third inning. Starter Shawn Grose took the loss. Reliever Andrew Klinkman gave solid innings. Collecting two hits each were Matt Sattler, Robby Poll and Alex Fryer.

Flying Dutchmen Sweep Alma Scots
Hope 6, Alma 0 / Hope 12, Alma 2
The Flying Dutchmen inched closer to the .500 mark in the MIAA baseball race by sweeping a home doubleheader from Alma on Saturday, 6-0 and 12-1. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen improved to 10-12 in the conference standings and to 12-22 overall.

Hope 6, Alma 0 -- Sophomroe Robby Poll pitched a complete game two-hit shutout for his third victory in nine decisions. He was backed by an 11-hit effort that included four for extra bases. Brock Doud batted 3-for-3 while Bobby Edelberg had a pair of hits.

Hope 12, Alma 1 -- The Flying Dutchmen scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game. Starter Dustin Wuis (2-6) gained the victory with solid relief pitching from Matt Richardson and Michael Dekker. Hope had 15 hits highlighted by Matt Sattler's leadoff homerun. Paul Neumann batted 4-for-4 while Matt Vandervelde had three hits and Brock Doud added two.

Hope 14, Tri-State 3: The Flying Dutchmen scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back. Junior Shawn Grose (1-5) gained his first victory of the season going five innings. Matt Richardson gave the team another strong relief effort pitching two scoreless innings. Hope ended with 15 hits, including five doubles. Collecting two hits apiece were Matt Sattler, Scott Snyder and Brock Doud and Matt VanderVelde.

Hope 4, Tri-State 0: Sophomore Steve Tompkins pitched his first collegiate complete game shutout allowing Tri-State just a pair of hits. He struck out two and walked just one. The Flying Dutchmen scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings. Matt Sattler extended his hitting streak to 12 games and raised his season batting average to .449 with a three-for-three performance. He also stole three bases.

Flying Dutchmen Back on Winning Track (4/16/08)
Tri-State 10, Hope 4 / Hope 5, Tri-State 4
The Flying Dutchmen used their last at-bats to gain a 5-4 victory over Tri-State Wednesday, snapping a seven-game losing streak. The visiting Thunder won the opener of the doubleheader 10-4. Hope stands 4-10 in the MIAA and 6-18 overall.

Hope trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh in the nightcap. Robby Poll opened the inning with a double. The bases were filled when Matt VanderVelde was hit by a pitched-ball and Bobby Edelberg on a single. Scott Sommavilla RBI scarifice fly brought home Poll to tie the score at 4-all. Scotty Snyder followed with a game-winning RBI double. Reliever Michael Dekker gained the victory.

Tri-State won the opener behind a 12-hit attack that included a pair of homeruns. Starter Robby Poll suffered the pitching loss. Hope leadoff hitter Matt Sattler extended his hitting streak to 10 games by collecting four hits in the doubleheader.

Flying Dutchmen Bow to Adrian (4/15/08)
Adrian 5, Hope 2 / Adrian 5, Hope 4
The struggles of the season continued for the Flying Dutchmen who were defeated twice Tuesday by visiting Adrian, 5-2 and 5-4. The losses leave the Flying Dutchmen at 3-9 in the MIAA and 5-17 overall. Hope is back in action Wednesday hosting Tri-State for a doubleheader.

Adrian 5, Hope 2: The first pitch of the game resulted in an Adrian homerun as the Bulldogs never looked back. Hope's seven-hit attack included a pair of hits by Scott Sommavilla and Joey Goeb. Sommavilla hit a solo homerun. Starter Shawn Grose (0-5) took the loss striking out five and walking three. Reliever Matt Richardson pitched two innings of shutout baseball.

Adrian 5, Hope 4: Adrian snapped a 4-4 tie with a seventh inning run. Each team had eight hits. Hope was led by Matt Sattler and Matt VanderVelde with two hits apiece while Paul Neumann had two RBIs. Starter Steve Tompkins left after five innings with Hope ahead 4-3. Reliever Michael Dekker (1-2) took the loss.

Flying Dutchmen Swept at Adrian (4/12/08)
Adrian 4, Hope 2 / Adrian 3, Hope 2
The struggles of the season continued for the Flying Dutchmen who lost a conference doubleheader at Adrian in the rain on Thursday, 4-2 and 3-2. The defeats drop coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen to 3-7 in the MIAA and 5-15 overall.

Adrian 4, Hope 2: The host Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 2-1 Hope lead. Sophomore Robby Poll (1-4) allowed just one earned run while scattering seven hits, striking out two and walking none. Hope's eight hits were all singles led by Matt Sattler and Brock Doud who each had two.

Adrian 3, Hope 2: The Flying Dutchmen battled back to tie the score at 2-2 with a run in the top of the seventh inning, but Adrian came back with the game-winner in the bottom half to sweep the doubleheader. The Flying Dutchmen out-hit the Bulldogs 9-6 but three fielding errors contributed to the loss. Dustin Wuis (1-4) went the distance in defeat striking only five and walking three. Matt Sattler, Matt VanderVelde and Robby Poll each had two hits.

Flying Dutchmen Beat Albion Twice (4/5/08)
Hope 8, Albion 0 / Hope 14, Albion 1
The Flying Dutchmen had a breakout doubleheader sweep Saturda, posting lopsided 8-0 and 14-1 MIAA victories over host Albion. By winning three-of-four games in the series, coach Stu Fritz's defending MIAA champion Dutchmen even their conference record at 3-3 and move to 5-11 overall.

Sophomore Robby Poll pitched a two-hitter as the Flying Dutchman blanked Albion 8-0 in the opener. Poll scattered a pair of singles while striking out five and walking one for his first victory of the season (1-3). Hope scored two runs in the first inning and exploded for six more in the seventh to seal the victory. Collecting two hits apiece were Brock Doud, Bobby Edelberg, Scott Sommavilla and Joey Goeb. Edelberg drove-in four runs.

In the nightcap, junior Dustin Wuis pitched six solid innings and was backed by a 16-hit performance, highlighted by a seven-run first inning. Collecting two hits apiece were Matt Sattler, Drew Carmody, Zach Nemitz, Garrett Anderson and Paul Neumann. Neumann also drove-in four runs.

Flying Dutchmen Split Games in Boeve Stadium Opener (4/2/08)
Hope 4, Albion 1 / Albion 3, Hope 1
Brock Doud's walkoff homerun with two outs in the eighth inning broke a 1-1 tie as the Flying Dutchmen defeated Albion 4-1 to mark a successful debut at Boeve Stadium. The visiting Britons won the nightcap 3-1 with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. The split leaves coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen at 1-3 in the MIAA and 3-11 overall. Michael Dekker gained the pitching victory in relief of Brian Guerriero who gave seven solid innings which included 10 strikeouts. Hope's four hits were spread across four players. The Flying Dutchmen collected only two hits in the loss. Starter Shawn Grose took the loss.

Flying Dutchmen Drop MIAA Opener to Rival Calvin (3/29/08)
Calvin 2, Hope 1 / Calvin 4, Hope 0
The defending MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen lost a pair of league-opening games to rival Calvin on Saturday, 2-1 and 4-0, in Grand Rapids. The losses drop coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen to 2-10 on the young season. Hope is scheduled to host Calvin Monday for a doubleheader.
First Game: The Flying Dutchmen scored their only run in the third inning when Matt VanderVelde's ground out brought home Matt Sattler who opened the inning with a walk. It would be Hope's only run of the doubleheader. Calvin scored twice in the sixth inning. Robby Poll (0-3) took the pitching loss going the distance and allowing just four hits while struiking out five and walking none. The Flying Dutchmen stranded seven baserunners.
Second Game: The Flying Dutchmen stranded 11 baserunners in suffering the shutout loss. Starter Dustin Wuis (0-3) took the loss allowing nine hits while striking out four and walking two. Collectin two hits apiece were shortstop Bobby Edelberg and catcher Brock Doud. Hope did not commit a fielding error in the doubleheader.

Flying Dutchmen Return from Arizona (3/20/08)
The Flying Dutchmen ended their spring break to Arizona on a losing note bowing to Brockport State 8-4. The Dutchen return to Michigan with a 2-8 record. Junior Brian Guerriero suffered the pitching loss with a five inning outing. Brock Doud collected a pair of hits, including a double.

Flying Dutchmen Split Doubleheader (3/19/08)
The Flying Dutchmen split a doubleheader in contrasting ways in Arizona on Wednesday. The Dutchmen lost a slugfest to Augsburg 17-6 in the opener, but then came back to defeat the Minnesota team 5-2 behind a strong pitching performance. Coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen are 2-7 on their spring break trip with one game remaining.

In the opener the teams combined for 12 extra base hits while in the second game there was only one. In the opening game Matt Sattler had three hits while Scott Sommavilla had a pair. Starter Shawn Grose took the pitching loss.

Bobby Edelberg went the distance to gain the pitching win in the second game, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking four. Matt VanderVelde batted three-for-four while Rich Burling and Scotty Snyder each had a pair of hits.

Flying Dutchmen Bow Twice to Bowdoin (3/18/08)
Missed opportunities and fielding errors contributed to a pair of losses to Bowdoin, Me. in Arizona on Tuesday, 5-4 and 10-4. The losses put coach Stu Fritz's Dutchmen at 1-6 on their spring break trip. Hope stranded 19 baserunners in the two games. The errors resulted in Bowdoin scoring seven unearned runs. In the opener Hope battled back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score, but Bowdoin got the game-winner in the seventh. Sophomore Robby Poll went the distance on the mound. In the second game Bowdoin led 7-0 after two innings. Dustin Wuis, the first of three Hope pitchers, took the loss. Senior Scott Sommavilla collected four hits in the doubleheader while Matt VanderVelde was 3-for-3 in the nightcap.

Flying Dutchmen Split Games in Arizona (3/17/08)
The Flying Dutchmen split a pair of games in contrasting ways on Monday against Concordia College of Minnesota. In games played in Arizona, the Flying Dutchmen won the opener 5-0 behind a one-hit pitching gem, but then lost in nine innings 10-9. Junior Brian Guerriero allowed only a fifth inning single and struck out 13 over six innings. Mike Dekker preserved the shutout with an inning of relief. Collecting two hits each were Matt Sattler, Scott Sommavilla and Brock Dowd. In the second game the Flying Dutch were able to overcome a 9-2 deficit with a seven-run seventh inning. Five Hope pitchers went to the mound with Mike Dekker taking the loss in the ninth. Senior Rich Burling had five RBIs behind a triple and homerun. Freshman Jake Bajema hit his first collegiate homerun.

Flying Dutchmen Remain Winless in Arizona (3/15/08)
The Flying Dutchmen dropped to 0-3 on the young season bowing twice to Roger Williams, RI on Saturday, 3-2 and 4-2. In the opener Roger Williams broke a 2-2 tie with a sixth inning run. Junior Dustin Wuis took the pitching loss allowing eight hits while striking out two and walking none. Matt Sattler and Bobby Edelberg each had a pair of hits for the Flying Dutchmen. Two of Roger Williams' hit in the second game were unearned as Shawn Grose tooking the pitching loss. He allowed seven hits over five innings while walking three and striking out five. Bobby Edelberg had two of Hope's five hits.

There is cause for extra excitement for the defending Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) champion Flying Dutchmen.

In addition to seeking a third straight conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament, the Flying Dutchmen will be playing in a new home stadium.

The stadium honors Ronald Boeve, Hope College class of 1953 and an assistant baseball coach for nearly a quarter of century, and his wife Sonja (Sunny). The stadium project included the installation of permanent stands for fans, a press box and dugouts at the location of the existing playing field. The seating accommodates approximately 300 fans and there is a patio suitable for tailgating.

The pre-season roster includes 18 returning letterwinners from the 2007 team that posted a 29-13 record. The squad includes nine freshmen, six sophomores, seven juniors and six seniors.

Three of the returnees received All-MIAA honors in 2007 -- junior first baseman Matt VanderVelde of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS); junior pitcher Dustin Wuis of Kalamazoo, Mich. (Comstock HS) and senior outfielder Matt Sattler of Brighton, Mich. (Brighton HS). VanderVelde was the MIAA batting champion with a .456 average. Wuis was honored for the second year in-a-row. He has a two-year record of 12-3.

Hope had a .318 team batting average in 2007. Returning players who had averages over .300 a year ago include Matt VanderVelde, .425; junior Paul Neumann of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS), .375; Matt Sattler, .315; senior Rich Burling of Dowagiac, Mich. (Dowagiac HS), .313; and sophomore Pete Zessin of Holland, Mich. (Holland HS), .308.

Co-captains of the team are senior Joey Goeb of Grand Rapids, Mich. (East Grand Rapids HS); Matt Sattler; senior Scott Sommavilla of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS) and Dustin Wuis.

Other returning letterwinners include sophomore pitcher Steve Tompkins of Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard West HS); sophomore pitcher Robby Poll of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS); sophomore second baseman Alex Fryer of Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater HS); sophomore pitcher/infielder Pete Zessin of Holland, Mich. (Holland HS); sophomore outfielder Scott Snyder of Berrien Springs, Mich. (Berrien Springs HS); sophomore pitcher Mike Dekker of Hamilton, Mich. (Hamilton HS); junior pitcher Brian Guerriero of Clare, Mich. (Clare HS); junior outfielder Paul Neumann of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS); senior catcher Andrew Bedan of Grosse Pointe, Mich. (Grosse Pointe South HS); senior catcher Brock Doud of Portage, Mich. (Portage Northern HS); junior pitcher Shawn Grose of Fairless Hills, Pa. (Pennsbury HS); and junior pitcher Matt Richardson of Niles, Mich. (Niles HS).

Another first for Hope baseball in 2008 will be a new location for the team's annual spring break trip. This year's series of games will be played from March 14-20 in Phoenix, Ariz.

The team's first games in the new Boeve Stadium will be Monday, March 24 when the Flying Dutchmen host Olivet for a conference doubleheader. The official dedication of the stadium will be Saturday, April 26.

The MIAA champion Hope College baseball team competed in a tournament in the Czech Republic this past summer. The Flying Dutchmen joined teams from Australia, the Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden in the 26th annual "Prague Baseball Week" tournament. ESPN recently included the Prague Baseball Week among its top ten baseball experiences.

Hope won five of six games, including four in the tournament to finish in third place. Hope's game with the Czech National team was televised nationally.

This was the first international trip for a Hope baseball team. This spring the Flying Dutchmen won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship and competed in the NCAA Division III championships.

A unique feature of the tournament was that only wooden bats were used. In addition to the tournament, the players and coaches had several opportunities to tour historic Prague. Baseball joined a growing list of Hope athletic teams embarking on international experiences.