The Flying Dutchmen will be seeking to rebound from a rare losing campaign. Coach Stu Fritz has guided the Flying Dutchmen to eight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championships over the last 15 seasons. The 2008 team finished fourth in the MIAA standings and were 15-25 overall.
The Flying Dutchmen will be playing for the second season in the Boeve Baseball Stadium, a beautiful facility that ranks with the best in NCAA Division III.
The pre-season roster of 28 players includes 19 returning letterwinners led by tri-captains Robby Poll, a junior pitcher/infielder from Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), Matt VanderVelde, a senior first baseman from Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), and Dustin Wuis, a senior pitcher from Kalamazoo, Mich. (Comstock HS). The roster includes eight freshmen, nine sophomores, five juniors and six seniors.
The Flying Dutchmen return three players who have received All-MIAA honors during their careers. Dustin Wuis was voted an All-MIAA first team pitcher as a freshman and sophomore. He struggled in 2008 posting a 2-7 record after going 7-2 in 2007 and 5-1 in 2006. Matt VandeVelde was the All-MIAA first baseman in 2007 as he topped the MIAA in batting (.425). He batted .324 overall in 2008 while comitting only one error the entire season. Poll was voted to the 2008 All-MIAA second team at second base after batting .357 in league games and .321 overall. He also posted a 4-6 record on the mound.
Other returning letterwinners include sophomore third baseman/catcher Jake Bajema of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), sophomore utility player Colton Bodrie of Fremont, Mich. (Fremont HS), sophomore outfielder Drew Carmody of Grandville, Mich. (Grandville HS), sophomore outfielder Wyatt Curry of Sault St. Marie (Saulta Area HS), junior pitcher Michael Dekker of Hamilton, Mich. (Hamilton HS), sophonmore second baseman/pitcher Derek Fairchild of Saline, Mich. (Saline HS), junior second baseman Alex Fryer of Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater HS), sophomore pitcher Andrew Klinkman of Dexter, Mich. (Dexter HS), senior pitcher Shawn Grose of Fairless Hills, Pa. (Pennsbury HS), senior pitcher Brian Guerriero of Clare, Mich. (Clare HS), sophomore catcher Steve Lewis of Ada, Mich. (Forest Hills Central HS), senior outfielder Paul Neumann of Holland, Mich. (West Ottawa HS), senior pitcher Matt Richardson of Niles, Mich. (Niles HS), sophomore pitcher Steve Tompkins of Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard West HS), junior outfielder Scott Snyder of Berrien Springs, Mich. (Berrien Springs HS), and junior first baseman Pete Zessin of Holland, Mich. (Holland HS).