Sisters Erin (L) and Rachel (R)

Between them they have five class C state softball championships but had never played together in high school or even Little League, for that matter, until this year. This season at Calvin marked the first time that sisters Erin and Rachel Dyksterhouse have played together on the same softball team.

A senior, Erin is a four-year softball player for the Knights, who finished 14-22 overall and 4-10 MIAA. An All-MIAA first team selection this spring, she finished the year tied for third on the team in RBI's with 13 while compiling a .992 percent fielded average, committing only two errors at first base. Erin said playing with her sister was fun, "but was tough in the beginning because I had to try to figure out how I was going to treat her, either as a sister or as a player."

A nursing major, Erin plans to stay in Grand Rapids and work at Spectrum Health as an RN. When looking for colleges, Calvin was always at the top of her list. "I liked Calvin namely for its Christian perspective," noted the elder Dyksterhouse. "I was not planning on playing any sports here, but I ended up playing a year of volleyball, and then Coach Warners (Calvin's softball coach) started to talk to me about playing softball."

A freshman, the younger Dyksterhouse made great contributions to the Calvin softball team as she led the Knights in home runs and RBI's, collecting three homers and 21 runs batted in. Rachel cites her sister as a big reason that she was able to adapt to playing in college so well. "I knew a few girls on the team from playing at Kalamazoo Christian, but it was nice to have someone that I knew really well," commented Rachel. "She could tell when I was frustrated, and she knew just what to say to me."

Both sisters say that playing at Kalamazoo Christian really helped them adjust to the college level. "The intensity of high school was so great that when I came here it was easier to handle it," noted Erin. Rachel agreed, "At Kalamazoo the coaches put all the pressure on you in practice so you don't even feel it in a game situation. So when I got to college I felt like I was really ready to handle anything."

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