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| Arie Eppinga (Walnut Creek, Calif.) |
Arie Eppinga will never forget the 1989 Major League Baseball World Series.
Although just eight years old at the time, Eppinga was gripped by the
Fall Classic that matched the nearby San Francisco Giants and his boyhood-favorite
Oakland Athletics.
“Ever since I can remember, the Oakland As have been my favorite
team,” said Eppinga who hails from the Oakland suburb of Walnut
Creek. “And whenever the Giants were playing, I’d root for
them, except when they were playing Oakland.”
It’s what happened before game three of that World Series that
left the most lasting impression, however. Shortly before the start of
the contest, an earthquake of 7.1 magnitude rocked northern California,
postponing the World Series for ten days. “I was out in the backyard
playing tee ball with my dad and my two brothers when the earthquake hit,”
said Eppinga. “When you grow up in California, you’re trained
in what to do when an earthquake happens. The first thing we did was to
run to an open area where nothing could fall on us.”
At the time of the earthquake, Eppinga’s mother and sister were
at a campground, located near the epicenter of the earthquake. The tremor
crumpled some of the cabins at the camp to the ground, but Eppinga’s
family members were unscathed.
Despite the earthquake scare, Eppinga retains a love for his home state.
“I know I’m biased, but in my mind it’s the best state,”
he said. “We’d play baseball 12 months a year and almost always
have great weather.”
When Eppinga decided to follow his older brother, Dirk, to Calvin to
play baseball four years ago, he was ill prepared for the cold Michigan
weather in the winter. “I was blown away by the winters here at
first,” he said. “I had never practiced in a gym before, but
when you’re in Michigan, that’s just the way it is when you’re
preparing for the start of a season.”
A three-sport standout at Contra Costa Christian High School, Eppinga
also had to adjust to a reserve role during his first year on a Calvin
baseball team that would capture the 2000 MIAA title and advance to the
NCAA III Tournament. “It was definitely a learning experience,”
said Eppinga with a grin. “I did a lot of bullpen catching that
year.
“When you come into college, you have to earn your playing time,”
he continued. “The other thing that I discovered was that if you
stick with it, you’ll get your shot. That’s one of the things
I’ve tried to impress on some of the younger guys on the team this
year.”
As a sophomore in 2001, Eppinga batted .407 in a limited role off the
bench. In 2002, he blossomed as Calvin’s full-time designated hitter,
batting .336 with 29 RBIs to earn first team All-MIAA honors.
The highlight of Eppinga’s 2002 campaign was a game-winning RBI
single in the bottom of the sixth inning in a 5-4 victory over rival Hope
in the regular season finale for both teams. Heading into a season-ending,
three-game series with Hope, Calvin needed a three-game sweep to overtake
the nationally ranked Flying Dutchmen and win the MIAA title. Calvin did
just that, winning all three games in come-from-behind fashion—with
Eppinga’s RBI single in game three putting the capper on a thrilling
season.
“That was definitely the best moment I’ve ever experienced
in sports,” said Eppinga. “As the series went along, our confidence
got higher and higher. Even when we fell behind by three runs in the last
game, we felt like we would come back, and we did.”
As a senior this spring, Eppinga served as Calvin’s starting first
baseman and batted .346, with a team-leading 31 RBIs. He also collected
10 extra-base hits, including two home runs. His efforts earned him team
MVP honors in a vote by his teammates.
Despite his extra-base hits, Eppinga does not fit the mold of a typical
power hitter. “I’m not a natural pull hitter,” said
Eppinga. “I have more of an inside-outside swing and about 75 percent
of my hits have been to right-centerfield, but our hitting coach Tyler
Amidon told me to go with my natural swing and it’s worked.”
According to Eppinga, nothing beats stepping to the plate with a chance
to hit a baseball. “Hitting a baseball is the most fun I’ve
had in any sport,” said Eppinga. “There’s nothing like
taking a swing and hitting a ball perfectly. It’s such a clean feeling.”
An economics major with a business administration minor, Eppinga will
complete his degree this summer; his plans after that are uncertain. “I’ve
thought about looking for a job in Chicago,” said Eppinga. “I’ve
been to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs play, and it’s an awesome
place to watch a baseball game. No matter where I end up, I’ll always
be a big baseball fan."
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