Baseball Team Picked to Finish Third in MIAA Preseason Poll
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Calvin baseball team has been picked to finish third in the MIAA preseason coaches poll. A year ago, Calvin finished third in the final MIAA regular season standings with a 15-13 conference record. The Knights posted an overall record of 20-20.
Defending MIAA champion Adrian has been picked as the preseason favorite. The Bulldogs received five of a possible eight first place votes while Hope has been picked to finish second. The Flying Dutchmen received the other three first place votes. Calvin is scheduled to open its season on March 2 against Defiance College in Danville, Kentucky. Calvin will open its MIAA season on March 23 when it travels to Trine for a conference doubleheader. This year also marks the first time the MIAA will hold a postseason conference tournament. The four-team tournament will take place May 9-11.
Poll Results: 1. Adrian (5) 9 pts. 2. Hope (3) 11. 3. Calvin 23. 4. Albion 24. 5. Trine 33. 6. Alma 39. 6. Kalamazoo 39. 8. Olivet 46.
No comments on "Baseball Team Picked to Finish Third in MIAA Preseason Poll"
Brian Haverdink Reflects on Last Regular Season Home Game At Van Noord Arena
Sunday, February 12, 2012
By Mark DeHaan
Playing in his final regular season home game as a Calvin College Knight, senior Brian Haverdink could not have asked for a better atmosphere than was present against Hope. Although the Knights could not dismantle the Dutch, Haverdink was grateful just the same.
“It was pretty special, I can’t really script it any better than that. The last home game is against Hope, got all the people out there watching, and that makes it a lot more fun,” said Haverdink. “Everyone loves playing in these games, and theres a little nostalgia when it’s the last home game of your senior year so you kind of think back to all the other games you’ve been playing in.”
Haverdink’s last regular season game in Van Noord Arena was marked with an 11-point, six-rebound performance by Calvin’s lone senior against the team ranked number one in the nation in Division III.
“You kind of approach it like you’re the underdog, even though in a rivalry you kind of throw records out the window,” said Haverdink. “They come in number one in the country, so there’s obviously a lot of attention, so that kind of ups the ante a little bit.”
In his three seasons as a varsity player, Haverdink says that getting to know his teammates has often been the most fun.
“It sounds cliché, but meeting all the guys and establishing friendships, I’d say thats the thing that I’m going to take with me the most. You take the games and stuff, which obviously are fun, and that’s kind of what everybody else sees, but the hours you put in with every other guy on the team – and the relationships you build – are probably the most special.”
With his career coming to a close, Haverdink found that the easiest thing to say was that his career has “always been a surprise. Every year you work hard, you see what happens, and you surprise yourself with the playing time you get or the role you have on the team,” said Haverdink. “To put it all into words is hard. It’s a great experience – I wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.”
No comments on "Brian Haverdink Reflects on Last Regular Season Home Game At Van Noord Arena"
Track and Field Action Continues at GVSU Big Meet
Saturday, February 11, 2012
ALLENDALE – Action continued at the Grand Valley State big meet on Saturday. Notable performances for the Calvin men’s team included sophomore Sam Kerk placing fifth in the 3,000 meters with a time of 8:39.93.In the men’s shot put, junior Aaron Meckes produced a season-best throw of 53-3 that places him ninth on the NCAA III qualifying list.
On the women’s side, sophomore Stephanie Bennett had a solid day, posting a time of 8.20 in the 60 meter dash and a time of 26.70 in the 200 meter dash. Freshman Kate Ardinger also had a strong time of 5:10.97 that was good for 10th place in the mile run.
