Archived News & Headlines

June 1, 2008

For a program to have a player selected into the annual East-West All-Star game at Comerica Park is noteworthy in itself. This is the largest honor a high school baseball player can achieve in the state of Michigan. On Sunday evening, the Maroons baseball program got their third consecutive player selected to the All-Star game when senior captain Alex Beelen (right)was tapped as a member of the West All-Star team. Beelen, a four year starter at shortstop for Holland Christian, put together one of the greatest seasons in the school’s history.  Along with the season numbers, Beelen’s career has been landmarked by fantastic event after fantastic event.  In 2008, he helped lead the team to a 26-7 record and the OK-Green conference championship.  The 26 wins set a school regular season record. On the year, Beelen hit a scorching .575 at the plate as he went 50-87. Of the 50 hits, 15 were doubles, 7 were triples and 1 was a homerun.  He also knocked home 46 RBI and was 30 of 31 in stolen bases.  Remarkably he also had a .864 slugging percentage and .657 on base percentage. Beelen anchored the defense and while he was not at short, he served as one of the team’s top two pitchers. On the bump, he achieved a 7-2 record with a 1.09 E.R.A.  He struck out 66 men in 51.7 innings while opponent’s hit just a paltry .160 against him.  For his career he finished with a .528 batting average. For the entire story please visit the Maroons webpage by clicking here: MORE

April 2, 2008

Shawn Wyckoff, the Zeeland East head coach, has a lot to be happy about in the first week of the season. His Chix opened the season with a resounding victory over local rival West Ottawa High School and then come to find out the Chix program experienced success at the Big Ten level.  Brandon Haveman, the Purdue outfielder and former Chix shortstop and pitcher, was just named the Big Ten Player of the Week.  Haveman earned his first weekly honor of the conference season after leading Purdue to a 4-1 record last week, including a 3-1 series win over Northwestern.  In Big Ten play, the junior went 8-for-16 (.500) at the plate and reached base at a .556 average, drawing a pair of walks to accompany his eight hits.  The leadoff batter scored at least one run in three of Purdue's four conference games, accounting for six runs scored in the series.  The outfielder also drove in a run in the Boilermakers' 10-2 victory in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader.  In Big Ten action, Haveman is tied for the conference lead in runs scored (6), is tied for second in hits (8), is tied for fourth in batting average (.500) and ranks sixth in on-base percentage (.556). Haveman was a key member of Wyckoff’s teams from 2002-2004.

March 17, 2008

Senior Ryan Wynn officially has signed with Muskegon Community College. He made the commitment to head coach Cap Pohlman and his staff for the 2008-2009 season. Ryan was a critical part of the Rockets 24-9, 2007 campaign. Ryan ended the 2007 season with a 6-3 record while posting a team best .95 ERA. He started the season on a hot hitting streak and finished with a .323 BA, 2 doubles, and 1 homerun while playing in 21 games. This earned Wynn Second Team Muskegon Chronicle All-Area, All-Region Pitcher and in the R-P 2007 class Baseball Hall Of Fame. While his early college plans are settled, Coach Tim Schuppe is still looking towards a strong season from Ryan. Ryan will serve as an outfielder, be at 1st base, and be a top pitcher on a pretty strong and solid Reeths-Puffer 2008 pitching staff.

February 25, 2008

Grand Rapids Community College has become not only one of the best baseball programs in the state of Michigan, but also the entire United States, with their regular run to the NJCAA Division II World Series in the past decade.  They have won 5 National Championships since 1996.  Fueling their successful run has been the recruitment of local talent and the Raiders can chalk up another West Michigan high school product to their list.  Zeeland East’s standout catcher/pitcher Zane Breslin (left) officially signed with GRCC yesterday making the commitment to head coach Mike Cupples and his staff for the 2008-2009 season.  “We are very proud of Zane and all of his accomplishments here at Zeeland East High School” said head coach Shawn Wyckoff.  “He has to be one of the hardest working baseball players I've coached in my 14 years of coaching baseball here in Zeeland.  We wish him all the best in his future baseball endeavors at GRCC and beyond.”  Breslin, under Wyckoff’s tutelage, has played Varsity baseball for three seasons and has earned some type of athletic honor each and every year.  The past two seasons (2006 & 2007), he has been awarded the OK-Green All-Conference catcher slot.  In 2007, his junior campaign saw him add to his honors with All-District, All-Region, and Second Team All-State for Division II all in the catcher position.  The 2007 season was his finest to date at the plate as he hit .420 while hitting 11 doubles, 1 triple and 2 homeruns from the clean-up slot.  He drove in 19 runs on the season as well.  On his career, he is a .310 hitter with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homeruns and 59 RBI’s.  Breslin headlines the 2008 Chix baseball roster as a senior captain in which he will again serve as the starting catcher and team’s number one pitcher.

February 20, 2008

Zeeland West has finalized its plans for the 2008 Wooden Bat Baseball Tournament for Saturday May 3rd. This is the 2nd year that this tournament is being played at the Zeeland Baseball Complex. Many things will remain the same this year with the participating teams from Grand Rapids Union playing Forest Hills Eastern, and Zeeland West taking on Allegan High School. Zeeland West Head Coach Jeff VanHuis said "we really want to thank our tournament sponsors for their assistance in helping out with the cost of the tournament and for their support of the Zeeland Community." The official sponsor of the Zeeland West Wooden Bat Tournament is Family Fare, with additional sponsors of Gentex and Byron Bank.  "The goal of this tournament is for the community to come together and embrace high school baseball as a true spectator sport. By incorporating local businesses as supporters, it certainly brings a close knit community flavor" VanHuis added. The tournament is open to all baseball fans and is free of charge.  The first games are set to begin at 10 a.m. on May 3.

December 29, 2007

Webster's Dictionary refers to a blue-chip athlete as "players that have proven themselves to be amongst the best at their respective positions in their sports and are more sought after by collegiate teams than other players."  This term is now used to describe Maroons senior captain Alex Beelen after signing his National Letter of Intent and Scholarship to play at Cedarville University (right).  According to head coach, Mike Manes, Cedarville gives an elite scholarship to one blue-chip athlete per year in each sport and Beelen was Cedarville's blue-chip recruit for the 2008-2009 season.  Beelen will inherit the starting shortstop position for the Yellow Jackets under their new head coach.  Manes (below, with Beelen) is known for his intense rebuilding of collegiate baseball program as Coach Manes turned around his former school, Trinity International, from a four win school to a three time World Series participant.  Manes looks to do the same for Cedarville and his recruiting class, headlined by Beelen, is receiving attention and looks to be a solid base for the future of Yellow Jackets baseball. The entire story care be found on the Maroons homepage

December 5, 2007

Senior captain Jake VanAlten has officially been Knighted.  After a long off-season of college visits, showcases and camps, VanAlten has waded through various offers from multiple colleges and committed to Calvin College.  The commitment is one of John Sparks, Calvin's head coach, first members of his initial recruiting class as the 2008 season marks his first season leading the Knights.  "I am absolutely thrilled that we got a talent like Jake and to have him now a member of this program" noted Sparks upon the notification that VanAlten would be attending Calvin. A three year starter for the Maroons, VanAlten has held down the centerfield position and lent himself to two of the finest seasons the Maroons have ever had.  "He has started every game since his sophomore year and brought a level of speed and athleticism to not only our lineup, but our defensive alignment" said head coach Mike Ott.  The entire story care be found on the Maroons homepage.

November 19, 2007

Senior shortstop and captain Alex Beelen will no longer need to take a college visit as he finalized his decision late Monday evening.  Despite having six offers on the table, and the potential of two more with visits in the future, Beelen announced his decision to attend Cedarville University, located in Cedarville, Ohio, and accept their generous scholarship package.  Cedarville is a member of the NAIA and the NCCAA and participates in the American Mideast Conference.  They also are embarking upon a new adventure with a proven coach as Mike Manes was selected as the new head coach.  Coach Manes is a proven rebuilder as he turned around his former school, Trinity International, from a four win school to a three time World Series participant.  With the shortstop position being shorn up, the Maroons have gone onto their finest seasons in school history behind Beelen's contributions.  In 2006, Holland Christian won its first Regional Championship and advanced to the Quarterfinals losing to eventual state champion Battle Creek Lakeview, setting the record for wins in a season with 26.  Then in 2007, they set a school record for regular season wins with 24.  The entire story care be found on the Maroons homepage.

October 10, 2007

The familiarity of the OK-Green and its teams has been shaken up a bit by the MHSAA ruling to move Muskegon High School out of the Green and into the OK-Red. Replacing the Big Reds of Muskegon will be Holland High School. The Dutch, a Division 1 team, will be a member of the OK-Green for one season until the MHSAA's OK-Conference realignment occurs. The move continues the alignment of three Division 1 teams (Holland, Mona Shores & Reeths-Puffer) along with four Division 2 teams (Holland Christian, Unity Christian, Zeeland East and Zeeland West). The move was made prior to the 2007 fall season. The Dutch are coached by Ron Webb who enters his second season. The baseball season begins March 10, 2008 with Mona Shores the two time defending champion of the OK-Green.

June 3, 2007

Two of the OK-Green's conference teams will continue their season in MHSAA Regional play. Mona Shores and Unity Christian were both victorious in their respective districts and move onto play Saturday, June 9 at times to be determined. Mona Shores will travel to West Ottawa High School and Unity Christian will host their Regional.

Mona Shores defeated local rival and fellow OK-Green conference member, Reeths-Puffer, by a score of 3-2 in their district championship. Mona Shores defeated Muskegon and Kenowa Hills on their way to the district title.

Unity Christian also defeated an OK-Green conference member in their district championship game defeating Zeeland East 7-6. Unity Christian also defeated the host Dux of Zeeland West on their way to the district title.

Both teams are unsure of their opponents as weather caused most of Saturday's district title games to be postponed. Mona Shores will play Northview High School at 10:00 a.m. Unity Christian will play Gull Lake at 12:00 p.m. as well. All of the information regarding the MHSAA playoffs and the OK-Green teams' playoff schedule and results can be found here at the home of OK-Green baseball.

May 27, 2007

One of the greatest individual accomplishments a high school baseball player can be bestowed is to be selected to the Michigan High School East-West All-Star Classic. Last season, Jake Arendsen experienced this honor of playing at Comerica Park as he was only the second Holland Christian player ever chosen. The Maroons now have its third member and second consecutive as Sunday afternoon, returning All-State Maroons second baseman Nick Scholten was selected to play in the 26th Annual East-West All-Star Game at Comerica Park on June 18th at 7:00 p.m. The All-Star game rewards the best seniors in the State of Michigan for their career numbers. This is an elite game that only thirty six players get to be chosen, eighteen from the East Side of the state and eighteen from the West Side. Scholten will represent the West.

Scholten’s eye popping numbers include a three year career .503 batting average to go along with 23 doubles, 8 triples, 69 RBI and 78-78 stolen bases. He has also compiled an impressive .591 career on-base percentage and scored an impressive 80 runs. Along with his offensive numbers, Scholten has only committed three errors in his career. Scholten's play has greatly influenced the Maroons in his three years career as Holland Christian is 68-21 in those three seasons. The entire story can be found at the Maroons homepage.

May 24, 2007

OK-Green Baseball

All-Conference

2007

May 16, 2007

With their doubleheader sweep over the Dux of Zeeland West, Mona Shores High School has claimed the 2007 OK-Green Conference Championship for the second consecutive season. Mona Shores defended its title by matching its' 2006 conference record. The 2007 Sailor's went 11-1 in conference play claiming the league title by 2 games over Reeths-Puffer. In the past two seasons of conference play Mona Shores has compuled a 22-2 record. This title marks the second conference championship for head coach Walt Gawkowski in his four seasons at Shores. "I am very proud of our guys" Gawkowski commented. "To win the league is our top priority, along with winning the City Tournament and we have been fortunate to do that thus far. We want to build on this for a chance to get back to a Regional and go from there."

The current OK-Green conference is only in its second season with both titles going to Mona Shores. 2008 will bring about a newly formed OK-Green as Muskegon leaves the Green to compete in the OK-Red and Holland High School will join the OK-Green.

April 13, 2007

Jeff VanHuis, entering his second year as head coach at Zeeland West, has announced the Zeeland West Wooden Bat Tournament, which will be hosted by the Dux on May 5, 2007. The Dux of Zeeland West will be joined in the tournament by Grand Rapids Union (Redhawks), Allegan (Tigers) and Forest Hills Eastern (Hawks). The tournament is in its first year and first pitch will be at 10:30 a.m. VanHuis said, "The goal of this tournament is to provide a fun and exciting event for families and community members to enjoy.  Our hope is also to provide exposure for our high school baseball players and assist in promoting high school baseball as a premier spectator sport. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy this day of top quality high school baseball, in an 'old fashioned' wooden bat style game." The tournament is officially sponsored by the Zeeland community grocery store, Family Fare.

In addition to great high school baseball, there is another feature to the tournament.  Family Fare (Spartan Stores) and Zeeland West Baseball are offering a special promotion for local grocery shoppers.  Any kids ages 8 through 13 are eligible to enter the promotional contest held at the Zeeland store in Bridgewater Square, on the corner of 96th and Riley Streets.

From now until April 27th, shoppers are able to enter their child (between the ages of 8 and 13) into a drawing in hopes of winning a chance to take batting practice and warm-up with the Zeeland West Varsity Baseball team before the first game of the tournament.  Family Fare will randomly draw (3) names and they will be chosen as the VIP’s of the tournament day.  Please show your support for the community of Zeeland by participating at the Family Fare store and attending the baseball tournament, the contest is free of charge.  For more information please go to the Zeeland West page or visit the Family Fare store in Zeeland.

April 12, 2007

The Zeeland West Baseball Camp scheduled for this week Saturday April 14th has been moved from the outdoor Jim Kaat Complex to the indoor facilities at Zeeland West High School.  All players attending the camp must wear indoor gym shoes and bring along their gloves and bats.  The 1st session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and the 2nd session runs from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Zeeland West High School Gymnasium.  Any questions please contact Zeeland Recreation at (616) 748-3232.

March 30, 2007

For the first time in school history the Holland Christian Maroons are ranked #1 in the state.  After a 2-0 start, the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association released their first poll with the Maroons atop the Division 2 rankings.  The polls can be found here. The Maroons return 11 starters from last year's team that finished the year third in the State. "It's a new year and this is a nice start but is not the end all" said varsity head coach Mike Ott. "We know we have a target and have to play our best and that is what we are focused on, not last year or where we are ranked. We need to focus on our process and the results will come. " For the rest of the story please visit the Maroons homepage.

March 12, 2007

For the first time since June of 2006, teams from the OK-Green have returned to play baseball. With the arrival of March 12, the official start date for Spring Sports for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, all seven teams have begun their practices for the 2007 season. The 2007 season begins for the OK-Green on March 26 with two of the school's Opening Day. The remaining five schools with either open on March 27 or March 28, see the various schedules and standings pages for further details. OK-Green action begins April 16 with reigning champion Mona Shores looking to defend their conference championship. All of the OK-Green action can be followed here at the home of OK-Green Baseball.

February 23, 2007

The winds of winter continue to blow through West Michigan and along with the chilled breezes, the winds of change continue to roll through the Holland Christian Athletic program.  Austin Zoerhof (left with the ball), the Maroons senior rightfielder during the baseball season, became the fourth baseball player to commit athletically to play a sport in college, and the third Maroon football player when he committed to continue his football career at Wheaton College in Illinois.  Austin, who was named All-Conference and All-Area, scored 9 total touchdowns on the year and hauled in 33 passes for 517 yards.  Along with his offensive attributes, he contributed on the defensive side with 3 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 70 total tackles.  Zoerhof, who will enter the baseball season as the primary rightfielder, also contributed in 31 games in 2006, starting 21 of them.  He finished the year scoring 19 runs, amassing 12 stolen bases in 12 attempts and batted .285 and will be found in rightfield for the Maroons in 2007.   Zoerhof may be contuining his two sport habit suiting up to play baseball as well for Wheaton.  He will make that decision upon the conclusion of the Maroons season and weighing the load of football and academics.

For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

February 8, 2007

The inclement weather that West Michigan has been under forced Doug Vander Ploeg, Unity Christian's head coach, to cancel his original coaches’ clinic on February 3, 2007. Today Vander Ploeg announced that the clinic has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 24, 2007 at Unity Christian High School in their North Gym. This version of the clinic will be a condensed version of the camp and free of charge. It will run from 8:30 until 10:45 in the morning. This is being sponsored by Unity Christian and Superior Sports of Holland and Jenison.

“Our desire is to share instruction and drills with our coaches and players, as well as any other coaches who wish to attend" added Vander Ploeg in his statement. "The weather last Saturday morning was disappointing, but hopefully some other year we can offer the full clinic again.” said Vander Ploeg.  The information can be found at Unity Christian High School or on their website.

February 7, 2007

With the national signing date upon him, February 7, 2007, Kirk Cousins (left), with teammate Josh Rooks (Northwestern), became one of the first Maroons players to sign a National Letter of Intent to play football with a Division I school as he signed with Michigan State University. He and Rooks (right) are shown after signing with their respective universities. Cousins also doubles as the Maroons captain during the baseball season. He will be the #1 pitcher and third baseman in 2007 before departing to Michigan State. For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

February 3, 2007

Andrew Bosma became the third Maroon to finalize their athletic and educational plans by committing early to a college.  After an extensive search and various scholarship offers, Bosma elected to stay close to home and follow his heart and chose Calvin College.  Andrew finalized his decision in a phone call today to Jim Timmer, Calvin College’s head baseball coach.  The lure of Calvin extended beyond the baseball field, where he will look for immediate action on the field, but to the strength of Calvin’s engineering program.  This program is familiar territory to the Bosma’s as Andrew’s father Ken graduated from the program as well.  Head Coach Mike Ott added, “he will have a great opportunity to play immediately at Calvin, based on their situation, and I think he can go into Calvin and become an impact player that will help their program.  I believe in him on and off the field and feel this is a great match for both parties.” 

2006 was Bosma’s first season at the varsity level and he made the most of his inaugural campaign.  He played in 32 of the Maroons 33 games, making 31 starts between first base, third base and catcher.  Along with this he compiled an impressive .384 batting average, going 30 for 78, with 6 doubles and 2 triples.  Bosma also added 24 RBI’s, a .497 on base percentage, a perfect 18-18 in stolen bases and leading the team with 25 walks and 210 putouts.  Despite the three positions, Andrew maintained a .985 fielding percentage only making 3 errors all season. Andrew will join former Maroon, Kyle Cousins, at Calvin next season as Cousins is currently a sophomore pitcher/outfielder for the Knights. For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

January 29, 2007

The OK-Green hopes to have a large say in capturing the district title in District 47. Four of the seven OK-Green schools (Holland Christian, Unity Christian, Zeeland East and Zeeland West) make up the district. Zeeland West, who is hosting the 2007 district, has announced its plan to move the district from its familiar Tuesday/Saturday schedule to a Tuesday/Friday alternative. The schedule is now one in which on Tuesday, May 29, 2007, there will be two pre-district games played at the same time. Zeeland West shares it's facility with Zeeland East and will be using the Zeeland East Baseball Field. The semi-finals on Friday, June 1, 2007, will share the same outlook as the two semi-final games and will be played at the same time on the neighboring fields. The semi-finals are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. with the championship game to be played immediately after on Dux Field. Rogers and Wyoming Park are the two other schools that make up District 47.

January 26, 2007

The OK-Green baseball conference added two more of its 2007 senior class who have commited to play in college. Mona Shores Head Coach Walt Gawkowski announced today his first pair of seniors in 2007, Andrew Carlson (left) and Jared Sandness (right), have signed with nearby Muskegon Community College to continue their baseball careers at the next level.  “It’s nice they will continue to be teammates beyond this year.  It is a great opportunity for both of them to get their feet wet in a college setting and one in which they will see the field right away” added Gawkowski.

Carlson and Sandness were critical parts of Mona Shores' successful 2006 campaign.  The Sailors breezed to an 11-1 record in the OK-Green and its inaugural conference championship.  Along with this, Mona Shores collected 28 wins on the season and won their district title before being knocked out by eventual Regional winner, Grandville High School.  Both will play key roles in the Sailors mission to repeat as league champions.  “A.C. (Carlson) will see time predominately at second base, but may also see time at shortstop based on our pitcher’s, as well as occasionally being on the mound” Gawkowski noted.  “He is an outstanding defensive infielder and I am looking forward to his senior season.”  Sandness will use his incredible speed and range to patrol centerfield for Mona.  “He is a great defensive outfielder” said Gawkowski.  “He will also be an anchor in our lineup as he has very speed and good pop which will really make our offense go.”

Carlson, who played second base last season, earned All-Conference honors last season.  He batted in the top part of the lineup and finished the year batting .340 to go along with 26 RBI.  He had a very impressive .468 on base percentage and 14 stolen bases which was a catalyst to Mona’s offense.  He was widely recognized as one of the best defensive players in the league, anchoring a very solid Sailors defensive unit.

Sandness, who also earned All-Conference honors, was also part of the Sailors' potent lineup batting anywhere from leadoff to cleanup.  This gave Gawkowski the ability to use his speed and power, at the same time enabling Sandness to be the spark of the offense.  The spark worked in him ending the season batting .423 with 30 RBI.  Sandness also had a very keen eye at the plate attributing to his .516 on base percentage.  He also contributed 10 stolen bases on the season.

While their early collegiate plans are settled, Gawkowski is still looking towards a strong senior season from the duo.  “Both are solid players and leaders in our program and will help us a lot this year.  I am very proud of them for all their work.”  Carlson and Sandness talents will be on display in Mona Shores’ opening day game on March 28 against local Oakridge High School at Mona Shores’ home field at 4:30 p.m. To follow Carlson, Sandness and Mona Shores 2007 season, all the information can be found at the home of OK-Green baseball.

January 25, 2007

("OK-Green race takes to the Web"-Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press & Steve Kaminski)

The OK-Green website has received a number of early compliments since its inception and another was paid to the coaches and to the conference responsible for starting the first high school sport specific conference website in Michigan. This came in an article by Grand Rapids press reporter Steve Kaminski in Thursday's Grand Rapids Press. The article is below and a link to the Grand Rapids press website can be found under the links sections on the OK-Green site.

One thing that drives Holland Christian baseball coach Mike Ott crazy is when the Maroons are in a pennant race and he can't find out how that race is going. "Sometimes, you get late in the season and you are trying to win the conference, and you wait for a score and you can't find it," Ott said. "You wait for the paper the next day, and that doesn't have it either."  So Ott and his fellow baseball coaches in the O-K Green Conference have decided to do something about it. Ott launched the O-K Green baseball site in November, located at www.okgreenbaseball.com.

It's not unusual to find your favorite high school team on the information superhighway these days, and some great sites are based in West Michigan. Lowell's football team has a sweet-looking site dedicated to the 2006 O-K White champions. Grand Haven's wrestling team does a nice job with its site, too. It's updated quickly with results after each meet. But what we see from the O-K Green baseball gang may be the most ambitious effort yet as far as the high-school level is concerned. Ott said he is unaware of any conference in the state that offers its own Web site. I haven't been able to find one either.

The start of the season is more than two months away, but Ott keeps the site updated even when the fields are covered with snow. There is news on the homepage this week about Holland Christian's Kirk Cousins and Nick Scholten committing to colleges, along with who is coming to play in the Zeeland East Baseball Tournament this spring and who is sponsoring the Zeeland West Tournament.  It will prove most beneficial when teams play four and five games a week and the standings are changing daily. But it's not going to be easy maintaining it, Ott said.

Maybe the day will come when high schools will offer students credit for producing a Web site such as this one.  But Ott is happy to keep the information coming for now, and he said it will take cooperation from the Green coaches. Ott has experience in the field since he ran a team site for the Maroons last season and will again this season at www.eteamz.com/hcmaroonsbaseball.

"We have a conference where we are competitive against each other, but when we are not on the field, we see the greater good of what we are trying to do as coaches," Ott said. "The other six coaches in the league have been real receptive of what we are going to do. Every game we play, the winning team's coach will call me with the information if it's a league game. I figure when they win, they will always be happy to call me. And for every non-conference game they play, they will call me, win or lose."

The site is as thorough as it can get. There is more than scores. There is a link to each of the seven teams, and expect rosters when teams are finalized this spring. The schedules are already up. There are photographs submitted by each team, and there are directions to each team's field.

"It went over extremely well with our parents and school when we introduced our team page last year," Ott said. "Even if it takes me three hours a night, it will be done right. It's our first year, and we will have to try to iron out the kinks. "I understand this isn't feasible for everyone. But I'm as Type A and organized as you can be, I have an understanding wife and no kids."

Ott pitched for Calvin College and won All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association honors all four years at Calvin. He pitched in the Chicago Cubs organization before being slowed by injuries.  "For whatever reason, high school baseball doesn't get enough coverage, and I think this will be a great asset for the kids and parents, and it will help push the sport forward," he said. "It will be nice for the kids to get recognition, too."

January 23, 2007

Nick Scholten (left) is officially signed on to become a member of the Trinity Christian baseball program in the fall of 2007. Scholten officially signed his athletic scholarship Tuesday. Trinity's head coach, Matt Schans (shown to the left), traveled to Holland Christian High School to sign Scholten. "I think this will be a big sign for the Trolls" Schans said. "We hope this jump starts some of our other recruits to sign here because I have a really good feeling about our upcoming season and the recruiting class we are starting to bring in, starting with Nick." Scholten was joined at the signing by Athletic Director Tim Schoonveld, Mike Ott, head varsity baseball coach, and his parents, Paul & Marilyn (shown on the left). "It's not everyday you sign an athletic scholarship for college so I hope he realizes how his hard work has paid off" added Ott. "We are all very proud of Nick." For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

January 19, 2007

Kirk Cousins will not only be leading and quarterbacking the Maroons baseball program this coming spring, he will be quarterbacking a much larger program in 2007-2008 when he becomes a Spartan.  He entered 2007 looking to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country and his affirmation came today when he verbally committed to Michigan State University to play quarterback.  Cousins became the second Maroon to commit to a Big Ten school as fellow teammate Josh Rooks verbally committed to Northwestern prior to the 2006 season.  Kirk is also the number one pitcher and captain for the Maroons baseball team entering his third season on the varsity in the 2007 season.  This continues a busy week for committals dealing with the 2007 Maroons baseball program joining fellow captain Nick Scholten in deciding their collegiate and athletic futures.

Cousins’ numbers in 2006 were extremely impressive as he earned Honorable Mention All-State, as well as All-Area, All-District, All-Conference honors to go along with being named the Holland Sentinel 2007 Player of the Year.  Cousins threw for 2100 yards and accounted for 30 touchdowns, 28 passing, 2 running, while only throwing 10 interceptions.  This play helped guide the Maroons to their greatest season in only the fourth season of football being offered at Holland Christian.  “This would seem to have little to do with the baseball program per say but Kirk is a vital part of our team and program and this is one of the best kid’s on and off the field that I have ever been around and he means so much to all of us” said Varsity Baseball Head Coach Mike Ott.  “Michigan State got a special athlete, student and person and all of his teammates are all very excited for Kirk.  I am very proud of him and look forward to our final season together.  I know what a huge opportunity this is and he deserves it.” For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

January 17, 2007

Good things come to those who wait. That is exactly what Holland Christian's Nick Scholten has been doing since the end of the 2006 season. After setting several school records and earning All-State honors in 2006, Scholten had been busy visiting colleges, receiving recruiting phone calls and weighing several schools’ scholarship offers. Those offers were cleared off the table when he officially accepted and committed to NAIA's Trinity Christian.

“I feel very good about the decision” said Scholten after ending his phone call with Trinity. “I looked at a lot of places, and had some strong offers, but felt Trinity was right for me after visiting and the recruiting process that I went through with Coach Schans.”

Scholten, who is anchored at second base and will be in the Maroons starting rotation on the mound, is coming off a tremendous 2006 season. In 2006, he helped carry the Maroons to the greatest season in school history setting school records in almost every team and individual category. He ended the 2006 season with a .500 batting average amassing 51 hits. Of those 51 hits, 10 were doubles and 3 were triples. He also led the Maroons with 43 runs scored, 35 stolen bases, 41 RBI’s and a .580 on base percentage.

After earning All-State, All-Regional, All-District, All-Area and All-Conference honors, Scholten was named a 2007 captain and has taken to the position immediately. “What impresses me is that Nick has been here everyday since early July” said Holland Christian's Varsity Assistant Coach Ken Beelen. “He has never rested on his past accomplishments and that is a tremendous example for this program and everyone involved in it. I am very proud of Nick as he deserves everything that comes to him.” For the complete story, pictures and details visit the Maroons website.

January 15, 2007

The OK-Green conference will play a large part in hosting the road to Battle Creek for many teams in the State of Michigan.  The MHSBCA, Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association, met this past weekend at their annual coaches’ convention and announced the sites and pairings for tournament play.  The announcement sets up the sites and teams paired starting in the district rounds narrowing itself down to the State Finals which are held in Battle Creek.  Two of the OK-Green’s teams were awarded the honor of hosting their respected Districts.  The odd fact is that the entire OK-Green conference is composed in both of these districts.  The District portion of the State tournament will run May 29 and June 2, 2007.

The first District pairing involves the three Division I schools that are part of the OK-Green.  Mona Shores, and Head Coach Walt Gawkowski, was awarded as host of the Division I District 2 play.  Involved in this District is the already mentioned Mona Shores, and fellow OK-Green competitors Muskegon and Reeths-Puffer High School.  These three schools will be joined by Grand Haven and Kenowa Hills High School.

The remaining four Division II participants in the OK-Green were paired, for the first time, together in the Division II District 47 pairings.  This District draw was given to Zeeland West High School and will be hosted at Dux Field.  Joining the host Zeeland West is Holland Christian, Unity Christian Zeeland East.  Rogers and Wyoming Park finalize the District draw.  “I am excited for us to be recognized and feel this is a great thing for our team and Zeeland West High School” added Jeff VanHuis, Zeeland West’s Head Coach.

“I think it is unique to have our entire conference in only two District pairings but given the way the State makes the site locations and teams involved, based on geography, I can see how it happened” said Holland Christian Head Coach Mike Ott.  “The only thing to hope for as a conference is an OK-Green team wins both Districts again just as it happened last year.”

Along with the hosting of District pairings, fellow member of the OK-Green Unity Christian has earned the right to host the Division II Region 11 Regional the following weekend (June 9, 2007).  “It’s nice to have our conference recognized as capable hosts by the State of Michigan and we hope this brings greater exposure and results to us as a conference and some of our teams that are part of the OK-Green” added Gawkowski.  The information on District drawings as far as the times and matchups of the games will be drawn in early May and that draw meeting will also be hosted by Mona Shores and Zeeland West.  All information regarding the matchups, times and results can be found here at the home of OK-Green baseball.

January 3, 2007

In its third year, the 2007 Zeeland East Baseball Tournament was announced today by Head Coach Shawn Wyckoff.  The teams featured in this year's tournament are Hudsonville (Eagles), Holland (Dutch), Hamilton (Hawkeyes) and the host Zeeland East (Chix).  In its inaugural year, 2005, Zeeland East beat Hudsonville in the finals to take the championship.  Last year, 2006, Holland defeated Zeeland East in the finals knocking off the Chix in their attempt to defend their title.  The tournament will be played at the Zeeland East Baseball Field, as well as Zeeland West’s Dux Field.  These fields are located directly across from Zeeland East High School.  Directions to both fields can be found under the field directions portion of the OK-Green website.  The first round games will start at 11:00 a.m. with the consolation and championship games to be played immediately after approximately at 1:30 p.m.  “This tournament is a great opportunity to get our kids some tournament experience prior to the postseason” noted Wyckoff.  “Also this is one of the ways that helps to raise money for our team's annual Spring Break trip to Satellite Beach, Florida the following season.”  All the information regarding the tournament, its results and box scores can be found right here at the home of OK-Green Baseball.  

January 2, 2007

Jeff VanHuis, Zeeland West's Head Baseball Coach, has announced that Family Fare Supermarket (Spartan Stores) will be the official sponsor of the 2007 Zeeland West Wooden Bat Baseball Tournament to be held on Saturday May 5th at the Zeeland Baseball Complex. "The goal in education is to unite, in a collaborative effort, the support of businesses and schools as we assist our young people's educational development, and this is a fine example of making this happen." said VanHuis.  "Family Fare is financially sponsoring and supporting our student athletes, high school baseball, and ultimately, the community of Zeeland.  We are very grateful and appreciative for Family Fare's support of this community."

Along with the cooperation of Family Fare, VanHuis announced the teams and pairings of the 2007 Zeeland West Wooden Bat Baseball Tournament.  The teams and high schools involved are Allegan, Forest Hills Eastern, Grand Rapids Union and the host Zeeland West.  In the first round Allegan will face Forest Hills Eastern and Grand Rapids Union will square off against Zeeland West at 10:30 a.m.  The winners will face each other in the championship at 1:00 p.m. with the losers of round one playing in the consolation game at the same scheduled time.  ”We are looking forward to hosting the team involved and hope everyone can make it out to support the community of Zeeland, Zeeland West and high school baseball” said VanHuis.

December 28, 2006

There will be a coaches clinic held at Unity Christian High School on Saturday February 3, 2007.  This was announced today by Doug Vander Ploeg, the longtime Head Coach of the Crusaders.  This is being sponsored by Unity Christian and Superior Sports of Holland and Jenison.  The clinic will run from 8:15 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with a cost of $20.00 to coaches.  Eager baseball players looking for information are welcome and can enter for no cost.  

“This clinic will focus on the fundamentals of baseball for little league, middle school, summer clubs and high school baseball” said Vander Ploeg.  The confirmed speakers to be featured at the Unity Christian clinic are Stu Fritz, the Head Coach at Hope College, Larry Ike, former professional pitcher and current pitching coach at Aquinas and pitching instructor at Diamonds Baseball Academy, Dr. Jim Timmer, Head Coach and Athletic Director at Calvin College and Doug Vander Ploeg.  The registration forms can be picked up at either Superior Sport Stores in Holland or Jenison as well as Unity Christian High School or on their website.

December 27, 2006

Mona Shores High School and Head Coach Walt Gawkowski announced they will be hosting the second annual West Michigan Baseball Coaches Clinic, along with Brian Wright, Head Coach at Shelby High School.  The clinic will be held at Mona Shores High School on Saturday, February 10, 2007 and run from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. 

The clinic will feature the coaching staff from Grand Valley State University, headlined by Head Coach Steve Lyon.  Coach Lyon is in his eighth season as Grand Valley State University’s Head Baseball Coach and was the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Division II North Central Region Coach of the Year.  He has led Grand Valley to three NCAA Division II World Series appearances, including a place in the 2004 National Championship game.  “Our goal is to bring the very best baseball instructors to West Michigan” noted Gawkowski and “I believe this clinic continues that tradition and will remain the same in the future.”

For more information, directions and schedule for the clinic please find it here at the West Michigan Baseball Coaches Clinic brochure.

December 2, 2006

The pairings for the May 12, 2007 Jon Hooker Memorial Tournament has now been set and has been released with the eight schools having confirmed their participation. The tournament honors the life of Jon Hooker, Holland Christian's Head Coach Mike Ott's close friend, who perished in the ComAir 5191 plane crash in Kentucky on August 27, 2006. All first round games will take place at 10:00 a.m. The entrance fee for the day is $5 with all proceeds of concessions, entrance fees and other activities on the day going towards the Jon Hooker Scholarship Fund that was set up in wake of his death.

The schools participating are the host Maroons of Holland Christian, along with the Zeeland East Chix and Zeeland West Dux, who have aided Ott in hosting the tournament. The Grand Rapids City League will have two of its members participating as Coach Ott's alma mater, Grand Rapids Union (Redhawks), and Creston (Polar Bears), coached by a former college teammate of Ott's, will be traveling to the Holland area. The Sailors of South Christian, Mustangs of North Pointe Christian and the Redhawks of Cedar Springs complete the eight team field. The drawing of teams has decided the first round matchups of the teams and will feature the host Maroons taking on North Pointe Christian at Maroons Field. There will be a battle of the Redhawks at Holland High School with Cedar Springs facing Grand Rapids Union. Zeeland East drew South Christian and will host the Sailors at the Zeeland East Baseball Field. The Polar Bears will travel to Dux Field to take on Zeeland West to conclude the first round matchups. For more information and to view the entire tournament bracket visit the Maroons webpage.  

November 29, 2006

Jeff VanHuis, entering his second year as head coach at Zeeland West, has announced the Zeeland West Wooden Bat Tournament which will be hosted by the Dux on May 5, 2007 . The Dux of Zeeland West will be joined in the tournament by Grand Rapids Union (Redhawks), Allegan (Tigers) and Forest Hills Eastern (Hawks). The tournament is in its first year and first pitch will be at 10:30 a.m. VanHuis added "the goal of this tournament is to provide a fun and exciting event for families and community members to enjoy.  Our hope is also to provide exposure for our high school baseball players and assist in promoting high school baseball as a premier spectator sport. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy this day of top quality high school baseball, in an 'old fashioned' wooden bat style game." For more information visit the Dux website. All the baseball information on Zeeland West and the rest of the OK-Green can always be found right here at the home for OK-Green Baseball.

November 27, 2006

Head Coach Mike Ott announced today that Holland Christian will host its first tournament under Ott on May 12, 2007, the Jon Hooker Memorial Tournament. The tournament will honor the memory of Jon Hooker, one of Coach Ott's closest friends, who perished in the Kentucky plane crash of ComAir 5191 on August 27, 2006. The night before, Jon was married to his wife, Scarlett. They both were on the flight on their way to California for their honeymoon. Ott and Hooker, who were very close, were roommates in both of their final years of professional baseball and remained extremely close over the next 2 years. Ott also served as one of the groomsmen in the wedding and days later was named a pallbearer. "This is something I wanted to do to remember Hook knowing his love of baseball. He was extremely supportive over the years I've been building the program here at HC and I see no better way to remember him and continue the legacy of Jon Hooker. He always said he would come see us play and this is my way of letting him. This will be an extremely difficult event for me personally as this is something that will always be with me...but it is in honor of my friend and I, and our team, will do our best to honor him in the way we play" said Ott. All of the proceeds from the tournament will go to the Jon Hooker Scholarship Fund that has been set up with his death. The tournament will be hosted by Holland Christian, along with the support and hosting of games by Holland High School and Zeeland East and Zeeland West High Schools. To learn more about the tournament and its details please visit the Maroons baseball webpage.  Also to learn more about Jon Hooker please visit WOOD-TV and The Lexington Herald.