By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Little League 12-and-under Majors All-Star team split four games last week in the District 9 tournament.
In its opening game July 6, a six-run third inning carried Zeeland to an 8-5 victory over Grand Rapids Southern Red.
Zeeland trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the inning, but strung together seven hits and also used some aggressive baserunning during its uprising. Titus Fantin stole home to tie the game, and Carter Huizenga’s RBI single put Zeeland ahead for good.
Later in the inning, Zachary Doornbos and Grayson Scholten each doubled in a run.
Zeeland pounded out 15 hits in the game, while Doornbos and Huizenga each going 3-for-3. Doornbos and Reid Driesenga each knocked in two runs. Mason Overweg picked up the win with three innings of relief.
On July 7, Zeeland’s bats were quieted as they dropped a 6-1 decision to Grand Rapids Western.
Western opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, then added two more in the second, one in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Zeeland managed just four hits in the game. The team scored its only run in the bottom of the sixth on a walk, hit batter and a fielder’s choice.
Huizenga led the Zeeland offense with two hits.
On July 8, Zeeland stayed alive in the losers’ bracket with a 6-3 extra-inning victory over Rockford, breaking a 2-2 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Zeeland jumped in front in the first inning on an RBI single by Overweg, scoring Doornbos, who had earlier singled.
In the fourth, Zeeland added to its lead as Huizenga and Corbin Deppe opened the inning with singles. Huizenga scored on a groundout by Doornbos.
Rockford rallied for a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game, and had a chance to win it in the bottom of the sixth, putting the potential winning run at third with two outs. However, Doornbos struck out the next hitter to send the game to extra innings.
In the seventh, Zeeland opened the inning with a runner on second via the international tiebreaker rule. Doornbos then belted a two-run homer to put the team ahead to stay. Later in the inning, Graham Gruppen and Fantin drew bases-loaded walks to plate two more runs.
Rockford responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Doornbos struck out the final batter to seal the win.
Doornbos picked up the pitching win, scattering five hits over the last 3-1/3 innings. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in, including the game-winning homer. Driesenga also had a pair of hits.
Zeeland was eliminated last Thursday with 10-0 run-rule loss to Grand Rapids Southern Blue at Jim Kaat Ballpark.
The visitors scored three runs each in the first and third innings, then added four more runs in the fourth. Zeeland was held to one hit in the contest.
Zeeland advanced to district play after finishing second in its division in pool play last month. The team finished tournament play with a record of 5-3.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland Little League 12-and-under Majors All-Star team split four games last week in the District 9 tournament.
In its opening game July 6, a six-run third inning carried Zeeland to an 8-5 victory over Grand Rapids Southern Red.
Zeeland trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the inning, but strung together seven hits and also used some aggressive baserunning during its uprising. Titus Fantin stole home to tie the game, and Carter Huizenga’s RBI single put Zeeland ahead for good.
Later in the inning, Zachary Doornbos and Grayson Scholten each doubled in a run.
Zeeland pounded out 15 hits in the game, while Doornbos and Huizenga each going 3-for-3. Doornbos and Reid Driesenga each knocked in two runs. Mason Overweg picked up the win with three innings of relief.
On July 7, Zeeland’s bats were quieted as they dropped a 6-1 decision to Grand Rapids Western.
Western opened the scoring with a run in the first inning, then added two more in the second, one in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Zeeland managed just four hits in the game. The team scored its only run in the bottom of the sixth on a walk, hit batter and a fielder’s choice.
Huizenga led the Zeeland offense with two hits.
On July 8, Zeeland stayed alive in the losers’ bracket with a 6-3 extra-inning victory over Rockford, breaking a 2-2 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Zeeland jumped in front in the first inning on an RBI single by Overweg, scoring Doornbos, who had earlier singled.
In the fourth, Zeeland added to its lead as Huizenga and Corbin Deppe opened the inning with singles. Huizenga scored on a groundout by Doornbos.
Rockford rallied for a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game, and had a chance to win it in the bottom of the sixth, putting the potential winning run at third with two outs. However, Doornbos struck out the next hitter to send the game to extra innings.
In the seventh, Zeeland opened the inning with a runner on second via the international tiebreaker rule. Doornbos then belted a two-run homer to put the team ahead to stay. Later in the inning, Graham Gruppen and Fantin drew bases-loaded walks to plate two more runs.
Rockford responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Doornbos struck out the final batter to seal the win.
Doornbos picked up the pitching win, scattering five hits over the last 3-1/3 innings. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in, including the game-winning homer. Driesenga also had a pair of hits.
Zeeland was eliminated last Thursday with 10-0 run-rule loss to Grand Rapids Southern Blue at Jim Kaat Ballpark.
The visitors scored three runs each in the first and third innings, then added four more runs in the fourth. Zeeland was held to one hit in the contest.
Zeeland advanced to district play after finishing second in its division in pool play last month. The team finished tournament play with a record of 5-3.
Former Tigers Pitcher, GVSU Baseball Coach Dies
Phil Regan, the former Grand Valley State University head baseball coach and a longtime Major League Baseball player and pitching coach, died Wednesday, July 8 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He was 89.
A native of Otsego, Regan coached baseball at Grand Valley State from 1974-1982, posting a record of 176-153 with two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and two NAIA District No. 23 crowns.
Ten of Regan’s players either signed as free agents or were drafted by professional baseball teams with two of his pitchers, Howard Bailey and Greg Cadaret, making the jump to the major leagues. He was inducted into the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
Regan spent 13 seasons in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, debuting in 1960 and retiring after the 1972 season before moving into a lengthy coaching career.
Regan, who posted a 96-83 lifetime record on the mound and won the “Fireman-of-the-Year” award twice, was selected to the 1966 All-Star Game when he went 14-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 21 saves for the Dodgers.
Following his stint as head coach at GVSU, Regan became a major league pitching coach, working with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. He also was manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps minor league team in 2002-03.
A native of Otsego, Regan coached baseball at Grand Valley State from 1974-1982, posting a record of 176-153 with two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and two NAIA District No. 23 crowns.
Ten of Regan’s players either signed as free agents or were drafted by professional baseball teams with two of his pitchers, Howard Bailey and Greg Cadaret, making the jump to the major leagues. He was inducted into the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989.
Regan spent 13 seasons in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, debuting in 1960 and retiring after the 1972 season before moving into a lengthy coaching career.
Regan, who posted a 96-83 lifetime record on the mound and won the “Fireman-of-the-Year” award twice, was selected to the 1966 All-Star Game when he went 14-1 with a 1.62 ERA and 21 saves for the Dodgers.
Following his stint as head coach at GVSU, Regan became a major league pitching coach, working with the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. He also was manager of the West Michigan Whitecaps minor league team in 2002-03.
Former Hope College Baseball Coach Named to ABCA Hall of Fame
Stu Fritz
By Mackenzie McMahon
Hope College
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has announced that retired Hope College baseball head coach Stu Fritz was selected for induction into the prestigious ABCA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027.
Induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the organization. Since the inaugural class in 1966, fewer than 360 individuals have received this distinction. To be considered, a coach must have a minimum of 15 years of service and membership, contribute significantly to the advancement of baseball, and exemplify high moral character, ethical standards, excellence and leadership.
Fritz and six other distinguished baseball coaches will be formally honored during the ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet, presented by C&H Baseball, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, as part of the 83rd annual ABCA Convention in Chicago. Tickets for the event go on sale Sept. 1 through ABCAConvention.org.
Joining Fritz as inductees into the ABCA Hall of Fame are Scott Berry of the University of Southern Mississippi, Tim Mead of Walsh (Ohio) University, Ritch Price of the University of Kansas, Beauford Sanders of Campbellsville (Ky.) University,
Brian Shoop of the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Dave Van Horn of the University of Arkansas.
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A Legendary Career on the Diamond
Stu Fritz retired in 2024 as the winningest and longest-tenured coach in Hope College baseball history. Serving as the architect of one of NCAA Division III baseball's most consistent programs, Fritz guided the Flying Dutchmen on the diamond for 31 seasons beginning in 1994.
Over a remarkable 1,124-game career, Fritz compiled a 674-500-3 (.574) career record. Under his leadership, Hope captured 10 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championships — the second-most in conference history — and made four NCAA Division III tournament appearances. His teams were a perennial force, winning nearly two-thirds of their conference matchups with a dominant 453-247 (.647) mark in MIAA play. Fritz achieved his 600-win milestone in 2021, capping off an era defined by sustained excellence.
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Impact Beyond the Wins
While the statistics anchor his legendary status, those within the Hope community emphasize that Fritz's true success is measured by the culture he built and the lives he impacted.
“His legacy isn't measured solely in wins, championships or coaching milestones; it's written in the stories of the young men he mentored, shaped and inspired over the past three decades,” said Lindsey Engelsman, associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Hope. “Stu's gift for building meaningful relationships is what sets him apart. It was rare to walk past his office without seeing a player, a fellow coach or a student from one of his classes seeking his guidance. He had a remarkable ability to make every individual feel seen, valued, and challenged to grow — not just as athletes, but as people.”
Engelsman added simply: “Stu Fritz is more than a Hall of Fame coach; he is a Hall of Fame person.”
Colleagues across the athletic department echoed those sentiments, with Tim Schoonveld, Hope's director of athletics, noting that Fritz had a transformational impact on thousands of lives during his time at Hope.
"While his on-field achievements were tremendous, the real beauty of his career has been his ability to develop deep and meaningful relationships with those from all walks of life."
—————
A Full-Circle National Honor
For Fritz, the induction represents the pinnacle of a journey that began more than three decades ago as a young graduate student.
“Being inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame is beyond anything I could have imagined when I started my coaching career,” Fritz said. “I was able to attend my first conference in 1992 while working on my master's degree at the University of Northern Colorado. I walked away from that experience being in awe of those who had committed their lives to the profession of coaching baseball. Their willingness to share insights, mentor those of us beginning our careers and model what it looked like to be leaders and how to walk alongside our players through the rest of their lives, was profound.”
Fritz's dedication to the profession eventually led him to the highest levels of leadership within the organization, serving as ABCA president in 2020. He also chaired the NCAA Championships National Committee and expanded his influence globally, coaching in Puerto Rico, Australia and the Czech Republic.
Reflecting on the honor, Fritz expressed deep gratitude for the community that supported him.
“The ABCA leadership, its board members and membership have literally changed my life. I'm incredibly honored and humbled to be recognized by this community,” Fritz said. “All of this being said, I would never have been able to be in this position without Hope College. Hope's leadership teams over the years, my coaches who poured their hearts into our program and the players have been truly remarkable. The biggest impact came from the young men who chose to wear the Orange and Blue; their dedication to our institution, the baseball program and to each other were truly the difference makers.”
Following his retirement from the dugout in 2024, Fritz has continued serving the college as an athletics philanthropy liaison, ensuring Hope's mentorship and leadership continue to benefit future generations of student-athletes.
—————
(Zeeland Record editor Greg Chandler contributed to this story.)
Hope College
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) has announced that retired Hope College baseball head coach Stu Fritz was selected for induction into the prestigious ABCA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027.
Induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the organization. Since the inaugural class in 1966, fewer than 360 individuals have received this distinction. To be considered, a coach must have a minimum of 15 years of service and membership, contribute significantly to the advancement of baseball, and exemplify high moral character, ethical standards, excellence and leadership.
Fritz and six other distinguished baseball coaches will be formally honored during the ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet, presented by C&H Baseball, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, as part of the 83rd annual ABCA Convention in Chicago. Tickets for the event go on sale Sept. 1 through ABCAConvention.org.
Joining Fritz as inductees into the ABCA Hall of Fame are Scott Berry of the University of Southern Mississippi, Tim Mead of Walsh (Ohio) University, Ritch Price of the University of Kansas, Beauford Sanders of Campbellsville (Ky.) University,
Brian Shoop of the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Dave Van Horn of the University of Arkansas.
—————
A Legendary Career on the Diamond
Stu Fritz retired in 2024 as the winningest and longest-tenured coach in Hope College baseball history. Serving as the architect of one of NCAA Division III baseball's most consistent programs, Fritz guided the Flying Dutchmen on the diamond for 31 seasons beginning in 1994.
Over a remarkable 1,124-game career, Fritz compiled a 674-500-3 (.574) career record. Under his leadership, Hope captured 10 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championships — the second-most in conference history — and made four NCAA Division III tournament appearances. His teams were a perennial force, winning nearly two-thirds of their conference matchups with a dominant 453-247 (.647) mark in MIAA play. Fritz achieved his 600-win milestone in 2021, capping off an era defined by sustained excellence.
—————
Impact Beyond the Wins
While the statistics anchor his legendary status, those within the Hope community emphasize that Fritz's true success is measured by the culture he built and the lives he impacted.
“His legacy isn't measured solely in wins, championships or coaching milestones; it's written in the stories of the young men he mentored, shaped and inspired over the past three decades,” said Lindsey Engelsman, associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Hope. “Stu's gift for building meaningful relationships is what sets him apart. It was rare to walk past his office without seeing a player, a fellow coach or a student from one of his classes seeking his guidance. He had a remarkable ability to make every individual feel seen, valued, and challenged to grow — not just as athletes, but as people.”
Engelsman added simply: “Stu Fritz is more than a Hall of Fame coach; he is a Hall of Fame person.”
Colleagues across the athletic department echoed those sentiments, with Tim Schoonveld, Hope's director of athletics, noting that Fritz had a transformational impact on thousands of lives during his time at Hope.
"While his on-field achievements were tremendous, the real beauty of his career has been his ability to develop deep and meaningful relationships with those from all walks of life."
—————
A Full-Circle National Honor
For Fritz, the induction represents the pinnacle of a journey that began more than three decades ago as a young graduate student.
“Being inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame is beyond anything I could have imagined when I started my coaching career,” Fritz said. “I was able to attend my first conference in 1992 while working on my master's degree at the University of Northern Colorado. I walked away from that experience being in awe of those who had committed their lives to the profession of coaching baseball. Their willingness to share insights, mentor those of us beginning our careers and model what it looked like to be leaders and how to walk alongside our players through the rest of their lives, was profound.”
Fritz's dedication to the profession eventually led him to the highest levels of leadership within the organization, serving as ABCA president in 2020. He also chaired the NCAA Championships National Committee and expanded his influence globally, coaching in Puerto Rico, Australia and the Czech Republic.
Reflecting on the honor, Fritz expressed deep gratitude for the community that supported him.
“The ABCA leadership, its board members and membership have literally changed my life. I'm incredibly honored and humbled to be recognized by this community,” Fritz said. “All of this being said, I would never have been able to be in this position without Hope College. Hope's leadership teams over the years, my coaches who poured their hearts into our program and the players have been truly remarkable. The biggest impact came from the young men who chose to wear the Orange and Blue; their dedication to our institution, the baseball program and to each other were truly the difference makers.”
Following his retirement from the dugout in 2024, Fritz has continued serving the college as an athletics philanthropy liaison, ensuring Hope's mentorship and leadership continue to benefit future generations of student-athletes.
—————
(Zeeland Record editor Greg Chandler contributed to this story.)
Former Hope College baseball coach Stu Fritz encourages a baserunner to score during a 2023 game against archrival Calvin University. Fritz, who coached the Flying Dutchmen for 31 seasons before retiring in 2024, will be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame next year.
Photo by Lynne Powe/Hope College
Photo by Lynne Powe/Hope College
