JV baseball ends its incredible season with a final record of 27-3

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All in all, it is easy to say that the 2020-2021 JV baseball team was one of the most dominant of all time. If a team can average 10.3 runs per game while giving up only 3.3 hits a game, they are usually considered an elite team. Combined with a .470 on-base percentage and 30 extra-base hits, FHC has treaded the waters of perfection.

The Rangers finished the year with a final record of 27-3, which was possible because of three-game series sweeps against teams such as Greenville, Lowell, Grand Rapids Christian, East Grand Rapids, Northview, and Forest Hills Northern. FHC did just as well in its doubleheaders, sweeping Grand Haven and West Ottawa. Other notable victories came from single matches like East Kentwood, Hudsonville, and Kenowa Hills.

On the offensive end, the Rangers had nine different batters with at least 12 RBIs during the season. Sophomore Justin Osterhouse led the team with 47 hits, a .500 batting average, 11 doubles, 12 triples, 3 home runs, and 42 RBIs. Guys like sophomores Arthur Pelon and Lucas Thompson saw major strides in their performance at the plate as the year went on. Sophomore Sammy Mielock and freshman Ty Hudkins were some of the most consistent and reliable power hitters for the Rangers all season long.

Head coach Steve Courcy put together a team that would go out and proves itself day in and day out at practices and games. He noticed his team’s hard work and helped them grow as new players to the FHC program; the sophomore class did not have a season last year due to covid-19.

“I would say maybe [sophomore] Matthew Holtgrieve grew the most,” coach Courcy said. “He worked hard to be consistent, improved his pitching velocity, and appeared in seven different games with only one rough outing. He finished with a solid 2.17 ERA.”

Unfourtanly for the Rangers, the saying “everything can’t be perfect” was true for them. The Rangers dropped two games to Byron Center and one to Caledonia, but FHC bounced back and defeated both teams in rematches. This boys’ defense helped reinforce their winning efforts through their rough patches. The pitching corps of sophomore Chase Robinson and freshmen Carson Custer and Mason McDonald combined for a 17-0 pitching record. The three also only gave up 12 earned runs in 81 innings. Along those lines, Robinson was one of FHC’s finest infielders, making only three errors on 188 total groundballs for a percentage of .984.

“Chase was our leader,” coach Courcy said. “His work ethic, passion, hustle, and respect for the game of baseball set a fine example for our team to follow; he has the perfect attitude to be a catcher and was our defensive MVP.ā€

The sophomore class’s impact on the freshmen helped all of them make major strides this year, as these two groups created a great deal of chemistry. Carson Custer was one of the freshmen who truly shined this season, and he is thankful for the wisdom they gave him.

“The sophomores helped me be more comfortable during the season by being leaders and showing me how school ball works,” Carson said. “They helped me throughout the whole season.”

As the team moves up to the varsity level, coach Courcy is excited to see all of his players continue to grow, including Justin.

“Iā€™m excited to see what Justin can do next year,” coach Courcy spoke. “I think he has the talent and ability to make a huge impact as a junior; the kid can flat out hit.ā€

This season has been quite an impeccable year for the JV baseball team. Each player on this team has a bright future on the diamond next year, whether they’re on JV or varsity next year.