April 8, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College baseball players will be taking the field at Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark – home of the West Michigan Whitecaps – for a special game celebrating the college and its impact on the region.
The team is planning a doubleheader against a top opponent, Kellogg Community College, on Friday, April 16, with games at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
“We are partners with Kellogg CC in education, but friendly rivals on the diamond,” said Dr. Bill Pink, GRCC president. “We’re proud to highlight our student-athletes and community college sports in a fun, safe environment – and to cheer on the Raiders!”
The health and safety of spectators and participants is a top priority. GRCC is strictly following safety state and local health authority protocols at LMCU Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Ballpark. Attendance will be limited to 2,500 spectators – far below the ballpark’s 9,000-person capacity. All attendees will be required to have their temperature checked, wear a face covering, and respect social distancing guidelines.
The games also will be live streamed on the Internet by Michigan Sports Radio at MichiganSportsRadio.com.
“KCC and GRCC are aligned when it comes to our commitment to students, and we are grateful for the opportunity to play our Raider friends in Grand Rapids, but the competitor in me can’t help but say, ‘Go Bruins!’” said Dr. Adrien Bennings, president of Kellogg Community College.
GRCC’s baseball team has a storied tradition, with five national championships, 19 regional championships and 30 conference championships, and is off to a strong start in 2021, with a 10-5 record.
Legendary GRCC Coach Tom Hofmann, who passed away last year, led his team to nearly 700 wins, served as an assistant coach on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was inducted into the Community College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
KCC is ranked No. 8 in the nation in Division 2 by the National Junior College Athletic Association. The team finished seventh in the 2019 NJCAA D2 World Series, and won the Michigan Community College Athletic Association state and conference championships.
“We’re thrilled to provide this experience for baseball players, who couldn’t play last season because of the pandemic,” GRCC Interim Athletic Director David Selmon said. “This is also a chance for high school students to see high quality of community college athletics.”
Selmon said he appreciates the partnership with the West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, playing in the new High-A Central League.