April 12, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College baseball players will take the field at Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark – home of the West Michigan Whitecaps – for a special game against Calvin University and will celebrate championship teams of the past.
The team is planning a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 19, with games at 2 and 4:30 p.m.
Admission is free for GRCC students and employees with their RaiderCard. General admission is $10, and $5 for Calvin students and employees with their ID card. Parking is free.
The GRCC Athletic Department is celebrating the 26th anniversary of the 1996 team and the 25th anniversary of the 1997 team, both winning the NJCAA baseball national championship. The teams included two players – Brad Block and Joe Trigg – who were named All-Americans.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate our athletes of today and yesterday,” Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. “We’re excited to welcome our families and fans, and our guests from Calvin University, joining us in a beautiful setting for a game that will be memorable for everyone involved. It’s also a chance for high school players to come and see two quality college programs in action.”
Ferullo said she 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.
“We are excited to play a local baseball game in such a fantastic facility,” Calvin head baseball coach Kevin Van Duyn said. “It will be a chance for the athletes competing to showcase their abilities in a great atmosphere. We are looking forward to it.”
It’s the second year that GRCC has played at LMCU Ballpark. Last year’s doubleheader against Kellogg Community College, was the first game at the stadium since the start of the pandemic, and the first with the park’s new name.
GRCC’s baseball team has a storied tradition, with five national championships, 19 regional championships and 30 conference championships.
Legendary GRCC coach Tom Hofmann 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.
The Raiders are now coached by Mike Eddington, who played two seasons at Grand Rapids Junior College for Hofmann. He was part of the team that placed sixth in the Junior College World Series and was an honorable mention All-American.
Eddington transferred to Michigan State University, where he broke the Spartan home run record, previously held by former Detroit Tigers star Kirk Gibson -- a record that still stands today.
Photo by Steve Jessmore.