Courtesy Hope Athletics
The Hope College baseball team took advantage of a rainout a day earlier and let head coach Stu Fritz achieve a career milestone at his home away from home.
The Flying Dutchmen swept Albion 7-0 and 6-5 on Friday at Boeve Stadium to give Fritz his 499th and 500th career victories.
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) series was scheduled to open at Albion on Thursday before rain postponed those games until Saturday, April 30 at 1 p.m.
Fritz, who now has a career record of 500-376-2 in 23 seasons, said it was special for he and his family to achieve this success at a place like Hope.
"I've just looked back at the players I've had over the past 23 years, and I couldn't ask for more," Fritz told the Holland Sentinel. "They have been wonderful human beings as well as great baseball players. I just feel lucky and fortunate to be around them."
Fritz is Hope's all-time winningest coach. He has guided the Flying Dutchmen to a MIAA-record nine league championships and four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances during his tenure.
The path to 500 wins began with a 5-3 win against Baldwin-Wallace in 1994, his first season.
Win No. 500 came with plenty of drama.
The Flying Dutchmen held on after closer Matt Glowacki yielded four runs in the top of the ninth inning. He faced eight batters before retiring the final out on a grounder to third to end the game and clinch the milestone win at 6-5..
Hope (20-13 overall) reached the 20-win mark for the eighth consecutive season and the 17th time during Fritz's tenure. The Flying Dutchmen also remained in second place in the MIAA standings with a 15-7 record.