Spring Sports
Erin Carson '04
Baseball
The Scots finished the season in fourth place with a 9-9 league record. The season had many outstanding moments and highlights. On April 10, sophomore Ray Ribitch of Mt. Pleasant tied the 47-year-old record of 23 bases stolen in a single season, previously held by Charles Morrison ’57. Ribitch made All-MIAA First Team along with classmate Brandon Teenier of Holly, who was also named MIAA Pitcher of the Year. Senior Kevin Vermeersch of Unionville made All-MIAA Second Team.
Softball
The Alma Scots finished the season tied for seventh place in the nation after a heartbreaking 15 inning loss to Chapman University (Calif.). The game ended 7-6 after four hours of play. Alma lost their first game at the NCAA Division III National Tournament 3-2 in a 10 inning game against Salisbury University (Md.). The games took place in Salem, Va.
Many talented players have made this past season a success. Erin Carson ’04 and Leigh Ann LaFave ’05 were among 45 student-athletes named to the 2004 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-American Teams.
Carson, a catcher from Farmington Hills, was named to the second team. LaFave, a pitcher from Bark River, was named to the third team. Both players received All-American honors for the first time. They are the 14th and 15th Scots to earn the national recognition.
Carson, the 2003 MIAA MVP, led Alma in hitting with a .373 batting average, 36 RBI and eight home runs. She tied teammate Lindsay Powers ’04 of Chelsea for the school’s single-season record for round-trippers. Carson was also named to the All-MIAA Second Team, the All-Region Team and the All-Regional Tournament Team.
LaFave was this season’s MIAA MVP after breaking the record for the lowest ERA (0.14 earned runs per game) through the league season. She was also named to the All-MIAA First Team and the All-Region and All-Regional Tournament Team. LaFave compiled a record of 16-3 with 131 strikeouts and 13 walks in 128 1-3 innings pitched.
Powers, Laura Bell ’06 of Brohman and Melissa Tavidian ’06 of Lebanon, Ohio were First Team All-MIAA selections. Bell led the conference in homeruns (4), slugging percentage (.794) and total bases (27) and tied with senior Laura Rochon of Royal Oak in RBIs (11). Rochon and classmate Colleen Trybus of Grosse Pointe Park were named to the All-MIAA Second Team.
Tennis
The men’s and women’s teams both struggled, finishing off their seasons with one league victory each. The men placed fifth in the MIAA above Adrian College, while the women placed eighth.
Matthew Krieg, a senior from Alma, was named to the All-MIAA Second Team following the MIAA Men’s Tennis Championships April 23-24 in Kalamazoo. Krieg played at number-one singles and teamed with senior Timothy Slade of Royersford, Pa., at number-one doubles in the tournament.
Rob Nicholson, a senior from Kalamazoo, was named recipient of the MIAA’s Lawrence Green Award. The award named in memory of the late Lawrence “Doc” Green, longtime Hope College educator, athletic trainer and coach, recognizes the academic achievement of MIAA men’s tennis players. Nicholson was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree April 17 and graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors in biology.
Track
The men’s track team finished fourth and the women’s team finished fifth in both MIAA seasonal standing and at the 113th Annual MIAA Field Day. Senior Gavin Cornwell of Rudyard, and juniors Greg Jacobs of Traverse City and Sarah Harrelson of Suttons Bay were selected for the All-MIAA Team. At Field Day, Jacobs took first place in the javelin throw (166-02) and fourth in pole vault (11-06). Cornwell won the long jump (22-04.5) and came in third in the triple jump (43-00). Harrelson took second in the javelin throw (115-04.75) and sixth in the 100-meter dash (13.28). Harrelson was also in the second place 4x100-meter relay team and the fourth place 4x400-meter relay team.
