SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The 2016 season will mark the end of an era for Spring Arbor University baseball as head coach Sam Riggleman enters the final year of his Hall of Fame coaching career.
Even though he is retiring at the season’s end, Riggleman, and his squad, will not lose sight of their goal – defending their Crossroads League championship and returning to the NAIA World Series for the first time since 2008.
“As I go into the final days of the preseason preparation, I am well aware that this is my final year as a head college coach,” said Riggleman. “Although that is a reality, I have been careful to not allow it to enter into the coaching and leading of this team. Just like our current players, I, too, want this to be a special year for this team. As has been the case for the past 39 years, I want the players to remain the focus of attention. Their ongoing development is my priority.”
As always, the key to a successful season will be strong pitching and solid defense. The Spring Arbor pitching staff boasted an impressive 3.38 earned run average a season ago, a mark that ranked second in the conference, and returns nearly intact in 2016. The top five hurlers are back, including senior Spencer Goebel and junior Brody Harris. Goebel earned five victories last year and posted a 3.26 ERA with a .201 opponents batting average. Meanwhile, Harris picked up six wins and struck out a team-best 69 batters in 75.0 innings pitched.
Also back on the hill are senior Mitchel Patterson, junior Robert Cleary and sophomore Sam Memmelaar. Cleary earned six wins during the 2015 season while Patterson and Memmelaar finished with five each. Memmelaar had an outstanding freshman season allowing just four earned runs in 46 innings pitched for a 0.78 ERA – the lowest in program history.
Defensively, Spring Arbor ranked third in the conference last season. The defense is anchored by its smooth-fielding shortstop Nick Harris, who committed just nine errors all season and zero over the last 13 games. The Cougars also have two excellent catchers senior Jonathan Newman and sophomore Adam Rojas, who combined to throw out nearly half of the attempted base-stealers in 2015.
Spring Arbor lost three of its most productive offensive players to graduation, but returns plenty of experience. Patterson hit .307 with 19 runs scored and 10 runs batted in last year. Also back are designated hitter Jeremiah Johnson and Newman, who hit .284 and .282, respectively. Newman drove in 22 runs while Johnson finished with 14 RBIs.
Several newcomers are also expected to make an immediate impact. Tyler Reed and Alex Holley will both look to add another dimension to the lineup following extremely productive seasons at the junior college level. Freshman infielder Chris Triplett could also be a significant contributor with his ability to create havoc on the base paths.
Spring Arbor will open the season at Asbury University on Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27 before heading to Florida on Mar. 4-11 for its annual spring trip. The Cougars are scheduled to host Madonna University in their home opener on Mar. 19 at 1 p.m.