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With 2024 now in the past, Prep Baseball Michigan is eagerly anticipating bringing the state the best high school coverage that can be found anywhere in 2025. Starting in February, we began releasing team previews for squads across the state. Ahead, we will have Preseason All-State Teams as well as the Preseason State Rankings coming your way.

To view the full list of 2025 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

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2025 Spring Team Preview: Hudsonville

HUDSONVILLE - It was a memorable 2024 season at Hudsonville, with the Eagles winning 23 of their last 26 games during a 32-11 campaign that ended with a loss to Bay City Western in the regional finals. Along the way, head coach Dave Van Noord picked up his 700th coaching victory.

An outstanding group of pitchers is back bringing a lot of optimism to a program that has had only two head coaches since the 1950s.

“We’re fundamental and want to be really aggressive on offense,” Van Noord said in describing the program he leads along with long-time assistant coach Joe DeSmit. “We used to be really offensive, but now it’s been pitching. It’s gotten much better.”

Jackson Hammersmith, the 45th-rated senior right-handed pitcher in Michigan, is the staff ace coming off a 5-2 season with a 1.26 ERA. The all-conference hurler will have a lot of help on the mound led by another third-year varsity pitcher Carson Merritt. The 44th-ranked 2025 RHP in the state, a Kalamazoo commit, was 5-0 with three saves and a 1.68 ERA last season.

Brayden Muir, the 23rd-rated senior left-handed pitcher in Michigan and a Grand Valley State recruit, is also back after going 3-2 with two saves and a 2.62 ERA. Another southpaw, Dax Rossin, returns after going 1-1 with two saves a year ago with hard-throwing Coleton Vanderploeg, the 10th-ranked 2026 left-handed pitcher in the state, and Bryton Hanke, a 6-6 junior lefty, adding depth.

“Anytime you have good pitching you have a chance to win,” said the long-time head coach, who enters the season with a 711-330-1 overall record. 

The top two catchers from a year ago are also back in seniors Xavier Sullivan and Bryce Fox. Sullivan had the game-winning hit to beat Jenison 1-0 in the districts last year while Fox had a walk-off winner to defeat Zeeland East in extra innings a game later. Senior Alden Schulte brings a third returnee behind the plate that Van Noord can count on.

Leadoff hitter Kaden Howard, a move-in from North Carolina last year, is back to spark the offense and anchor the infield at short for the Eagles. The fourth-rated senior shortstop in Michigan, a Grand Valley State recruit, hit .339 with 43 runs, 34 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 2024.

Left-handed hitting senior Ferris Eldred, a Jackson CC commit, hit .318 with 35 RBIs and eight doubles a year ago and will again be at first base with Parker Groenik, a Grand Rapids CC signee, at second base. Johnny Karsten, a senior headed to Muskegon CC, will be the third baseman.

Senior Rickey Browley, a left-handed hitter committed to Lake Michigan, will again be in center with fellow senior Grant Robertson, who was hit by a pitch 19 times last year, in right. Rossin, a Grand Rapids CC commit ranked 32nd in the state among 2025 outfielders or senior Nolan Feenstra will be in left.

“We have a lot of experience,” Van Noord said. “These guys are real competitors, they work hard and they like each other. These guys love baseball. They like to practice and they play hard.”

The Hudsonville head coach points to the offense as a key to how good this team can be.

“Hopefully, we’ll hit better than last year,” noted Van Noord, who listed his squad along with Rockford and Grandville as top contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Red Conference. “Our defense should be solid. Howard is a good shortstop, Rickey is a good center fielder and we have three catchers back, so we’re solid up the middle. The key will be can we hit better.”

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