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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.

If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2025 Team Preview, click here.

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2025 Spring Team Preview: Jenison

JENISON - In his first four years as head coach Chris Ter Vree has seen Jenison improve each year. Expectations are for that to continue in 2025.

“We’re trying to create a program where the players love to play and the staff loves to coach,” explained Ter Vree, whose team’s records have gone from 18-21 to 21-14 to 28-14 to 32-8 a year ago. “Jenison has always been solid. There’s been a lot of great history with some amazing coaches and players in the past and we want to continue that. We want people to fear us and know they’re going to get a battle every single day.”

With a loaded pitching staff headlined by a staff ace considered one of the best pitchers in the state, Jenison could be a handful for opponents this season.

“We had a fantastic season last year,” Ter Vree reflected. “Our pitching was fantastic. Case Bosch is pretty dang good and we’re excited about what he will do this year.

“Our pitching depth back from last year is great,” the fifth-year head coach continued. “We have all but one back.”

Bosch, the third-rated senior left-handed pitcher in Michigan who is a Coastal Carolina commit, was 6-2 with 79 strikeouts and just seven walks in 52 innings with a 0.404 ERA in 2024.

“He’s a very intelligent student-athlete and a very intelligent baseball player,” Ter Vree said of Bosch, who he also said is the “best first baseman in the area.” The 6-5 215-pounder is looking to improve on last year’s .256 batting average that included 19 RBIs, 16 walks and 13 runs scored.

Four other pitchers bring more promise on the mound for the Wildcats in Ben Slagter, AJ Park, Braydon Hilaski and Pierce Ginzer.

Slagter, the 50th-ranked senior RHP in the state, was 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA, fanning 23 in 30 innings and allowing six free passes last season. Park, a two-way commit to Davenport ranked 26th among senior right-handed pitchers in Michigan, was 2-2 with a 2.77 ERA, striking out 22 in 22 frames. Hilaski, a Lake Michigan JC commit called by Ter Vree “the most improved player last year,” was 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 35 innings on the hill. Ginzer, the ninth-rated junior left-handed pitcher in Michigan, was 3-0 with 26 Ks and just three walks in 22.3 innings with an ERA of 1.77.

“We have a lot of other arms coming up,” noted Ter Vree, who also has the top-rated freshman RHP in the state in Nick Potter in the program.

The middle infield “will be moving parts” according to the Jenison mentor, with junior Carson McKay at third or second and Slagter at second or shortstop when not pitching. A pair of juniors, Parker Felgner, the quarterback on the Jenison football team, and Kelson Swainston, also figure into the infield plans.

Ginzer, who batted .272 with 26 runs, 14 RBIs, 14 walks and 21 stolen bases, will man center field with Park, a .303 hitter last season with seven doubles, four home runs, 29 RBIs, 30 runs, 15 walks and 24 stolen bases, in right. Switch hitting senior Joey Burke, who scored 36 runs last year, mainly as a pinch runner, and junior Easton Davila will also see action in the outfield.

“Our coaching staff does an amazing job, it’s one of the best around,” related Ter Vree, who pointed out that the JV team was 33-5 last year. “We’re excited to get kids to our level. We have great kids at Jenison and the community is amazing. We want to work as hard as we can to represent the community and the school on the baseball field.”

Speed is one area of the game the Wildcats excelled at a year ago.

“I’m told we broke the stolen base record last year,” Ter Vree said. “We want to be a team people hate to play. We want to bunt and run bases like crazy, take advantage of our opponents’ mistakes.”

A move from the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red Division to the OK Green this year brings one change ahead as Ter Vree looks forward to a potential season to remember.

“Pitching, defense and timely hitting,” Ter Vree concluded. “Those are the keys to success along with playing together.”

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