By Andrew Spaan ’25, staff writer

The LVC baseball team is looking to continue its success in a new conference during the 2024 season. 

The Flying Dutchmen are coming off a historic season in 2023 which included a program best 31-17-1 record, a second consecutive conference championship and a regional championship appearance. Along with this, LVC was home to a program record of nine all-conference player selections, the conference player of the year, Nico Santoro; conference coach of the year Jonas Fester and the first All-American in program history, Shane Stossel.  

The Dutchmen ended their 2023 season with a loss to the eventual national champions Lynchburg University, but not before notching the first three regional wins in program history.  

“Last year was an electric experience,” Malachia Duka, a junior captain, said. “Our chemistry as a group was great, but it was sad to see everyone go after the regional final.” 

This year is the first year in which the team will play in the MAC Freedom. The shift poses new challenges. The conference features two teams that made the NCAA tournament in 2023, a 2023 Division III College World Series participant and the 2024 preseason team ranked eleventh nationally. The Dutchmen were picked to finish fourth in the conference in the coach’s preseason poll. 

“The new conference is definitely going to be more challenging than the one we were in,” Duka said. “I feel like we are going to need to work better as team and do better at the small details, but overall, I feel like we have a fair shot at making another run this year.” 

Despite these challenges, the Dutchmen are primed and eager to take on the MAC Freedom. With many of their starters from last year returning and a group of talented underclassmen, the Dutchmen tout an experienced offensive lineup along with a high-caliber pitching staff that will look to make an impact in the 2024 season.