Under the bright lights of LMCU Ballpark—home of the West Michigan Whitecaps—the Hamilton varsity baseball team made memories that will last a lifetime.
From the moment the team stepped onto the field, Head Coach Brian Grabinski encouraged his players to soak it all in. “Most of us are never going to be on a field this beautiful again,” he told them before the first pitch. “You’ve worked hard enough to enjoy this day. Everyone plays. Everyone gets in. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
That they did.
Despite falling short on the scoreboard against Fruitport, every Hawkeye player had the opportunity to take the field, contributing to a truly unforgettable night. For many of the student-athletes, playing on a professional-grade diamond—the same surface that’s hosted MLB prospects and stars like Max Clark, Riley Greene, and Parker Meadows, just to name a few—was a dream come true.
“This opportunity is once in a lifetime,” said junior Owen Brown. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It was really cool to play on the same field as guys who are now with the Tigers. I’ll remember this forever.”
For the seniors, the night was especially meaningful. Coach Grabinski shared that one senior, after the postgame huddle, asked if he could change his “favorite baseball memory” on his senior night questionnaire to this very game.
“I said, ‘Absolutely you can,’” Grabinski smiled. “That meant the world to hear because that was the whole point—just to have a great experience together.”
