(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Robert Bos)
 Many changes at UVV; team adds 13 players
Nederlands
 VLEUTEN (Neth.) -
UVV again finished in fifth place this season.
In the transfer-period, the team saw a lot of changes on its roster.
It lost several experienced players, including Netherlands National Team-players Jim Ploeger and Gilmer Lampe.
The team added 13 new players to its roster, including some who were promoted from within the club.
Coming to UVV are pitchers José Moreno, Quinn Tramm and Kevin van Veen, who this year played for Mampaey The Hawks, which relegated.
Also coming from The Hawks is infielder Berend Ruben.
Another player who played a full season in the Dutch big league is catcher Sven Jongejans (DSS).
Four new players have big league-experience in the past, being infielders Siegert Flaneur and Jaïr Roseburg, outfielder Sergino Martis and catcher Cecil Commenencia.
This season, Martis and Commenencia played at a lower level for UVV.
Four new players will make have the rookie-status when they make the final roster for the new season, being pitcher Rick Heijmen (UVV Rookies), catcher Daniel de Jongh (Tridents) and infielders Steven van Reem (Amsterdam Pirates Rookies) and Thijmen Takken (Scimitars).
Ten players will not be back with the team in 2016.
Besides pitcher Jim Ploeger (HCAW) and outfielder Gilmer Lampe (L&D Amsterdam Pirates), they are pitchers Ian Delemarre, Oscar Meuris (both HCAW) and Kevin Noordzij (retired), catcher Joris van Ballegooy (retired), catcher Sam van Dijck (injury), infielder Dennis De Quint (Twins), infielder Thomas Smits (UVV-2) and outfielder Brennan Nijhof (Vaessen Pioniers).
Van Ballegooy will remain with the squad, as he has joined the coaching-staff, which will be led again by Ferenc Jongejan.
...Quinn Tramm...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Kevin van Veen...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Three pitchers are coming to UVV from Mampaey The Hawks, being José Moreno, Quinn Tramm and Kevin van Veen.
Reliever Moreno led the staff of The Hawks with a 4.24 ERA.
He was 0-4 this season and struckout 12 batters in 46 2/3 inning, while walking 19.
Moreno pitched in 24 games, one of which he started.
Tramm was 2-7 this season with a 5.96 ERA.
Tramm was one of the starters, as he started 11 of the 16 games he pitched in.
He struckout a team-leading 39 batters in 68 innings, but also led the staff with 46 walks.
Van Veen was 1-7 this season with a 6.05 ERA.
He struckout 28 batters in 68 innings and was used both as starter (nine games) and reliever (seven games).
Berend Ruben was the third-best hitter of The Hawks, hitting .264 (29-for-110).
Ruben primarily played at second base and he scored seven runs, while batting in 13.
...Berend Ruben... | 
...Sven Jongejans... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
Sven Jongejans played in 38 games this season for DSS and batted .203 (26-for-128).
He scored the team's second-most runs (16) and batted in nine.
Cecil Commenencia played in 11 games for UVV during the 2014 season.
Sergino Martis also last played in the big league in 2014 when he was with HCAW.
He then played in 32 games, hitting .192.
Jaïr Rosenburg last played in the big league in 2012 when he was with ADO, hitting .190 in 22 games.
Siegert Flaneur has played in the big league some years ago, when he was with Almere '90.
Thijmen Takken, Rick Heijmen, Steven van Reem and Daniel de Jongh all will be rookies next season.
De Jongh already played in two games for ADO Lakers during the 2014 season.
...Jim Ploeger...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Outfielder Gilmer Lampe played the last two seasons for UVV.
In both seasons, he was the leading hitter of the team.
In 2014, he led the team with a .355 batting average and also led in runs scored (29), basehits (50) and stolen bases (11).
This season, Lampe led with a .273 average, 23 runs scored, 44 basehits and 20 stolen bases.
With his 20 stolen bases, Lampe also led the league.
Jim Ploeger led the pitching-staff of UVV this season with a 2.39 ERA.
He was 5-5 and shared the lead in victories.
The lefthander led with 76 strikeouts in a team-leading 79 innings pitched.
Ploeger also earned two saves.
Veteran pitcher Kevin Noordzij was another important member of the pitching-staff.
He pitched in 19 games and was used mostly as a middle reliever, while starting twice.
The righthander was 2-1 with a 4.84 ERA this season and struckout 21 batters in 44 1/3 inning.
...Joris van Ballegooy & Kevin Noordzij...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Belgian infielder Dennis De Quint was the third-best hitter this season for UVV, hitting .259 (36-for-139).
De Quint, who mostly played at short stop, scored 18 runs and led the team with 18 runs batted in.
He also hit one of the team's two homeruns this season.
Outfielder Brennan Nijhof batted .293 this season for UVV (27-for-92).
He scored ten runs and batted in eight.
Joris van Ballegooy most played as catcher this season, hitting .179 (20-for-112).
With 21, he scored the second-most runs of the team, while batting in seven.
Sam van Dijck played in only eleven games, hitting .286 (8-for-28).
He probably will be on the disabled list the entire new season, as he will undergo surgery for a shoulder-injury.
Thomas Smits played in 18 games, hitting .200 (9-for-45) with seven runs scored.
Ian Delemarre was 1-3 this season with a 3.09 ERA.
He struckout 12 batters in 32 innings pitched after returning from college in the USA.
Oscar Meuris also first played college-ball before joining UVV this season.
He was 0-1 and struckout six batters in seven innings pitched.
...Dennis De Quint... |
...Brennan Nijhof... |
...Oscar Meuris... |
...Ian Delemarre... |
| (© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) | (© Both Photos: Robert Bos) |
(November 1)
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