MONA SHORES – A rich program filled with many alumni who went on to play at top-notch college programs is back for the 2025 season and reloads with many new faces.
While guys like senior Trevor Cunningham and junior Hunter Krueger return to the diamond, the Sailors will field most of their team with up-and-coming talent. The pitching staff will be the biggest question mark for the season, while the lineup will align with many other great Sailor teams.
“We graduated eight seniors last year and will have a lot of new faces this year. We have a good mix of returning guys with some young talent coming up, which should make this a very fun season,” said head coach Brandon Bard, who returns to Mona Shores for his 10th season at the helm. Bard is a former Sailor standout and Grand Valley State baseball alum.
Mona Shores’ season ended in the district final last season when they lost 13-2 against Grand Haven.
2024 Season
- 21-11 record
- 4th in the OK-Green
- Lost in the district final
- Beat rival Reeths-Puffer in the district semifinal
Batting
Krueger, a senior shortstop, was and will remain a key staple in the Sailors’ lineup this spring. Krueger hit a scorching .393 at the dish last season and knocked in 15 RBIs through 87 at-bats. The shortstop was the lone Sailor to play in all 32 games last season.
Junior Jayden Ammeral will man the centerfield spot this season. Last year, as a sophomore, Ammeral presented a fine glove and well-above-average speed, logging 18 stolen bases across 31 games. The junior nailed four runners on outfield assists and posted a .984 fielding percentage from the heart of the outfield. Holding a .272 average along with his 21 RBIs, Ammeral is a first-team all-conference candidate.
Seniors Blake Tilden and Eli Habetler round out Mona Shores’ potential top bats this coming season. Both recorded nearly 20-hit seasons a year ago.
Pitching
The ace of the rotation and a true crafty lefty, Cunningham gives the Sailors an exceptional arm to start most doubleheaders this season. The senior has filthy stuff from the left side, including a deceptive curveball that breaks in on right-handed bats and clips the corners. In 62 innings pitched, Cunningham sliced through 67 batters and posted a 1.24 ERA that led to a 6-2 record.
Mona Shores graduated five pitchers last season who spent time on the mound. It’s safe to say that outside of Cunningham, the Sailors will need to reload the staff with emerging arms. Expect sophomore Owen Tornga and junior Jayden Ammeral to log a decent number of innings this spring.
The Bottom Line
With uncertainty in the pitching staff, Mona Shores will need to dig deep to find some dark horses to slot into the rotation. As far as the lineup goes, the Sailors will be just fine manufacturing runs. A tough new conference this year with the addition of Byron Center will be challenging, but under the leadership of Coach Bard, any Mona Shores team can make a deep run in the tournament.
2025 Tentative Schedule
3/25 – Vs. North Muskegon
3/28 – @ West Ottawa
3/31 – @ Grand Haven
4/1 – Vs. Hudsonville
4/15 – @ Hastings
4/17 – Vs. Whitehall
4/22 – Vs. Byron Center
4/24 – @ Byron Center
4/29 – Vs. Reeths-Puffer
5/1 – @ Reeths-Puffer
5/3 – GMAA Tournament
5/6 – @ Jenison
5/8 – Vs. Jenison
5/13 – Vs. Muskegon
5/15 – @ Muskegon
5/19 – @ Caledonia
5/22 – Vs. Caledonia
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