Feb. 29 | 2007 Rawlings Gold Glove winner Jeff Hollister (right) will be leading a strong nucleus of returning players who will be looking to lead off the 2008 Spring Arbor University baseball season Saturday as the NAIA #5 ranked Cougars travel to Shawnee State University in southern Ohio to take on Shawnee State University in a 10:30 a.m. matchup before squaring off with conference foe University of St Francis in a 1:00 p.m. affair.

Hollister was the recipient of the Gold Glove award after proving to be a defensive juggernaut at third base for the Cougars as a true freshman in 2007. The sure-handed Brighton, Michigan native committed just 7 errors in 53 games played at the hot corner for SAU last year, and fielded at a .958 efficiency overall.

Only one player per position throughout the NAIA is honored with the prestigious award, and in order for Hollister to receive the national recognition, he had to be first recognized by the MCC conference coaches, then the coaches within Region VIII, and finally by the NAIA World Series games committee, truly separating him as the most prolific defensive third baseman in the country at the NAIA level.

Hollister, NAIA first team All-American Jesse Bachman and company will be looking to pick up 2008 right where they left off in 2007.  The Cougars compiled an impressive 48-5 record in 2007, finishing as the national runner's up in the NAIA World Series.  Spring Arbor rattled off an unprecedented 36 game win streak through the heart of the season and finished the conference schedule with a perfect 22-0 mark, a first in MCC history, en route to winning the MCC conference championship, the Region VIII championship and the Heartland super regional title.