Levi Coatney, like his teammate Josh DeJonge (another “2011 Player to Watch”), has played on the Varsity since his Freshman season.

Last season, Coatney hit .339 with 15 RBI’s for the Dux.

As the starting shortstop for Zeeland West, he was solid in the field and also contributes on the mound as one of the team’s top hurlers.

“Levi is a very hardworking kid who also plays football” says the Dux head coach, Jeff VanHuis.

“He has a good arm, excellent fielding fundamentals and really understands the game.”

Extensive summer ball experience has certainly helped Coatney. He has played travel baseball in Georgia, Indiana and Michigan.

“By playing in these different parts of the country, I think I have developed a pretty well rounded knowledge of the game” says Coatney.

“This has helped me learn and develop many valuable skills to apply in any game environment”

Last summer he played for the Elite Storm, a 18U team out of Elite Baseball in Grand Rapids.

Coatney has started to draw interest from a variety of colleges including Michigan State University and Grand Rapids Community College.

While he certainly plans to play at the next level, Coach VanHuis is excited to have him back for his fourth Varsity season.

“Levi has a wealth of experience” says VanHuis.

“He will be a key component for the 2011 Dux baseball team!”