Dennis van Hoof

Dennis van Hoof

• Bats Left, Throws Left

• Born October 31, 1983

Dennis van Hoof debuted for the Belgian national team at age 17 in the 2001 European Championship, tossing one shutout inning despite a hit and two walks. He was Belgium's ace by the 2003 European Championship when the young southpaw was 2-0 with no runs and 11 K in 14 innings; the rest of the staff was 0-5. Van Hoof beat Great Britain and Germany. In the latter game, he beat Tim Henkenjohann, a minor league pitcher.

Dennis beat the Mainz Athletics in the 2008 European Cup with a 11-K, 2-run complete game, but lost to the Marlins Puerto Cruz with 4 runs and 3 K in six innings. He tied former major leaguer Pat Ahearne for 4th in the Cup in whiffs.

In the 2008 European Championship Qualifiers, van Hoof pitched in the finale against Austria. He struck out 12 and allowed one run in a complete game win to give Belgium a spot in the 2010 European Championship. He tied for the event lead in strikeouts and was named the Best Pitcher. Teammate Benjamin Dille beat him out for MVP honors.

Van Hoof had a 8-1, 1.14 record in 2009 for the Port of Antwerp Greys in the First Division of Belgium. He hit .158/.200/.211 in the 2009 European Cup but was 1-0 with no runs in four innings, getting Antwerp's lone win in five games, topping the Marlins Puerto Cruz, a team with a couple players with US minor league experience.

Oddly, Van Hoof was left off Belgium's preliminary 36-man roster for the 2010 Euros.