Eastern Mennonite has announced the hiring of Ben Spotts as head baseball coach. The Royals didn't have to look too far as Spotts has spent the past 14 years as assistant baseball coach at Bridgewater College, just down the Route 42 corridor. He will become the 10th head baseball coach at EMU when he begins July 1, replacing interim head coach Jason Stuhlmiller.
Randolph-Macon's two-time All-American first baseman, Jordan Walton, may not have been drafted last week, but he will continue his playing career at the professional level as he signed a minor league deal with the reigning world champion St. Louis Cardinals. Walton will report to the Batavia Muckdogs (N.Y.) in the short-season New York-Penn League.
Recently graduated Lynchburg shortstop Richard Palase was drafted in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners last week. He is one of 12 NCAA Division III players to be drafted this season. He is the second Hornet to be drafted in the last four years, following Ronnie Labrie '08, who was selected by the Washington Nationals in 2008.
Randolph-Macon first baseman Jordan Walton earned his second straight All-American award from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) last week. Walton was also tabbed All-South Region First Team by both the ABCA and D3baseball.com, leading a list of 20 all-region honors from the two outlets.
Matt McGuire will serve as the new head coach of the Roanoke College Baseball program announced by Director of Athletics, Scott Allison Friday. He will replace Larry Wood, who retired after the 2012 season. After three years at Ferrum College, McGuire became the assistant at Randolph-Macon. He'll stay in the ODAC as the new mentor for the Maroons.
The top-seeded Christopher Newport University baseball team defeated fifth-seeded Lynchburg College 7-1 in game four of the NCAA Division III South Regional at CNU on Thursday. With the loss, Lynchburg is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
Two weeks have passed since the end of the ODAC Baseball Tournament, but Lynchburg College now knows when and where it will play in the 2012 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament. The Hornets, winners of the ODAC's automatic bid, will travel to Newport News, Va., to participate in one of eight regional pods beginning on Wednesday, May 16.
Michael Kenah launched a sacrifice fly scoring junior Ashton Paige for the winning run in the eighth inning on Sunday as the Lynchburg baseball team defeated Bridgewater, 2-1, for LC's first ODAC title since 1990. It is the eighth overall conference crown for Lynchburg, who now earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
R-MC's Jordan Walton and BC's Kevin Chandler headline the 2012 All-ODAC Baseball Awards as the ODAC Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. E&H's Trey McCall was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year, and H-SC's Zach Whitaker earned ODAC Rookie of the Year accolades. LC's Zach Fitzpatrick was named the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete.
The final week of the regular season is here with championships around the corner. Those earning weekly honors include (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) Lesley Buckingham, LC (WLAX); Collin Metz, E&H (BSB); Zach Whitaker, HSC (BSB); Kelly Beard, RMC (SB); Luke Heinsohn, W&L (MLAX); Felice Lowery, RC, (SB).
The pairings are set for the 2012 ODAC Baseball Tournament and Lynchburg College enters the postseason as the league’s top seed. The Hornets topped the conference with a 14-4 league mark to go with a 30-8 overall record. LC has been the top seed three out of the past five years heading into the tournament.
Those earning ODAC weekly awards include (pictured l-r, t-b) Heather Lewis, RMC (SB); Felice Lowery, RC (SB); Katy Bergey, BC (WTEN); Katie Freeman, BC (WLX); Carmen Graves, RC (WTRK); Hunter Weaver, RMC (GOLF); Robert Gallet, BC (BSB); Alex Nuttycombe, BC (BSB); Dylan Hoff, LC (MLX); Peter Hawkins, BC (MTEN); Dan Nafziger, EMU (MTRK).
Today's ODAC Podcast is all about baseball and women's tennis as Brad and J.J. dive into both spring sports with the help of a pair of interviews. Lynchburg baseball coach Percy Abell talked about his squad and the depth in the league this year, while W&L women's tennis coach Eric Ishida spoke of the talent on his team and of the progression throughout the league.
Spring sports have taken full effect as BC baseball coach Curt Kendall joins the show to talk a little Eagles baseball. His team is currently 9-1 after defeating nationally-ranked Shenandoah. Brad and J.J. also talk hoops as teams on both sides enter NCAA Tournament play on Friday (R-MC and GC) and Saturday (VWC).
Bridgewater garnered top billing in the first ODAC preseason poll of the spring as the league’s coaches tabbed the Eagles atop the annual baseball survey. Bridgewater received 79 total poll points and seven first place tallies. Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg sit in second and third with 69 and 64 points, respectively. The Yellow Jackets received three first place nods.
Senior Jordan Walton has started off the 2012 season just like he ended the 2011 campaign..with a First-Team All-American honor. The first baseman has been named a Preseason First-Team All-American by the writers at D3baseball.com. Last year, Walton set the NCAA doubles record and led the nation in hits (84), which also set a new ODAC standard.
Randolph-Macon All-American Jordan Walton continues to garner accolades on the diamond as the junior first baseman was recently named to the Valley Baseball League All-Star Game (July 10) and will also represent the VBL in the second annual Mid-Atlantic Classic (July 11). He is one of three NCAA Division III players chosen for the latter game.