Defending Champion Virginia Wesleyan Enters as Top Seed

Salem, Va. --- Defending champion Virginia Wesleyan College enters the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament as the number-one seed after completing the conference regular season tied for the league-best with a 13-5 ODAC record. The tournament is slated for April 26-29 at City Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. This year's tournament marks the third consecutive ODAC baseball championship hosted in the Hill City.

VWC (21-15, 13-5) sits atop the conference standings. The Marlins captured the 2006 championship with a 7-6 decision over Bridgewater College in the title game, and have won three of the past four ODAC championships (2003, '04, '06). The Marlins will face #6 seed Randolph-Macon (18-18-1, 8-10) Thursday morning at 11am. VWC leads the league in team pitching categories with a 4.00 cumulative ERA. Chris Rivera is tops on the Marlin hill posting a 8-0 overall mark and recording 2.08 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched.

Hampden-Sydney enters as the second seed. The Tigers compiled a 13-5 league mark and 22-16 overall record, and played their way into the second seed by completing the conference regular season with three doubleheader sweeps. HSC, which last won a conference baseball title in 2005, is led by junior third baseman Josh Michael. The Tigers face #5 seed Washington and Lee University (17-12, 11-7) in the first round. HSC and the Generals will play the second game Thursday scheduled for 3pm.

Lynchburg College and Bridgewater College finished the regular season tied for third with a 12-6 league mark. Lynchburg secured the third seed in the tournament through the conference tie-breaker procedures. The Hornets were near the top of the conference in several categories including second place finishes in overall wins (21), earned run average (4.73), batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.368), runs score (233) and hits (375).  Lynchburg was tops in runs batted in (209) and triples (19).

Bridgewater, last year's conference runner-up, boasts the ODAC's highest scoring offense after crossing the plate 238 times during the regular season.  The Eagles also led the league in hits (399), homeruns (27) and batters struck out by their pitching staff (268).  Senior Ricky Read leads the Eagles into tournament play, batting .372 with seven homers and 36 RBI.  The 2006 ODAC Player of the Year has also posted five wins on the mound, fanning 63 batters in 54.2 innings of work.

Bridgewater and Lynchburg square off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.

2007 ODAC Baseball Tournament (at City Stadium in Lynchburg, Va.)
First Round - Thursday, April 26
#6 Randolph-Macon vs. #1 Virginia Wesleyan - 11:00 a.m.
#5 Washington and Lee vs. #2 Hampden-Sydney - 3:00 p.m.
#4 Bridgewater vs. #3 Lynchburg - 7:00 p.m.