BB: ODAC: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[A.G.]

This from The Summer Baseball Blog:

http://collegesummerball.blogspot.com/2008/07/lynchburg-college-hornets-summer-update.html

Lynchburg College has several players who have played key roles with their summer clubs. Pitcher Conner Thompson has appeared in 7 games for the Haymarket Senators in the Valley League, while pitcher DW Moore has pitched 30 innings for the Thomasville HiToms of the Coastal Plains League, striking out 28 batters. 2nd team All-American Joe Devlin has been solid for the Herndon Braves of the Cal Ripken Senior league, sporting a 3.92 ERA in 39 innings pitched.

Two other Hornets also recently completed their seasons with the Carolina Chaos of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. Outfielder Cameron Grant batted .288 and tied for the team lead in runs scored with 19. Third baseman Jeff Taylor batted .306 and added 21 steals while also scoring 19 runs for the Chaos. Taylor has also been recently added to the roster of the Martinsville Mustangs in the CPL for the final weeks of the season.

Another outfielder, David Gaines, recently completed his season with the Anson Rough Riders of the Tar Heel Summer league adding a homerun to his tally. Two other Hornets, pitcher Richard Glover and catcher Ryan Litz, have been playing with the independent Central Virginia baseball team, facing primarily competition from the CVCL.

[A.G.]

The ODAC Champ will be heading to Salisbury for the regionals in 09, according to D3baseball:

The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has announced seven of the eight predetermined, regional sites of the NCAA Division III Baseball to take place on May 13-17.

The host sites for the 2009 Regionals are as follows:

Central: Augustana
Mid-Atlantic: TBD
Mideast: Adrian
Midwest: UW-Oshkosh
New England: Eastern Connecticut State
New York: SUNY-Old Westbury and Skyline Conference (co-hosts)
South: Salisbury
West: Linfield

[baseballbaseball]

WHO IS THE FAVORITE FOR THE USA SOUTH-ODAC TOURNEY. FROM TOP TO BOTTOM ITS EASY TO SEE THAT THE USA SOUTH IS A MUCH BETTER CONFRENCE, BUT THE GAMES STILL HAVE TO BE PLAYED. CNU AND THEIR FREAK OF NATURE HITTING TEAM WILL WIN ATLEAST TWO OF THERE GAMES, WHILE YOU HAVE TO AGREE THAT THE GBORO HITTING TEAM THEY HAVE WILL WIN A GAME TO. TOM AUSTIN WILL HAVE HIS BOYS READY TO PLAY AS ALWAYS AND WILL PULL OUT A NOTCH AS WELL. LOOK FOR FERRUM TO NOT WIN A GAME AT ALL WHILE SU AND AVERETT WILL SHARE A WIN OR TWO. NC WESLEYAN WILL BE FAVORED TO WIN ATLEAST TWO OF THEIR GAMES AND SHOULD BE PROMISED ATLEAST THE ONE GAME THAT THE MOORE KID THROWS TO HAVE A WIN. IT SHOULD BE A FUN TOURNAMENT TO WATCH AND THE TOTALS SHOULD COME DOWN TO THE LAST DAY.


CNU- 2 OR 3 (BAILEY AND THE GUYS SURROUNDING HIM IN THE LINEUP WILL BE THE MOST FUN TO WATCH)
GBORO-1 OR 2 (ALWAYS A GOOD HITTING TEAM AND SHOULD WIN ONE OF THEIR 3)
NCWC- 1 OR 2 (UNLESS GRADUATED, MOORE'S GAME WILL BE A WIN AND SHOULD NOTCH ONE MORE)
FERRUM- 0 (BEING THAT IM FROM VA, AND WATCH FERRUM LAST YEAR  GO 10-?, DOESNT GET IT DONE)
SU- 1 HOULD NOTCH OUT ONE WIN AND MAYBE TWO IF THEY HAVE A GAME AGAINST GUILFORD)
METHODIST-1 AUSTIN WILL LEAD HIS TEAM TO ATLEST ONE WIN, JUST BECAUSE ITS METHODSIT)
AVERETT-1 UNLESS GRAD, HILDRETH AND MOORE WILL GO FOR PITCHER OF THE YEAR AND AVERETT SHOULD GET ONE OF THEIR WINS THROUGH HILDRETH)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE PREDICTIONS AND WHAT IS THE ODAC GOING TO BRING?

[A.G.]

Assuming you are talking about the general tournaments at the end of the season and the regular season races...

Expect the ODAC will be a dog fight between VWC, R-MC, and LC.  You can never count out Bridgewater or W&L...but the fact that the first three teams have all their pitching back, bodes well for the ODAC...even in the mid-week games games against the USA South.  Roanoke also has a number of players back, and should definitely be in the mix for making the tournament.  HSC usually gets out the gate slow, but seems to turn it up two or three notches in mid-season.  EMC was VERY young last year and their coach has them scrapping game after game.  If they get a little more offense, they can definitely surprise some teams.  Guilford returns some good talent and if their pitching steps it up, could also be in the mix.  I know nothing about E&H so cannot comment on their chances.

[A.G.]

L.C. checks in at #14 in the preseason poll:
http://www.baseballnews.com/polls/divIII/currentpolldiviii.htm

CNU checks in as "others", with no other ODAC or USAS teams mentioned.  I think that is a mistake as the ODAC should be loaded at the top this year.

[Ralph Turner]

L.C. checks in at #14 in the preseason poll:
http://www.baseballnews.com/polls/divIII/currentpolldiviii.htm

CNU checks in as "others", with no other ODAC or USAS teams mentioned.  I think that is a mistake as the ODAC should be loaded at the top this year.

In the Top 30, I see Salisbury, Lynchburg and Piedmont from the South Region, which is one of the smaller regions, which is about a proportional representation.

As I look at their top 30, I don't know whom I would put into the Top 30 to the exclusion of someone else!

Also, they do not give the number of votes that CNU received.

I see some of the quality conferences loading up, e.g., the Little East, the OAC and the NJAC, and the SCIAC's Redlands and LaVerne got some love.  The usual power teams are still showing up, e.g. Cortland St, Chapman, St Scholastica.  JHU and Trinity CT are still there from the World Series finals.

I only see IWU from the CCIW.

I sound like a broken record, but there are about "80" Top 30 teams in the country!     

[rlscosta]

Any thoughts on preseason 1st team All-Conference???   Here are mine...

1B - Drew Elkins (so - BC)
2B - Greg Meleski (sr - RMC)
SS - Gavin Haynes (sr - EHU)
3B - Jeff Taylor (Jr - LU)
C - Andrew Chrismer (sr - BC)
OF - Cameron Grant (Jr - LU)
OF - Terrence McKelvey (sr - WLU)
OF - Michael Wallace (Jr - RMC)
DH - Charlie Hartt (sr - RMC)
P - Gary Bulman (so - VWC)
P - Joe Devlin (sr - LU)

Pitcher of the Year - Gary Bulman (so - VWC)
Player of the Year - DH - Charlie Hartt (sr - RMC)

[A.G.]

Nice list...
...although I would like to add others for consideration at respective positions (I am not familiar enough with Guilford or EMC to comment on their players):
Bryon Mendenhall..So....RMC..SP
Ryan Litz................Jr......LC....C
Kyle Bradley...........Sr.....LC....2B (was 2nd team all region as a soph)
Aaron Read............Sr.....BC....2B
Graham Thacker.....Jr.....RC.....B (2B is VERY DEEP this year)

For player of the year, I would be scared to pick at the ODAC has so much talent on every team.

[rlscosta]

Mendenhall from RMC was very good as a freshman last year but Joe Devlin from Lynchburg just does not get enough credit.  All 3 are deserving 1st Team.  I spoke to a VWC player this past Sunday and he told me Bulman is hurt...don't know how bad, so we'll have to see how does that affect things.  I hope he recovers, the kid is very talented and can sling that ball!

[A.G.]

Press release from the LC Baseball Site...

LC Baseball to Start Season as No. 14 in Collegiate Baseball News Preseason Poll

For Immediate Release - 1/5/09 - #150

LC Baseball to Start Season as No. 14 in Collegiate Baseball News Preseason Poll

LYNCHBURG, VA - The Lynchburg College baseball team, coming off its first regional appearance since 1983, has been slotted as the No. 14 team in the country according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll, which was released December 23.

The Hornets, under the direction of 11-year head coach Percy Abell, finished the 2008 season 32-13, which was a school record for wins in a year. LC also ended as the regular season champion in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), posting a 15-3 mark in the league.

Lynchburg returns a wealth of talent on the pitching staff, led by All-American right hander senior Joe Devlin (Ashburn, VA/Broad Run). Seniors Jonathan Nichols (Stafford, VA/North Stafford) and lefthander Connor Thompson (Solomons, MD/Reservoirs) will battle for the No. 2 rotation spot, along with Hampden-Sydney College transfer Bryan Breedlove (Suffolk, VA/Nansemond-Suffolk).

Offensively, the Hornets will have to replace ODAC Player of the Year, Ronnie Labrie (Vinton, VA/Staunton River) and All-State first baseman Jon Crews (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage). Handling that task will be senior second baseman Kyle Bradley (Brookneal, VA/William Campbell), and junior outfielders Cameron Grant (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) and Jeff Taylor (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage).

Cortland State (NY) was tabbed as the top team in the preseason, followed by Chapman (CA), Adrian (MI), Kean (NJ) and Southern Maine. Other notable teams ranked were Johns Hopkins (MD) at No. 7, Salisbury (MD) at No. 11 and Piedmont (GA) at No. 27.

Lynchburg opens it 2009 season with a doubleheader Saturday, February 7 at Greensboro College in Greensboro, NC.

http://www.lynchburg.edu/x16168.xml

[HighHeat]

Here is my 2009 ODAC Preseason team.......

C- CJ Rhodes, Virginia Wesleyan
1B- Hunter Serenbetz, Washington and Lee
2B- Greg Meleski, Randolph Macon
SS- Gavin Haynes, Emory and Henry
3B- Jeff Taylor, Lynchburg
OF- Michael Wallace, Randolph Macon
OF- Joe John, Guilford
OF- Terrence McKelvey, Washington and Lee
P- Joe Devlin, Lynchburg
P- Gary Bulman, Virginia Wesleyan
P- Byron Mendenhall, Randolph Macon

Also deserving: Kyle Bradley (LC), Charlie Hartt (RMC), Graham Thacker (RC), Brandon Hathaway (VWC), Mike Marion (VWC), Cameron Grant (LC), Andrew Chrismer (BC), Drew Elkins (BC)

[A.G.]

I guess many of the ODAC teams open up practice later this week.  I hope they dress warm or have a nice indoor area b/c it is going to be cold from the mountains of SW VA and E&H all the way to the Coast and VWC.

[A.G.]

ODAC with some representation in the D3baseball.com top 25:

2009 Preseason NCBWA/D3baseball.com Top 25

Rk School (first)
1. Cortland State (12)
2. Chapman (4)
3. Trinity (Conn.) (7)
4. UW-Whitewater (1)
5. Johns Hopkins (1)
6. Adrian
7. Kean
8. Heidelberg
9. Salisbury
10. Southern Maine
11. Wooster
12. Texas-Tyler
13. Eastern Connecticut
14. Linfield
15. St. Scholastica
16. Illinois Wesleyan
17. Marietta
18. St. Thomas
19. Wheaton (Mass.)
20. Lynchburg
21. Thiel
22. RPI
23. UW-Oshkosh
24. Carthage
25. Augustana

Also receiving votes: Rowan, Webster, Pacific Lutheran, Calvin, Keene State, Piedmont, Trinity (Texas), New Jersey, Redlands, La Verne, Wheaton (Ill.), George Fox, Randolph-Macon, Christopher Newport, Ithaca, St. Olaf, Emory, Hardin-Simmons, North Carolina Wesleyan, UW-Stevens Point, Aurora, DeSales, Penn State-Behrend, McMurry, Montclair State, Millsaps, Beloit, Transylvania, Virginia Wesleyan, Ohio Wesleyan, Ripon, Simpson.

[fightingquaker1]

I saw where Joe Devlin for Lynchburg put up all kinds of great stats last year....how good of a pitcher is he? I noticed he pitched nearly 90 innings last year, but only recorded 38 K's. Obviously not a power pitcher....Thanks for the input.

[A.G.]

Don't let the stats fool you.  Think Greg Maddux and that's the type of pitcher Devlin is.

BTW....welcome to the conversation Q1...nice to not have to talk to myself all the time.  We know a couple of the Quakers players from our area.