RMC on path to D-III World Series reaped benefits of ODAC competition (2024)

Brad Bankston has been the Old Dominion Athletic Conference commissioner since 1997, and therefore brings a deeply qualified feel for Division III sports nationally and regionally.

Bankston wasn’t overselling when he spoke about the 2023 ODAC tournament before its final four played the University of Richmond. Three of the four participants were ranked among D-III’s top 16.

“Our league’s pretty good in baseball,” Bankston said. “There’s some history here and some accomplishments.”

Since he made that statement, the list of history and accomplishments grew. ODAC member Lynchburg won the 2023 D-III national championship, and Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg advanced to this year’s D-III World Series, which starts Friday in Eastlake, Ohio.

The Yellow Jackets (33-14) meet Wisconsin-Whitewater (40-9) on Friday at 8 p.m., in Eastlake, located near Cleveland. Lynchburg (35-15), which finished fourth in the ODAC this season and then won the league title, meets Endicott (46-2) on Friday at 1:15 p.m.

Because of the way the eight-team world series sets up, RMC and Lynchburg could meet in the best-of-three championship series.

“Every game in the ODAC is always a competitive one,” said Carter Schmitt, RMC’s sophom*ore designated hitter/first baseman from St. Christopher’s and a first-team, all-ODAC selection this season. “You’re always playing good teams. Any time you can beat one of those great teams, it just builds chemistry and builds momentum. It gives you a good feeling.”

ODAC ‘harder’ than NCAA regional

Randolph-Macon made it through the first round of the ODAC tournament by defeating Washington and Lee twice. When the Yellow Jackets hit the second round, they were eliminated, losing to Lynchburg and Shenandoah. Still, RMC earned an at-large bid to the NCAAs and won their regional in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“The teams in our league from one to 12 just do things so well,” said Ray Hedrick, in his 20th season as RMC coach. “Our ODAC tournament was harder than our (NCAA) regional. We went 0-2 in the (ODAC) final four against some elite teams. Any of those teams that were there could be playing right now.”

Competition in ODAC ‘unreal’

There was an impromptu social gathering in center field at RMC’s Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park after the Yellow Jackets won their super regional by defeating Adrian 9-6 Saturday in the third and final game. Team members posed for pictures and celebrated with family and friends.

Some of those involved checked phones to see how Lynchburg was doing. The Hornets traveled to the University of La Verne in California and swept the Leopards 7-1 and 6-4 to return to the D-III World Series after winning it last year.

“The competition in the ODAC is unreal,” RMC senior first baseman Myles Webb said. “The arms you see, the players you see, the bats, the coaching … The (Yellow Jackets) because of it reap the benefits, and that’s why we’re here today.”

Two 4-team brackets

The eight-team D-III World Series field is divided into four-team brackets. Those teams play in-bracket, double-elimination formats with the winners advancing to the best-of-three championship series at Classic Auto Group Park, the 6,500-seat home of the Lake County Captains, High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

RMC previously qualified for the D-III World Series in 2018.

WS participant without a school

In RMC’s four-team group is Birmingham-Southern, which has been the story of the tournament. That school, located in Birmingham, Alabama, announced on March 26 that it would cease operations on May 31 because of financial issues.

Area connections

The RMC roster includes 47 players. Forty are from Virginia, and 12 of them are from the Richmond metropolitan area.