BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The four-seeded Bridgewater College baseball team prepares for the ODAC final series as the No. 9 nationally ranked Eagles goes up against two additional ranked teams in the nation along with a team receiving votes for national recognition set to begin on May 7 at Capital One Park in Tysons, Va.
The four-team field will compete in a double-elimination format through three days of action with the championship game scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.
Up first for the Eagles is top-seeded Lynchburg. Entering the matchup, the two teams squared off twice this season as the Hornets took both games, 5-2 and 7-6 at Bridgewater Baseball Field. Last time out, Bridgewater ran into setbacks converting hits to runs in the series as 20 combined hits produced only eight total runs.
The Eagles stand with an overall record of 32-11 and a regular season ODAC record of 12-8 while Lynchburg holds a 33-4-1 overall record and an 18-1-1 ODAC record with just one conference loss in the regular season against Shenandoah. In the all-time head-to-head series with the Hornets, Lynchburg has the edge with a 34-27-1 record. The last time the Eagles took down the Hornets was in 2024 in a 10-inning walk-off.
In the national baseball polls, the Bridgewater Eagles sit at No. 9 across all polls including D3baseball.com, NPI, and ABCA.
The other two teams Bridgewater could face are two-seeded Shenandoah and three-seeded Randolph-Macon. Entering both matchups, the Eagles split the two games against Shenandoah, claiming an 11-5 win on the road and then falling in the second game at home by a score of 13-4. The Eagles powered through against Randolph-Macon in the regular season, bolstered by a sweep at home including a dominant 19-0 shutout on April 4.
In the all-time head-to-head matchup, the Eagles have been bested by the Shenandoah Hornets at a 32-17 clip and are tied at 30 wins apiece against Randolph-Macon.
There have been strong performers for Bridgewater all season long. Zack Chadwell has swung a hot bat for the Eagles, compiling a single-season program record of 67 RBIs including 13 home runs, 54 hits, and 34 runs scored with a .325 batting average. Bryce Suters has maintained a steady bat with the best batting average for the Eagles at a .395 average along with a team-high 64 hits. Freshman Jakson Walter has been active on the bases for BC piling a team-high 51 runs scored.
On the mound, Evan Bert leads the way with 67 strikeouts for the best total in the ODAC along with a 3.97 ERA through 65.2 innings pitched.
For the opposing squads, there are athletes to watch out for. Leading the way offensively for Lynchburg is Jack Pokorak with a.396 batting average including a team-high 75 RBIs and 61 hits. Pokorak also leads all ODAC hitters with 14 home runs. Tyler Kaltreider leads the way on the mound with eight wins plus a 2.91 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
The top pitchers for Shenandoah and Randolph-Macon are also competing at high levels. Shenandoah's Blaine Griffin holds a 3.69 ERA across 65 innings pitched while Randolph-Macon's Peter Phillips remains the leading pitcher for the Yellow Jackets with 61 strikeouts.
Offensively, Shenandoah's Jaime Padilla has displayed impressive performances, averaging a team-best average of .413 along with 52 RBIs and a conference-leading 59 runs scored. On Randolph-Macon's side, the Yellow Jackets have been led by Zach Wernoski with a team-high of 59 hits.
The four-team field kicks off Thursday, May 7 at Capital One Park. The Eagles will face the Lynchburg Hornets at 3 p.m. All game updates and information can be found on the Bridgewater College athletics website or the ODAC baseball tournament page.
