BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Rockingham County Baseball League and the Bridgewater College baseball program have long been synonymous, and the 2026 season for the longest-running amateur baseball league in the United States has been no different.
 
The league is in the midst of its championship series between the Bridgewater Reds and Grottoes Cardinals, with both teams featuring BC influences. The Reds' roster features former two-sport standout Brett Tharp '23, Nick Griffin '24 and southpaw hurler Jared Peake '25. On the other side of the diamond, the Cardinals feature current and former Eagles, led by manager Tim Nicely '91. The Grottoes squad also features a pair of former BC pitchers in Tucker Garrison '20 and recent graduate Andrew Baugher '26, as well as current assistant coach Austin Nicely, who is playing for his father's club.
 
The Reds are making their fifth-straight appearance in the league's best-of-seven championship series, while the Nicely bunch in Grottoes is in their first championship series in 30 years.
 
Bridgewater's influence on the league has been longstanding, including this year's RCBL Hall of Fame Class. Two former Eagles were formally inducted into the league's Hall of Fame on Saturday: Larry French '80 and Danny Davis.
 
French finished among the program's all-time leaders in career earned run average and shutouts. The 1978 First-Team All-ODAC selection tossed a one-hitter in 1980 against Hampden-Sydney, one of his seven complete games that season. French was a part of the recently inducted 1978 Bridgewater Baseball Team of Distinction that won the ODAC Championship, and his baseball journey did not stop there. French went on to win nine RCBL championships for the Bridgewater Reds in his 19 years as a pitcher just up Route 42. His legacy continued through his two sons, Grant and Ross, who each won RCBL championships with the Clover Hill Bucks.
 
Davis started his collegiate baseball career at Bridgewater before transferring elsewhere. The Turner Ashby product returned to Bridgewater College years later as the institution's Grounds Supervisor. Over the past two years, he has led all of BC's grounds upkeep, including at all of the College's beautiful athletic facilities. Davis's RCBL career saw him become one of the league's most feared hitters, including an impressive 23 home runs in the 2000 season to become the RCBL Most Valuable Player. He captured seven RCBL Championships during his time as a player, spending time with the Bridgewater, Briery Branch, Linville and Broadway.
 
In total, over a dozen Bridgewater alumni and many current Eagles participated in the RCBL's 2026 season. On top of the players, Tim Nicely '91 (Grottoes Cardinals) and Kevin Chandler '12 (Clover Hill Bucks) both serve as head coaches in the league alongside Massanutten Mountaineers owner Kirk Messick '10.
 
The RCBL Championship Series continues Tuesday as the Reds and Cardinals clash at John E. Painter Park in Grottoes for game three in the best-of-seven series (Bridgewater leads 2-0).