Old Dominion University Baseball: A Legacy of Monarchs
The Old Dominion University (ODU) Monarchs baseball team has a rich and storied history, dating back to the early days of the institution. From its humble beginnings as a division of the College of William & Mary to its current status as a Division I competitor in the Sun Belt Conference, ODU baseball has consistently strived for excellence, producing talented players and memorable moments.
The Early Years: Building a Foundation (1930-1960s)
Baseball at ODU began shortly after the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary was established in 1930. In March 1931, the first game took place, with A. Rufus Tonelson pitching for the Norfolk Division. The Braves, as the athletic teams were then called, secured an 8-3 victory against Deep Creek High School. This marked the beginning of a program that would contribute significantly to the university's growth and recognition.
In 1932, the Norfolk Division clinched the Tidewater Scholastic Conference championship, marking the first conference title won by an athletic team at the institution. This early success laid the groundwork for future achievements and helped establish a tradition of athletic excellence.
Joseph "Scrap" Chandler played a pivotal role in the development of athletics at ODU. He arrived in Norfolk in 1942 and served as the school's athletic director until 1963, hiring Arthur "Bud" Metheny in 1948 as both basketball and baseball coach. Chandler and Metheny advocated for the Norfolk Division's inclusion in Virginia's Little Eight and then the Mason-Dixon Conference.
Dominance in the Little Eight and Mason-Dixon Conference
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Monarchs established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in regional competition. They secured four Little Eight championships in 1958 and from 1961-1963, as well as four Mason-Dixon Conference championships in 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1968. These titles demonstrated the program's growing strength and ability to compete at a high level.
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NCAA College Division Success
The 1960s were a golden era for ODU baseball, highlighted by two consecutive NCAA College Division Eastern Championships in 1963 and 1964. The 1963 team won the NCAA College Division on May 31st. The 1964 Monarchs, coached by Metheny, finished with a remarkable 22-3 record, capturing both the "Little Eight" championship and the Mason-Dixon Conference title.
The 1964 team's success extended beyond regional dominance. They secured their second consecutive East Regional title, a significant achievement at a time when national playoffs for small colleges did not exist. Although sparsely attended, the 1964 regional games garnered national media attention, with prominent newspapers such as the New York Times and New York Daily News covering the event. Metheny was named College Division national coach of the year in 1964.
Memorable Figures: Chandler and Metheny
Joseph "Scrap" Chandler and Arthur "Bud" Metheny are two figures inextricably linked to the rise of Old Dominion University athletics. Chandler's vision and leadership as athletic director laid the foundation for the program's success. Metheny, a former New York Yankees player, brought his expertise and passion to the baseball and basketball programs, transforming them into competitive forces.
Metheny, who wore Babe Ruth's No. 3 during his time with the Yankees, instilled a blue-collar work ethic in his players, attracting talented individuals who resonated with the university's values. He led the Monarchs to unprecedented heights, leaving an indelible mark on the program's history. Metheny stepped down as basketball coach a year later, hiring Sonny Allen to replace him.
Baseball games were played at Larchmont Elementary School and the team practiced at Lafayette Park, 2 miles from campus.
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Transition and Growth: Moving to Division I (1970s-1980s)
In 1969, Old Dominion College attained university status and changed its name to Old Dominion University, marking a significant milestone in the institution's history. During the 1969-1970 season, Jim Bradly coached the Monarchs to a 12-14 record, after which Metheny returned to the team for the next 10 years. In 1971 & 1972 ODU finished as NCAA Division II South Atlantic finalists.
Moving to Division I
ODU officially joined NCAA Division I in 1977, signaling a new era of competition and growth for the baseball program. This transition required significant investment and a commitment to competing against larger, more established programs. Metheny led the transition for the Baseball Monarchs to NCAA Division I in 1977.
Continued Success and Conference Championships
Despite the increased competition, the Monarchs continued to achieve success. In 1980, Metheny secured his final title, the Virginia Intercollegiate State Championship, with a victory over UVA.
Mark Newman took over after Metheny in 1981 when the team left the Mason Dixon Conference for the ECAC South, which would later become the Colonial Athletic Association in 1985. In Newman's second season the Monarchs earned a bid to the 1982 NCAA tournament where they won their first game against the ECAC South champion ECU Pirates. In 1983 the Monarchs left the ECAC for the Sun Belt Conference. The 1985 season was particularly memorable, as the Monarchs set several school records, including an overall win record of 50-11 and a Sun Belt Conference Championship. The 1985 Monarchs earned a berth in the 1985 NCAA tournament and achieved their highest ranking in school history, appearing at 7th in the polls.
Denny Riddleberger's MLB Debut
The program also saw its first former Monarch reach the pinnacle of professional baseball, as Denny Riddleberger made it to the Major League level. This achievement served as an inspiration to future generations of ODU players and demonstrated the program's ability to develop talent capable of competing at the highest level.
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The Legacy of Jeff Bearse
Jeff Bearse, one of the most dominating pitchers in Old Dominion University baseball history, left an indelible mark on the program. Bearse compiled a 28-11 career record and topped it off as a sophomore when he was 14-3 with a 2.67 earned run average. That year in 1985, the Monarchs rolled to a 50-11 record and captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Bearse was named to BASEBALL AMERICA magazine's third team All-American squad. Even more impressive is that Bearse walked only 32 batters. Bearse also holds the school's mark for strikeouts in a nine inning game with 15 against crosstown rival Norfolk State and Jacksonville in 1987. Bearse earned All-Sun Belt conference honors in 1985 and 1987. In the summer of 1990, Bearse became the sixth Monarch baseball player to play in the major leagues, playing for Cleveland.
Building on Tradition: The Modern Era (1990s-Present)
In 1990 the Monarchs were taken over by Pat McMahon who in his first year led the team to the 1990 NCAA tournament. The Monarchs then transitioned to the Colonial Athletic Association in 1992. McMahon again led the Monarchs to the NCAA tournament in 1994 after winning the CAA tournament. Both times McMahon led the Monarchs to the NCAA tournament he had 40 win seasons. McMahon left ODU after the 1994 season to become the associate head coach at Mississippi State.
Tony Guzzo was hired from VCU in 1995 after McMahon left ODU and led the Monarchs to back-to-back CAA titles and NCAA tournaments in his first two seasons at the helm. Between Coach McMahon and Coach Guzzo the Monarchs had the 21st best winning percentage (.660) in the NCAA during the 1990s tied with Texas and ahead of teams like USC and Mississippi State. In 2000 Guzzo again led his team to the post season earning an at-large bid to the 2000 NCAA tournament. Guzzo coached the Monarchs until 2005 when Jerry Meyers took over.
Justin Verlander: A Monarch Legend
The early 2000s saw the emergence of one of the program's most iconic figures: Justin Verlander. Verlander, a dominant pitcher, set numerous records at ODU and went on to become a Major League Baseball superstar.
In 2004, Verlander was drafted second overall by the Detroit Tigers, becoming the highest Monarch ever selected in the MLB draft. He was inducted into the ODU Hall of Fame in 2012 and holds the ODU, Virginia, and Colonial Athletic Association all-time record for career strikeouts and earning Freshman All-American honors.
Verlander's success in the major leagues has brought immense pride to the ODU baseball program. He won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 when he went to his first World Series and has also won the 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award. As of 2014 Justin Verlander is the only former Monarch to have played in the World Series pitching in two for Detroit in 2006 and 2012. In 2006 as a rookie Verlander pitched in games 1 and 5 against the Cardinals going 0-2. In the 2012 series Verlander pitched game 1 taking the loss as the Giants swept the Tigers in four games for the championship.
Recent Success and Conference USA Championship
Meyers coached the Monarchs from 2005-2010 when he returned to South Carolina. Meyers' career at ODU was highlighted by a victory over #2 UNC, the school's lone victory over a top 5 team until 2014. In 2012 Old Dominion hired Chris Finwood as their head coach. Finwood came to ODU from Western Kentucky where he led the Hilltoppers to two conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances. His first season resulted in 19 wins and last place in the CAA. Finwood led the Monarchs from the CAA to Conference USA in 2014 and made them instantly competitive in their new league. The 2013 team was ineligible for the CAA tournament because of this planned move and went on to win 30 games and finished in 3rd place in the conference. Finwood's third team at ODU continued to improve on the previous year by winning six more games than the 2013 team. On April 29, 2014 the Monarchs defeated the #1 ranked team and eventual College World Series runner-up Virginia by a score of 8-1 at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. The victory was ODU and Finwood's first ever victory over the #1 team in the country. The season concluded after a deep run in the conference tournament earned them a bid to the 2014 NCAA tournament where they went 0-2. In just three years Finwood led the Monarchs from last place in the CAA to back-to-back 30-win seasons, and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a three seed in the Columbia, South Carolina Regional. In 2015 ODU swept nationally ranked UVA making it three straight over the Cavaliers, two of those wins when UVA was ranked #1. Finwood has currently led his team to 27+ wins in three of his four seasons at ODU after a 19 win campaign in his first season and two straight C-USA Conference Tournament berths.
In 2021, the team won their first Conference USA Championship and went to the Columbia Regional of the NCAA College World Series as the number 1 seed, the first time in the school’s history. The following year, baseball joined the Sun Belt Conference.
ODU and ECU were longtime opponents in the CAA before ECU's move to the C-USA. When ODU announced it was moving to the C-USA in 2014 it was expected to add to the already heated rivalry but they were only together in the C-USA for one year due to ECU's move to the American Athletic Conference. ODU and UVA have played very competitively over the course of their history. With the hiring of head coach Brian O'Connor and the resurgence of Cavalier baseball during his tenure the Cavaliers have won most of the games in the past decade. UVA and ODU have scheduled home-and-home series at Davenport Field in Charlottesville and Harbor Park in Norfolk. ODU upset then #1 UVA at Harbor Park in 2014 and #1 UVA in Charlottesville in 2015 for the programs only wins over a top ranked team in school history. VCU was one of Old Dominion's largest rivalries from its time in the CAA. ODU & VCU games are among the highest attended games on their schedule and they play at least one game against each other every season. Former Monarch Paul Keyes was the head coach at VCU from 1995 until his death in 2012. In honor of Coach Keyes the two teams began a charity game in his name where they raise money for cancer research during a game played at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, Virginia. The Paul A Keyes Hitting Facility at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex which opened in Fall 2014 was also named in Coach Keyes' honor.
Facilities and Traditions
The Monarchs have played at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex since it opened in 1983. The complex has a total capacity of 2,500 people with the stadium record being 2,125 on the day of its dedication. The facilities contain coaches offices beneath the first base bleachers and the player locker room beneath the third base bleachers. In 2009 the field obtained a new video board and in 2011 a batter's eye was erected. The facility also has a beer garden in the first baseline foul area, an all turf halo behind home plate, a turf stretching/bunting area, and the Paul Keyes Indoor Hitting Facility.
In 2023, it was announced that the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex would receive a $20 million to provide new locker rooms and offices, improved sight lines, and chairback seating behind home plate. There will also be expanded restrooms and concessions as well as a large press box. To recognize the $2.5 million donation of local businessman Dennis Ellmer and his wife, Jan Ellmer, the new facility will be named the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex.
Retired Jerseys: Honoring Legends
The ODU Baseball Monarchs have retired two jerseys in their history. The jersey number 3 was retired former New York Yankee outfielder and ODU Baseball Head Coach Bud Metheny who compiled an overall record of 423-363-6 during his 31 years at ODU and was inducted into the American Association of College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1984 and the ODU Hall of Fame in 1982. While playing for the Yankees Metheny won the 1943 World Series. The second jersey is number 35 for current San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander.
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