Baseball at ODU

Aerial view of the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex, circa 2000-2005

Baseball is one of the athletic programs at Old Dominion University (ODU). Home baseball games take place at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

Contents

1 History
2 Head Coaches
3 Resources
4 References

History

Baseball at ODU began shortly after the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary began in 1930. The first game took place in March 1931 with A. Rufus Tonelson as the pitcher for the Norfolk Division. The Braves, as the Norfolk Division athletic teams were called, won the game 8 to 3 against Deep Creek High School. In 1932, the Norfolk Division won the Tidewater Scholastic conference championship, the first conference championship won by an athletic team. The Norfolk Division joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1959. In 1963 and 1964, the Monarchs won the NCAA East Regional Championship. 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.

In 2023, it was announced that the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex would receive a $20 million top 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.

Head Coaches

Thomas L. “Tommy” Scott (1930-1941)

Joseph C. “Scrap” Chandler (1942-1947)

Arthur “Bud” Metheny (1948-1980)

Mark Newman (1981-1989)

Pat McMahon (1990-1994)

Tony Guzzo (1995-2004)

Jerry Meyers (2005-2010)

Nate Goulet, Interim Head Coach (2011)

Chris Finwood (2012-Present)

Resources

Intercollegiate Athletics Records, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
Old Dominion University Photographic and Multimedia Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.

References

Old Dominion University Athletics Website, Old Dominion University, accessed 2021 November 22.