LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg Hornets are set to bring the sting as a regional host for the DIII NCAA Tournament. Ranked No. 5 in the nation, the team claimed its fourth ODAC title in the last five years. However, head coach Travis Beazley says the defending national champions aren’t taking anything for granted.
“Regionals are really hard. We’ve learned that. This is our fifth one in a row, so we’ve been fortunate enough to advance out of two,” Beazley said. “I think game one is really important. You know, we’ve been really, really good in game ones, whether it’s the ODAC tournament or regionals, so we know the importance of the game on Friday against a really tough Marymount. Now, we’ve been in some really, really tough regionals, and I think this will be no different, but we’re excited to play at Fox and, you know, see what we can do.”
Junior pitcher Tyler Kaltreider emphasized the team’s goal to build on the previous year’s success.
“That’s the ultimate goal when it comes to the program’s success, is just kind of getting back to not just where we were last year, but also just trying to keep it in a better position and do greater things than the last team before us,” Kaltreider said.
Sophomore infielder Joe Munitz pointed to the program’s high standards.
“Our standard is we’re like supposed to win the ODAC and win more than any other team, and that’s kind of the standard we set, and it’s what we train to do,” Munitz said. “But starting in the fall and all, we’re striving to do is make it to June and play in June.”
The Hornets open regional play against Marymount at 1:30 p.m. Friday.