SALEM, Va. – Former Boston Red Sox standout Jackie Bradley Jr., who began his professional career with the Salem Red Sox in 2012, will be the featured speaker and one of five inductees into the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bradley will be joined in the Class of 2026 by Drew Bailey, Allen Lawrence, Wes McMillan and Donald Minnick. The 34th Hot Stove Banquet and induction ceremony will be held Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, at the Salem Civic Center.
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A native of Prince George, Bradley helped lead South Carolina to the 2010 College World Series championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He was selected by Boston in the 2011 MLB draft and made the Opening Day roster for the Salem Red Sox in 2012, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Bradley hit .359 in 67 games while showcasing elite defense and strong plate discipline, accelerating his rise through the Red Sox system.
Bradley reached the major leagues in 2013, one year after playing in Salem, and went on to establish himself as one of baseball’s top defensive outfielders. He was named an All-Star in 2016, earned a Gold Glove Award in 2018 and helped Boston win the 2018 World Series, also being named the American League Championship Series MVP. He later played for Milwaukee, Toronto and Kansas City. Since his MLB career, Bradley has worked as a college baseball analyst with the SEC Network and recently joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Banana Ball League.
Bailey was a three-sport athlete at Christiansburg High School, where he threw two no-hitters as a senior pitcher. He was a two-time all-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection from 2008-10 at Concord University and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bailey became the first Concord pitcher selected in the MLB draft when Oakland took him in the 35th round in 2010. He played two seasons in the Athletics organization, reaching the Class A level with the Vermont Lake Monsters in 2011, where he went 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA. Bailey later began a collegiate head coaching career at Averett before leading Bluefield State to two HBCU national championships and compiling a 95-79 record from 2021-24. He is currently the head baseball coach at Concord.
Lawrence has built a distinguished career in professional baseball operations in the Roanoke Valley and is the general manager of the Carolina League’s Salem RidgeYaks. A 1996 graduate of North Cross School and a 2000 Elon University graduate, Lawrence began his career as a game-day employee with the Salem Avalanche, the Class A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. He advanced through roles including food and beverage director, director of stadium operations, vice president of sales and assistant general manager.
Lawrence later served as interim general manager of the Salem Red Sox before being named general manager in 2019. He has been recognized as one of the “Ten Most Outstanding Young Professionals in the Community” for his leadership and impact in Salem and the Roanoke Valley.
McMillan compiled nearly four decades of coaching success in baseball and softball across the Roanoke Valley. He began coaching with the North Roanoke Rec Club from 1984-99 and led a 1992 softball team to a Dixie League state championship and national tournament appearance.
After assistant coaching stints at Northside and Salem High, McMillan became Salem’s head baseball coach in 2011. During his 12 seasons leading the Spartans, he never posted a losing record. Salem made six regional appearances and four Class 4 state tournament appearances, winning the 2018 VHSL championship on a 2-1 walk-off victory over Jamestown. McMillan was a two-time River Ridge District Coach of the Year and was named the Timesland Baseball Coach of the Year in 2018.
Minnick starred as a left-handed pitcher at Liberty High School and East Tennessee State before playing three seasons of minor league baseball. At Liberty from 1974-77, he compiled a 34-5 record, earned first-team Seminole District honors and helped lead the Minutemen to the 1977 VHSL Group AA state championship. He also was the winning pitcher in the VHSCA East-West All-Star Game.
Minnick was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 19th round of the 1977 amateur draft but chose to attend ETSU, where he helped the Buccaneers win an Ohio Valley Conference title. He was taken in the second round of the 1979 January draft by the Seattle Mariners and played three seasons in the Mariners and Baltimore Orioles organizations, helping the Hagerstown Suns win the 1981 Carolina League championship.
Roy Lower will receive the Wayne LaPierre Sr. Community Service Award for more than 50 years of service as a player, coach, administrator and booster. A graduate of Cave Spring High School and ETSU, Lower has coached at the Little League, AAU, American Legion and high school levels and has served in numerous booster and board roles throughout the Salem-Roanoke Valley.