Dukes to Retire Brad Babcock’s Number, Begin Endowment on Weekend of April 1-3

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The life and legacy of former head coach Brad Babcock, the winningest and longest-tenured skipper in James Madison baseball history, will forever be attached to the program as the Dukes will retire his No. 16 and begin The Brad Babcock Legacy Endowment during a weekend series against Elon on April 1-3.

The Dukes initially recognized Babcock, who passed away in June of 2020 at the age of 81, during the 2021 season with a "Coach Babcock" decal with his number in the middle of the back of each player's helmet.

The weekend will feature a formal ceremony involving family members and the return of many former players through Babcock's 19 seasons as coach, including the 1983 College World Series team. There will be a gathering for former players before the Friday night game, followed by a pregame reception and the formal recognition of Babcock before Saturday's game.

The Brad Babcock Legacy Endowment presents the opportunity to support the JMU Baseball program in perpetuity. The culture of the program that was built by Babcock is still felt by alumni of all decades and the continuation of this camaraderie is well desired. Establishing the Endowment provides additional support for the JMU baseball program to compete at the highest level and also create new opportunities for baseball alumni engagement.

The legacy Babcock left behind is immense, overseeing five teams to make an NCAA Championship appearance, which was highlighted by the 1983 College World Series run. In 2016, that 1983 squad became the second ever team to be inducted into the JMU Hall of Fame. The 1998 JMU Hall of Fame inductee finished his career with a record of 558-249-4, his only non-winning team being his second, as his teams collected 30 or more wins in 12 different seasons and 40 or more on three separate occasions. Six of his former players were inducted into the JMU Hall of Fame and 30 went on to play professionally.

Babcock joined JMU Athletics in the fall of 1970 and took over the baseball program the following spring for its second-ever season. His run as skipper of the Dukes was from 1971 through 1989, which included the transition of JMU from NCAA Division II to Division I in 1977.

During his time at JMU, Babcock was also an assistant football coach, junior varsity basketball coach, intramural director, and physical education instructor. After his retirement as baseball head coach, he worked as an administrator for JMU Athletics until 2003. He continued to serve as an adjunct professor in the kinesiology department for the university for another seven years after stepping away from administrator duties.

To donate to The Brad Babcock Legacy Endowment you can follow the link here, and if you are a JMU baseball alumni looking to RSVP to the weekend's festivities you can follow the link here.

Calendar