Babcock to be Honored with Induction into VBCA Hall of Fame

RICHMOND, Va. – James Madison Athletics Hall of Famer and former longtime head coach of the Dukes Brad Babcock will be inducted posthumously into the Virginia Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2025, the organization announced Tuesday.

Joining Babcock to be honored on Dec. 4 as part of the VBCA's fourth Hall of Fame class are Ken Blackley, Nick Boothe, Rick Holcomb, Gary Rice, Jeff Smoot, Jim Snow, Chuck Welch and Jim White.

Babcock, who passed away in June of 2020 and whose No. 16 was retired by the Dukes in 2022, is the program's winningest and longest-tenured coach. A 1998 JMU Hall of Fame inductee, Babcock joined the athletics department in the fall of 1970 and took over the baseball program the following spring for its second season. He was the skipper from 1971 through 1989, leading the Dukes through their transition from NCAA Division II to Division I in 1977 and compiling a career record of 589-249-4 across 19 seasons.

The legacy he left was immense, as his 1983 squad that made a run to the College World Series highlighted five teams that made an NCAA Championship appearance. In 2016, that 1983 team became the second team to be inducted into the JMU Hall of Fame. His teams collected 30 or more wins 12 times and 40 or more on three occasions, as his only non-winning team was his second. Six of his former players have been inducted into the JMU Hall of Fame and 30 went on to play professionally.

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.

The VBCA, founded in 2018, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to uniting, educating, developing, and supporting baseball coaches at all levels across Virginia. From Little League to college programs, the VBCA brings together coaches from diverse backgrounds and provides them with the tools, knowledge, and connections to enhance their skills and positively impact the game of baseball.

Calendar