WHEREAS, the University of Lynchburg baseball team won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championship on June 8, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the University of Lynchburg Hornets narrowly defeated the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays by a score of 7–6 to become the first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III school from the Commonwealth to secure a national championship title in baseball; and

WHEREAS, the decisive moment for the University of Lynchburg Hornets came after they split their first two games with the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays and saw several lead changes in their third matchup, when a bases-clearing hit from Jackson Harding in the fifth inning put the team ahead for good; and

WHEREAS, the University of Lynchburg Hornets were buoyed by pitchers Brandon Pond, Wesley Arrington, and Zack Potts, who each turned in complete game performances to lead the team to a 4–0 start in the championship tournament; and

WHEREAS, the University of Lynchburg Hornets' victory was the product of clutch hitting, stellar defense, and gutsy pitching, a formula for success that helped the team to an outstanding 48–8 season record, the most single season wins for a baseball team in the history of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC); and

WHEREAS, the University of Lynchburg Hornets' batters demonstrated extraordinary patience at the plate throughout their 2023 campaign, notching a NCAA Division III–leading 302 walks, including 26 walks in the championship tournament; and

WHEREAS, the accomplishments of the University of Lynchburg Hornets are the result of the hard work and dedication of the student-athletes, the leadership and guidance of their coaches, and the unwavering support of their families and the entire University of Lynchburg community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the University of Lynchburg baseball team hereby be commended for winning the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championship; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the University of Lynchburg baseball team as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the team's achievement.