Rachel Levy, Staff Writer

Last year, Shenandoah athletics earned their first conference title in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) when the baseball team defeated Virginia Wesleyan in the conference championship. The team wants to defend their title, but it’s not 2015 anymore; it’s a new year with more teams vying for the trophy.

With their 2015 ODAC championship and their short-lived run in the national tournament, the Hornets were an undeniable pick for number one in ODAC’s preseason poll. Randolph-Macon College and Virginia Wesleyan College were close behind in the race for the top spot.

The Hornets have not started conference play yet, but out of conference, they are proving to be just as strong as last year, starting their season with an exceptional 9-1 record. They swept Case Western Reserve in their first game, giving their coach, Kevin Anderson, his five-hundredth victory. Their only loss so far came from Misericordia University, in thirteen innings of play.

Most recently, the men swept the City College of New York in three games over the weekend. The games were big wins for the Hornets, with numerous of runs from a variety of players.

The Hornets have a long fight ahead of them this season to prove they can still be number one. They want another ring, and a longer run in the national tournament. Although they lost many of their strong seniors that led the team on and off the field, they gained freshmen and transfers, and other upperclassmen stepped up in their chase for the NCAA championship.  At number nine in the nation, the Hornets’ championship dream is not too far away.

Feature photo courtesy of suhornets.com