So I wanted to figure out how good Old Dominion baseball might be next year. Honestly, the 2024 season ended rough, and I keep hearing fans arguing about whether we’ve got a shot in 2025. Felt like nobody really had solid answers, just guesses. I figured I’d dig in myself.
My Digging Started With Last Year’s Mess
First step was facing the ugly truth. Grabbed my laptop, opened up the official ODU athletics site, and found the 2024 season stats. Man, seeing it all laid out… it wasn’t pretty. That losing streak near the end? Brutal. I jotted down the key stuff:
- Record: Went something like 21-32 overall. Ouch.
- Conference Play: Think they finished near the bottom in the Sun Belt.
- Offense: Seriously struggled to score runs consistently. Felt like every game I watched, they left a million guys on base.
Hard look, but you gotta know where you start, right?
Next Up: Hunting Down Who’s Coming Back
Okay, history’s done. Time to see who’s actually gonna wear the uniform in 2025. Hit up the roster page on the site again. Clicked through each player’s profile, checked their class year. Had to sort them in my head:
- Seniors Saying Goodbye: Found like… eight key guys graduating. Jake Ticer? Big bat gone. Starting pitchers like Dylan Brown and Trent Buchanan? Poof. That hurt.
- Alex Bouche (INF): This guy hit .280s last year. We need his bat.
- Kenny Levari (INF): Solid glove, good leadership. Gotta have him healthy.
- Evan Holman (C): Call him the glue guy. Defense matters.
- John Holguin (P): Showed some flashes out of the pen. Maybe moves up?
- High School Guys: Sounds like Coach Finwood snagged some good arms, especially this kid Luke Hasty? Pitched lights out in high school. Hope he adjusts fast.
- Blake Morgan (P): Coming in from William & Mary. Saw his ERA was sub-4.00 there. HUGE get for the rotation.
- Nick Vardaro (INF): Transfer from Elon. Supposed to bring some pop. We desperately need power.
- Early Tests: Right off the bat, games against powerhouses like Virginia Tech and NC State early on.
- Conference Grind: Sun Belt is always tough. Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, Southern Miss – all potential Top 25 teams.
- Season Goal: Forget miracles. Making the Sun Belt tournament should be Target #1. Anything else is gravy.
- The Big Question: Pitching, pitching, PITCHING. Who fills those starter spots behind Morgan? Holguin? Freshmen arms? That’s the whole season right there.
- Player Pressure: Bouche has to be the anchor. Levari needs to stay healthy. Morgan must be an ace. No other way.
- Overall Outlook: Gonna be scrappy. It feels like a rebuilding year, honestly. Maybe .500 if the pitching clicks and the transfers work out immediately? It’s a big ‘if’. I see them finishing around 6th-8th in the conference if things go okay. Won’t be easy, but there’s a sliver of hope.
Important returners:
Felt a bit better seeing Bouche and Levari listed. But the pitching depth made me nervous. Where are the innings gonna come from?
The Crucial Step: Checking In On New Blood
Okay, returning guys are important, but everybody knows freshmen and transfers can make or break you. Went hunting for ODU’s signing class news. Found a couple articles detailing the recruits. Honestly?
Transfer Portal:
This part actually got me a little excited. Losing big arms hurt, but grabbing Morgan feels like a lifeline. Vardaro could be sneaky important too.
Facing the Schedule Reality
Doesn’t matter who you have if your schedule murders you. Pulled up the 2025 schedule (it’s tentative, but gives the picture). Scrolled down, and wow. Non-conference is no joke.
Bottom line? Zero warm-up time. We’ll know real quick if this team has grit.
Putting It All Together (My Honest Take)
Alright, after all that clicking, scrolling, and note-taking, here’s what I landed on:
There it is. My deep dive. Not gonna sugarcoat it – 2025 looks tough, but the portal additions give me a flicker of optimism. Let’s see what this group can put together.