5.10.2011

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University 33rd-year baseball head coach Charles Buddy Bolding earned his 900th career coaching victory on Tuesday night during a 6-4 road win at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. He is now 900-492-4 during his storied tenure at the helm of the tradition-rich Lancer Baseball program. Longwood is 28-15 this season, the 30th overall 20-win campaign, and 23rd season with at least 25 wins in the program's 34-year history. Coach Bolding's 900 career wins are more than any other active college baseball coach in Virginia among all Divisions (I, II, III, and NAIA).

“This is another great achievement for a truly remarkable person,” said Longwood Director of Athletics Troy Austin. “Congratulations to Coach Bolding and his family for winning 900 games.”

Longwood 6 - @JMU 4 (Game Details)

Bolding became the Lancers' mentor during the fall of 1978, and has since posted 30 winning seasons. Longwood finished 2010 with a record of 28-20, its first season after the University dedicated the baseball facility as Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium on October 3, 2009. The Lancers posted a winning record of 26-22 during 2009, following a 2008 season during which Coach Bolding reached his milestone 800th career win on March 8, 2008 with a 6-5 come-from-behind home victory past Binghamton at the formerly known Lancer Stadium. Longwood finished that year (2008) with a record of 23-26-1, after posting a winning record of 34-19 during 2007, the program's 12th 30-win season overall, following a 23-27 record during 2006.

Prior to playing its first Division I schedule in 2005, as required during the school's four-year Division I Reclassification, Bolding had coached Longwood to 26 consecutive winning seasons (1979-2004). In 2005, however, the Lancers finished 16-32. Longwood had enjoyed yet another successful campaign during 2004 with a record of 31-16 that capped a remarkable run of 24-straight 20-win seasons (1981-2004).

Bolding's tenure at Longwood is highlighted by six appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament, and two trips to the Division II College World Series. The 1982 team was the first to reach the national championships with a 31-10-1 record. More recently, the 1991 squad completed a school-record 41-8 campaign while advancing to the final four of the Division II national championships.

Bolding served as a United States Army medic in Vietnam, then received his Bachelor of Science degree from Milligan (Tenn.) College in health, physical education and recreation in 1973, and earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in 1974. He and his wife, Andrea, have three children: Lauren, Suzanne, and Brad -- each of whom attended and two who graduated -- from Longwood (Brad also played baseball before graduating from Old Dominion University).