The earliest Bridgewater College baseball was played informally among Virginia Normal School students on campus. The formation of a competitive baseball team occurred at Bridgewater College in the 1890s; the team first played town and regional teams, traveling to and from away games in a horse-drawn wagon. They later began to compete against baseball teams from other colleges. They first wore crimson and gold in 1903.
In the early days, Bridgewater College faculty were allowed to play on the baseball team along with students. The baseball program was suspended as part of the Bridgewater College ban on intercollegiate athletic contests from 1909 – 1916. It was also inactive in 1918 due to WWI. It is said that the baseball field was converted to a Victory Garden during that season.
The earliest BC baseball coaches and managers include O. L. Miller, Carmen Blough and George W. Harlow. It was usual during the early years to have a faculty coach, or more commonly, no coach at all.
Baseball at Bridgewater College has been successful since 1900, with a number of distinguished players, notable coaches, and conference wins. A fuller history of BC baseball is available from BC Special Collections and within the Francis Wayland College history, Bridgewater College: The First Hundred Years, 1880 – 1980.
The gallery contains digitized photographs selected for general interest; it does not duplicate in the entirety of Bridgewater College archival photographs.
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