FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tim Merry
804.370.3557
Virginia Baseball Coaches Association
Announces Fifth Hall of Fame Class
Six Coaches to be Honored Dec. 10 at VBCA’s Annual Convention
Powhatan Legend Bob Baltimore Earns Impact Award;
The Apprentice School’s Ben Jones Named Coach of the Year
RICHMOND, Va. (October 29, 2026) – The Virginia Baseball Coaches Association (VBCA) today announces the addition of six coaches to its Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes coaches – one from the collegiate ranks and five from high school baseball – who made lasting contributions not only to the players they coached, but also in their communities. The class will be celebrated on Dec. 10 at Kimpton The Forum Hotel in Charlottesville during the VBCA’s annual convention. The VBCA also will recognize its 2026 Coach of the Year and Baseball Impact Award recipient at the event, which takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased at VBCA.org.
“We’re honored to welcome our fifth Hall of Fame class, a group of truly impactful coaches,” said Tim Merry, founder and executive director of the Virginia Baseball Coaches Association. “Each of these coaches made a mark on baseball in the commonwealth of Virginia and, more importantly, shared their incredible talents for teaching, coaching and mentoring their players on and off the diamond.”
The VBCA Board of Directors compiled names and solicited nominations for retired baseball coaches from around the state. Now in its ninth year, the VBCA has named 43 coaches from around the commonwealth to its Hall of Fame since it established its Hall of Fame five years ago.
The Class of 2026 includes:
Phil Forbes III – Menchville High School
Forbes thrived as a girls basketball coach for 15 years at Menchville High School in Newport News, at one point winning 68 straight district games. But it was on the diamond where his excellence was on full display: 45 seasons; 553 wins; one state title; a national No. 1 ranking. Recently retired, Forbes earned win No. 500 in 2023 in a 4-2 win over Bethel that also clinched the Monarchs’ third straight Peninsula District title. In his final five seasons (2022-26), Menchville topped 17 wins in four of those seasons, including a pair of 20-win seasons. The hallmark season came in 2009, when the Monarchs went 26-2, capping a state championship season with a win over Hanover. Forbes’ squad finished the season as the national champion, earning a No. 1 ranking in USA Today’s national rankings. Menchville, whose nine starters all went on to play college baseball, won three games in a matter of 29 hours to capture the program’s only state title. The Monarchs beat Stafford in a rain-delayed affair over five days and then turned right around to knock off West Springfield. The next day, the Monarchs became state champs and gave the Peninsula District its first state baseball title.
Rob Hahne (deceased) – Westfield High School, Langley High School, Northern Virginia Travel Baseball
A true servant leader, Hahne’s impact transcended baseball circles ranging from mentoring Little League coaches in Northern Virginia all the way to lending insights to coaches all over the nation. It is estimated that he coached more than 100 baseball teams at all youth levels over the years, including nine seasons at Westfield High School, where he replaced his high school coach, VBCA Hall of Famer Chuck Welch, and one season at his alma mater, Langley High School. At Westfield, Hahne’s teams reached the state title game twice: in 2019, when the Bulldogs went from 8-12 in 2018 to 24-4 in falling to Lake Braddock in the final, and in 2023, when they went 20-8 and fell to James Madison. A member of the VBCA board, Hahne played an influential role at the national level for the American Baseball Coaches Association – he was slated to become president of the organization in 2030. He also was the executive director of the Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League, one of the largest independent baseball leagues in the country with more than 400 teams, and served as chairman of the Fairfax County Baseball Council, a member of the Fairfax County Athletic Council and a board member of Visit Fairfax.
Eddie Icenhour – Virginia High School
Icenhour, who was inducted into the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Hall of Fame in 2002, guided the baseball program at his alma mater, Virginia High School in Bristol, for 20 years. Over that span, the Bearcats racked up 361 wins and captured four state titles, the last coming in 1993 in Icenhour’s last season. Over a 13-season span from 1981-93, he led the Bearcats to the state championship game six times, going 4-2 in those finals. The Bearcats’ first AA state title came in 1981 when they beat Colonial Heights 4-0; two years later, they edged Mills Godwin 1-0 in extra innings as Kevin Jessee delivered the game-winning hit. “Coach Ike” led Virginia to back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, with extra-inning victories over Harrisonburg (4-3) and Turner Ashby (1-0). In his last game as coach, senior Mickey Glover had a two-strike, two-out single past the third baseman to end an epic 1-0, 13-inning triumph. In 2025, the City of Bristol issued a proclamation for Eddie Icenhour Appreciation Day, and his No. 25 was retired by Virginia High School. That day, when he was celebrated by former players and the Bristol community, Icenhour said, “It’s special to be a part of Virginia High, being a Bearcat. I’ll always be a Bearcat.”
Ken Moore – Douglas Freeman High School
Moore captained the football and baseball teams at Douglas Freeman High School in Richmond. After playing baseball and earning a degree at William & Mary, he returned to his alma mater in 1973 – he’s been there in some fashion ever since. Moore led the Rebels (since renamed Mavericks) baseball program for 26 seasons. When he retired in 2008 with a record of 329-209, his 329 wins were the most in Central Region history. Known for emphasizing fundamentals, Moore’s teams earned seven Colonial District titles and made two state tournament appearances. When his son, Ray Moore, took over the program in 2010, he stayed on as a JV assistant coach and continues in that role today, bringing his baseball coaching tenure at Freeman to 53 years. He also spent 30 years (longest tenure in school history) as a JV head coach/varsity assistant football coach, five years as an assistant golf coach and three years as an assistant wrestling coach. The baseball field at Douglas Freeman, which he still tends to, is named in his honor. When asked by a newspaper columnist why he spent his whole career at Freeman, he replied, “It’s just my niche.”
Jim Procopio – Amherst County High School
A former baseball and football star at West Virginia University, Procopio was drafted by the Chicago Cubs, and the lefty-hitting catcher spent six years playing minor league baseball, reaching as high as Triple-A. His last stop was with the White Sox in Lynchburg. Looking to support his family, he became a teacher and coach at nearby Amherst County High School, where he replaced fellow 2026 VBCA Hall of Fame Inductee Gerry Thomas and built the program into a powerhouse from 1968-85. Amherst County won nearly 250 games during Procopio’s career, winning 11 district titles and five regional titles and competing for a state title four times. In 1973, the Lancers fell 4-3 to defending champion Kempsville before turning around and winning the AAA state crown in 1974 with a 1-0 win over Deep Creek. In that 1974 playoff run against some of the biggest schools in the state, the Lancers allowed only six hits in four shutout wins. Amherst County then became the first school to win back-to-back AA baseball titles in 1978 and 1979 by beating Warren County and Western Albemarle, respectively, and compiling a record of 37-13 over those championship seasons. Professional baseball came calling again, and Procopio left Amherst County to join the Atlanta Braves organization and later managing the Idaho Falls Braves and GCL Braves.
Gerry Thomas (deceased) – University of Lynchburg
After a 10-year minor-league career, eight of which were in Triple-A with the Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers, Thomas started his coaching career at Amherst County High School, where he led the Lancers from 1964-67 and compiled a 56-10 record. He returned to his alma mater, Lynchburg College (now University of Lynchburg), as head coach in 1968. Over the next 27 years, Thomas guided one of the most successful small college baseball programs in the south, compiling a record of 581-212-4. His .729 winning percentage ranks 38th all-time in all levels of NCAA baseball. Thomas’ teams captured seven Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships, made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament and he was named ODAC coach of the year five times. He also was named the 1980 NCAA Division III South Atlantic Coach of the Year as the Hornets went 12-0 in the ODAC and 22-2-1 in the regular season. They entered their sixth straight Regional appearance ranked No. 4 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Incredibly, all but four players who played for Thomas’ program graduated from Lynchburg. Thomas was inducted into the Lynchburg Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
2026 Coach of the Year – Ben Jones, The Apprentice School
Jones, who starred on the mound for The Apprentice School from 2002 to 2006 and was named to the school’s Hall of Fame in 2020, added another milestone in guiding the Builders to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national championship, the fourth in program history. The Builders tied a school record for wins in their 41-6 campaign, which culminated with a 6-2 win over Penn State Mount Alto. After winning its opener in the USCAA national tournament, The Apprentice School fell to Penn State Mount Alto before winning three straight elimination games to reach the final round, where it beat Mount Alto twice to capture the national title. Coming off a 26-18 season that ended in the 10-team national championship, the Builders went 10-2 in one-run games and won 17 of their final 18 games.
Baseball Impact Award – Bob Baltimore, Powhatan High School
Upon graduation from Randolph-Macon College, Baltimore found his home at Powhatan High School, where he’d spend the next 54 years shaping his community and creating a powerful ripple effect across Central Virginia. Although he was the head football coach for the Indians for 13 seasons – and spent decades more as an assistant coach – and the head basketball coach for two seasons, Baltimore’s greatest impact came on the diamond, where he spent more than 50 years in the dugout. A head baseball coach for seven years before becoming the school’s athletic director, Baltimore returned year after year as an assistant baseball coach and contributed to more than 700 wins. Along the way, he mentored a bevy of young coaches who would become legends in their own right, including Jim Woodson on the gridiron and VBCA Hall of Famers Bill Pelot and Gregg Conner. The baseball field at Powhatan originally was named in honor of Baltimore and since has been renamed Baltimore-Conner Field to recognize the impact of a pair of legends.
The VBCA HALL OF FAME
2022
Ron Atkins – University of Richmond
Billy Brown – George Mason University
Jim Cutler – Liberty (Bedford) High School
Tom Harding – Honaker High School
Chuck Hartman – Virginia Tech
Paul Keyes – Virginia Commonwealth University
Marty Miller – Norfolk State University
Mack Shupe – J.J. Kelly High School
Ron Tugwell – West Springfield High School
Norbie Wilson – First Colonial High School
2023
Doc Adams – Lebanon High School
Buddy Bolding – Longwood University
Ray Heatwole – Turner Ashby High School
Bob Menefee – Robinson High School
Abe Naff – Ferrum College
Bill Pelot – Louisa High School
Towny Townsend – Greenbrier Christian Academy
Al Worthington – Liberty University
2024
Greg Conner – Powhatan High School
Mike Covington – Potomac High School
Tony Guzzo – Virginia Commonwealth University, Old Dominion University
Curt Kendall – Bridgewater College
Gary Lavelle – Greenbrier Christian Academy
Wiley Lee – Great Bridge High School, Norfolk State University
Tim Lowery – Clover Hill High School, Cosby High School
Del Norwood – Washington-Liberty High School
Lou Peery – Tazewell High School
Jim Thacker – Jefferson Forest High School
2025
Brad Babcock – James Madison University
Ken Blackley – Ladysmith, Rappahannock, Caroline, Essex, Northumberland High Schools
Nick Boothe – Virginia Wesleyan College
Rick Holcomb – Courtland High School, Spotsylvania High School
Gary Rice – Alleghany High School, Valley High School
Jeff Smoot – Strasburg High School
Jim Snow – Menchville, Warwick, Smithfield, West Point, Poquoson High Schools
Chuck Welch – Langley High School, Westfield High School
Jim White – Brookville High School
Baseball Impact Award
2023 – Jeff Petty, Canes Baseball
2024 – William M.T. Forrester, Metropolitan Junior Baseball League
2025 – Dennis Womack, American Legion Post 280
Coach of the Year
2023 – Lucas Jones, University of Lynchburg
2024 – Daniel Rollins, Paul D. Camp Community College
2025 – Larry Bowles, American Legion Post 280
# # #
