Ray Hedrick '97 completed his 21st season as head coach at RMC in 2025. The Yellow Jackets finished second in the conference regular season standings, finishing with a 15-7 record overall in the conference to boast an overall record of 25-12. Hedrick raised his career record to 521-309-6, a winning percentage of .623.
In 2025, Randolph-Macon baseball completed another noteworthy season under the direction of Hedrick, recording an overall record of 31-17 (15-7). The Yellow Jackets ended the regular season with the second overall seed in the ODAC tournament. The Lemon and Black defeated long time rival Hampden-Sydney in the opening round of the conference tournament to secure a spot in final four of the ODAC tournament. Randolph-Macon forced a winner-take-all conference final game against Lynchburg. Following a second place finish in the conference the Yellow Jackets were given host rights to the regional round of the NCAA tournament. Hedrick led the team to host the Ashland Regional with three visiting teams of (SUNY Brockport, Messiah and Methodist).
In 2024, Randolph-Macon baseball recorded another outstanding season under the direction of Hedrick, recording an overall record of 33-16 (16-6). During the season the Lemon and Black notched wins over five ranked or receiving votes teams, including (Marymount, North Carolina Wesleyan, Lynchburg, Salisbury and Christopher Newport). The success was carried into the postseason, as Randolph-Macon received the (2) seed in the Harrisburg Regional. The Yellow Jackets won three games in three days. capped off by a 5-2 victory over Elizabethtown to win the regional. The Lemon and Black would host their first ever Super Regional in school history the following week against Adrian College. Randolph-Macon defeated the Bulldogs in a third and deciding game with a 9-6 victory to send themselves to the 2024 Division III College Baseball World Series in Eastlake, Ohio.
Since his arrival, Hedrick has led the Yellow Jackets to four ODAC titles, the most in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference over that 16-year stretch. RMC won consecutive ODAC regular-season titles in 2018 and 2019, the first time the Yellow Jackets accomplished that in program history. Additionally, the Diamond Jackets have made seven NCAA appearances (2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024), including two Regional Championships (2018 & 2024), and two trips to the Division III College World Series in 2018 and 2024. For his efforts, Hedrick has been named the Coach of the Year in the state of Virginia five times (2008. 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020) and in the ODAC four times (2008, 2018, 2019, 2024).
The success of the program over the past 17 seasons has led to more than 60 All-Conference players, including five ODAC Rookie-of-the-Year, six ODAC Pitcher-of-the-Year, and four ODAC Player-of-the-Year award winners. Randolph-Macon has been the home to four South Region Pitcher-of-the-Year, three South Region Rookie-of-the-Year and two South Region Player-of-the-Year winners. Hedrick has also instructed eight ABCA All-American honorees in Travis Beazley ‘06, Jordan Walton ’12, Travis Lodge ’16, James Walsh ’16, Cole Migliorini '17, Colin Selby '18, Nick Roth '19, and Hayden Snelsire '23. The program has seen nine players sign professional contracts in Travis Beazley ‘06 (Boston Red Sox - MLB), James Bierlein ’11 (Independent), Jordan Walton ‘12 (St. Louis Cardinals - MLB), James Walsh ‘16 (Independent), Colin Selby '18 (Pittsburgh Pirates - MLB), Cody Thompson '18 (Independent), Nick Roth '19 (Baltimore Orioles - MLB), Reece Yeargain '21 (Independent), and Hayden Snelsire '23 (Tampa Bay Rays - MLB)
Prior to coming to Ashland, Hedrick served as top assistant and recruiting coordinator at three different schools before his return to Ashland in the fall of 2004. Prior to his hiring as Randolph-Macon's head coach, Hedrick was the top assistant to Paul O'Neil at Division II UNC Pembroke (2001-2004) and at Division III Shenandoah University (1998-2000). At both institutions, Hedrick helped O'Neil resurrect programs that had not tasted success in years into national powers, while quickly establishing himself as one of the top young coaches and recruiters among the college baseball coaching ranks. In seven seasons as an assistant, Hedrick's teams amassed 175 wins, including record-setting campaigns in 2000 at Shenandoah, and the 2001 and 2003 seasons at UNCP. Hedrick's recruits played a major role in the success of each program. Out of his six various recruiting classes, Hedrick had several all-conference, all-region and all-state players, as well as three All-Americans, including a player who won the triple crown in the Dixie Conference (now USA South) while leading the country with a .506 batting average in 2000.
A Springfield, Virginia native, Hedrick played two years of JUCO baseball at Prince George's Community College for legendary coach William "Bumps" Vaughan. He went on to finish his degree and playing career at Randolph-Macon College. After graduating from Randolph-Macon in 1997 with a B.A. degree in political science, Hedrick served as an assistant for Vaughan at PGCC. Hedrick also worked with the Bowie Baysox, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, before joining O'Neil in 1998.
While working his way up the coaching ladder as an assistant, Hedrick served three summers (2001-2003) as head coach of the New Market Rebels of the prestigious Valley Baseball League. During his tenure, Hedrick amassed 77 wins and led the Rebels to two championship appearances, winning the league in 2002 and falling seven outs short of repeating in 2003. Over the course of those three summers, Hedrick coached over 30 players who played on professionally, including five on the major league level. Current major leaguer Brett Gardner (N.Y. Yankees) played for Hedrick in the summer of 2003 after his freshman year at College of Charleston.
Aside from building a strong reputation for RMC on the field, Hedrick has represented RMC on the national level as well. From 2008-2010, Hedrick was the ODAC representative on the NCAA Regional Committee, a group put together to organize the post-season playoff field each spring. This past summer, Hedrick completed a four-year tenure as Chairman of the South Region for that same committee. Hedrick remains the South Region representative on the ABCA All-American committee, a role which he began in 2016, as well as chair of the ODAC Baseball Coaching Association.
Hedrick is married to the former Sheree Rogers of Woodstock, Virginia. They are the proud parents of two children, daughter Maris and son Garner. The family resides in Ashland.
