Goochland grad Potts wins Most Outstanding Player after College Baseball Championship

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

Goochland High School graduate Zack Potts etched himself into college baseball history last week, earning Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Division III Baseball National Championship Series.

Potts and the Lynchburg Hornets defeated the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays 7-6 to win the best-of-three finals that took place June 1-8 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The title is the first national championship for the Lynchburg baseball program.

Potts, a starting pitcher and ace of the Lynchburg staff, earned the MOP award by winning both of his starts in the Championship Series, including a complete game. In game one of the finals, he limited the nation’s highest scoring offense to just two unearned runs. In his 16 innings over two appearances, Potts had a miniscule 0.56 earned run average.

The MOP Award caps off a historic season and Hornets career for Potts. In his three full seasons at Lynchburg after Covid eliminated his freshman campaign, Potts amassed several school and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) records.

Potts was undefeated this season on the mound, finishing 13-0. This total is a new record for the program, as well as for the ODAC. As a true ace and workhorse of the Lynchburg staff, Potts set a school record with 120 2/3 innings pitched for the season, surpassing the previous record by 22 full innings. His 29 total wins surpassed the previous school mark of 24 as well. This total also ties him for the ODAC career wins record though at 29-4, his .879 winning percentage is a new ODAC Record.

In addition to the MOP award, Potts was named to the National Championship Series All-Tournament team. He was also named to the All-America Team by the American Baseball Coaches Association. On top of all those accolades, Potts was also named to the All-Region Team and the All-ODAC team. Zack will now move on to attend and play for William & Mary as a graduate student this fall.