HARRISONBURG — As a freshman, Colin McGuire was the starting pitcher in the deciding game of the 2024 College World Series for the University of Lynchburg, and last season as a sophomore, he was among the Division III national leaders in saves.
So Lynchburg head coach Travis Beazley compares the James Wood High graduate to Jack Bachmore — a former Hornets standout who also had versatile roles with the team as a pitcher.
"Colin came to one of our camps in high school," Beazley said of McGuire, who is from Cross Junction. "We recruited him as a two-way guy [who could also hit] but felt his spot would be on the mound. We saw that writing on the wall."
“They liked what they saw,” McGuire said of that summer camp before his senior year of high school.
Bachmore threw 81 innings in 2023 as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. Then, McGuire tossed nearly 63 innings the next year as a freshman.
"It is a role he has done really well with," Beazley, a former minor league pitcher with the Boston Red Sox, said of McGuire. "His numbers are really good. His fastball is in the mid to upper-80s and he has a four-pitch mix, with a slider, curve and changeup.”
McGuire has been adaptable for Lynchburg, which is currently ranked third nationally by D3baseball.com. The Hornets are 12-3-1 (3-0-1 in the ODAC) and host ODAC for Hampden-Sydney on Wednesday.
“It has definitely been a journey throughout the whole process,” said McGuire during batting practice before the Hornets swept a doubleheader on Saturday at EMU in ODAC play. “It is a totally different mindset coming from high school to college. Everyone is really, really good in college. Anything I could do to help make that team win [in 2024]. As a freshman it was as a starter and be in that role to help us win games.”
He pitched well in Ohio against Misericordia in the deciding game for the NCAA Division III World Series as a freshman as Lynchburg just missed repeating as national champions. He went 7.1 innings that day as the starter and allowed just two runs; he did not figure in the decision in the one-run loss.
A NEW ROLE AS A SOPHOMORE
After his freshman season, McGuire had a conversation with Lynchburg coaches about his role going forward.
“Obviously I closed a few games as a freshman,” McGuire said. “They kind of had a talk with me in what they needed. I was all in for [being a reliever]. I embraced it. I changed my mindset. I tried my best to change my work ethic to be a one or two-inning pitcher out of the pen. It is a completely different mindset, pitching in the first five innings against pitching the last [few] innings.”
McGuire was 5-1 with an ERA of 4.02 in 26 games with nine starts and four saves as a freshman.
Last season, McGuire was 4-4 with an ERA of 2.77 in 24 contests out of the bullpen with nine saves — tied for third in the nation. He was a Second Team All-ODAC pick and gained state academic honors as an athlete.
In his first seven outings this season, all in relief, he is 1-1 with an ERA of 2.77 with one save. "He is a pitcher. He is not a thrower," said Beazley, a former Randolph-Macon star who played at Patrick Henry High near Richmond and reached the Double-A level with the Red Sox.
While in high school, McGuire gathered information for possible college destinations.
“I did some research on schools in Virginia that are close [to Winchester] and good for baseball. I saw Lynchburg. They have my major,” said McGuire, a biomedical science major with a minor in sports medicine who plans to head to grad school.
He had already planned to attend Lynchburg before the Hornets won the national title in 2023 under former coach Lucas Jones, who is now on the coaching staff of Division I Notre Dame.
Beazley was the pitching coach on that 2023 squad before taking over the head job in Lynchburg. The current pitching coach for the Hornets is Michael Solbach, a former Liberty University standout who pitched in the minors for the Yankees and Rockies, reaching the Triple-A level.
WINCHESTER TIES
The 6-foot McGuire played for the Winchester Royals in the Valley Baseball League of Virginia in 2024, pitching in five games, including one in the playoffs, with an ERA of 5.87 in 7.2 innings. He then pitched briefly for the Tri-City Chili Peppers in the Coastal Plain League last summer.
The right-hander is good friends with several players on the Shenandoah University roster, including former high school teammates. James Wood grads on the roster of the Winchester school this season include Jared Neal, Brody Bower, Kemper Omps, Nick Bell, and Garrett Alexander. McGuire also knows Shenandoah player Carl Keenan, who played at Millbrook and is a former travel ball teammate.
McGuire pitched against his hometown school last season and got the save while going 3.1 innings and allowing two earned runs as Lynchburg won game two of the doubleheader 11-9. Lynchburg is slated to host Shenandoah, ranked seventh nationally, on April 25 for two games.
“It was a plethora of emotions,” McGuire said. “It was a crazy experience facing my [former James Wood] teammates. I wouldn’t say I was nervous. I was excited for the opportunity. I love playing on the Shenandoah field. They have a great program.”
He visited Shenandoah while in high school and admires coach Kevin Anderson. “Simply too close to home. Nothing against anybody,” McGuire said of heading to central Virginia for college.
McGuire said academics is a major reason he did not pursue being a two-way player in college. “With my major, being on the field [takes more time as a position player]. It was my choice. At the end of the day I am a student-athlete,” he said.
The ODAC is challenging enough just try to pitch against some of the clubs. Other ODAC schools ranked nationally by d3baseball.com are Bridgewater (14th) and Roanoke (24th) and Randolph-Macon (25th).
PATTERN OF SUCCESS
As a freshman, McGuire aided a long winning streak late in the season that landed Lynchburg in the College World Series for Division III.
He got one out in game two as a reliever against Misericordia, then there was a day off in Ohio before the third and deciding contest. At about 9:30 p.m. the night before the final game, McGuire got a text from then pitching coach Beazley.
McGuire went to the hotel room of his coach and learned he would start Game 3 the final day. “The nerves that went through my mind were insane. I just went to sleep because I didn’t know what else to do,” McGuire said.
But he has certainly known what to do on the mound to aid the perennial national power.
Editor’s note: Harrisonburg native David Driver is the co-author of “From Tidewater to the Shenandoah: Snapshots from Virginia’s Rich Baseball Legacy,” available on Amazon and at daytondavid.com. He played baseball at Turner Ashby High and at EMU and is the former sports editor of papers in Baltimore, Arlington and the Daily News-Record Harrisonburg.