Lynchburg, Va. -- Historic University of Lynchburg baseball coach and Lynchburg Sports Hall of Famer, Gerry Thomas, has been selected as a member of the Virginia Baseball Coaches Association (VBCA) Hall of Fame class of 2026, announced by the organization on Thursday. 

"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."

With 581 victories, seven conference championships and a commitment to his players' academic success, Thomas built a lasting legacy during his 27 years leading the Lynchburg baseball program.

Thomas returned to his alma mater, Lynchburg College, now the University of Lynchburg, as head baseball coach in 1968. He guided the Hornets to a 581-212-4 record, establishing one of the most successful college baseball programs in the South.

His teams captured seven Old Dominion Athletic Conference championships and earned seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Thomas received ODAC Coach of the Year honors five times.

The 1980 season brought additional recognition as Thomas was named NCAA Division III South Atlantic Coach of the Year. Lynchburg finished undefeated in conference play at 12-0 and compiled a 22-2-1 regular-season record. The Hornets entered their sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance ranked No. 4 nationally by Collegiate Baseball.

Before beginning his coaching career, Thomas spent 10 years playing minor-league baseball, including eight at the Triple-A level with the Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers organizations. He then led Amherst County High School's baseball program from 1964-67, compiling a 56-10 record before returning to Lynchburg.

His impact at Lynchburg extended beyond the field. All but four players who played in his program graduated from the institution, pairing the Hornets' competitive accomplishments with sustained academic achievement. Thomas was inducted into the Lynchburg Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

The 2026 VBCA Hall of Fame 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.

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