LYNCHBURG, Va. – For every athlete that competes competitively, winning a national championship is the ultimate goal. For many, having that opportunity is few and far between. For former Jamestown Community College baseball player Nick Rini '21, the ultimate goal came into fruition when the University of Lynchburg captured the 2023 NCAA Division III Baseball National Championship.

Rini’s journey to a national championship didn’t start right away with the Hornet as he had two prior stops at NJCAA institutions with his first being at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia during 2019. Rini saw action in 11 games for the Patriots where he got six hits including four doubles.

After a season at PHCC, Rini needed a change of scenery and that’s when JCC came into play. The Powhatan, Virginia native had a connection with JCC as then head coach Jordan Basile had recruited Rini to PHCC when Basile was on staff. Rini took a chance on himself to get an opportunity which faired well in his favor.

“Coming to Jamestown was a career-changing experience for me,” said Rini. “I had known coach Basile from his time recruiting me to Patrick Henry and really wanted to do right by him. I wanted to develop as a leader and ball player and JCC gave me that opportunity.”

During his lone season as a Jayhawk in 2021, Rini saw action in 26 games where he batted .375 with 24 hits including four doubles and three homeruns. Rini’s season did not go unnoticed as he was selected First Team All-WNYAC and Region 3 Second Team All-Region.

After establishing himself as a solid ballplayer, Rini found his way to the University of Lynchburg, just 90 minutes east from where he grew up. Though getting to a four-year institution was the tip on the iceberg to continue his academics and athletics, what Rini had instore was a whirlwind of emotions.

“The summer after JCC I had double hip surgery which limited me,” Rini said. “I had tried different treatments and changed my diet, but nothing seemed to be going my way.”

Rini gave it a go for the 2022 season but saw limited action, playing in two games with six at bats and one hit. As a team, the Hornets went 36-12 where they were eliminated in the Lynchburg Regionals of the 2022 NCAA Division III Baseball National Championships.

Rini and Hornets looked to rebound during the 2023 season. For Rini, it was redemption to get his body right and for the Hornets, it was to make another run at a national championship. During January of 2023, Rini decided to hang up his cleats due to being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in his hips. Even though his time as a player may have been over, Rini and the University of Lynchburg’s coaching staff still saw the value of having someone around that has seen a lot of baseball and help out in any way that he could.

“It was extremely hard for me to not play anymore but it was understood by both my coaches and me that I still added value to the team whether it was in the clubhouse or at practice,” Rini said. “We had a young team so helping them with their swings and to hype guys up was sort of the role that I was in. As much as I’s have liked to have been playing, I loved being a great teammate and helping us win in another way.”

After dropping game one of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament to Bridgewater College, the Hornets rattled off five-straight wins to capture the championship. After capturing the conference championship, there was a certain kind of buzz around the clubhouse that could get the job done in the NCAA’s.

“It was always understood that we had the potential to go all the way this season,” Rini explained. “Coach Jones made it known that our goal was past winning the ODAC tournament.”

During the Super Regionals, the Hornets won their first two games before falling to Lebanon Valley College in an 8-4 game. That did not derail the Hornets as they won their last three games to earn a bid into the NCAA Championships. It was at this time that real conversations were being had of winning it all.

“Winning regionals was a real confidence boost for our team,” Rini said. “After winning regionals, it was almost like a switch turned on and we played like we were the best team in the country and we ended up proving that in Iowa.”

The Hornets got out to a great start, winning their first three games at nationals which put them in a three-game series against Johns Hopkins University to be crowned champions. After a 5-2 win in game one, the Hornets dropped game two by score of 11-6. In the decisive game three, the Hornets came away with a 7-6 win thanks to a three-run fifth inning.