After four years as a standout for the Moravian University baseball team, Derek Holmes wentsearching for a Division I opportunity.
His two-year stint at William & Mary has provided the athletic and academic chances he sought.
Holmes, a Northwestern Lehigh product, will graduate with his MBA from William & Mary in one month. If the Tribe play well enough in their remaining Coastal Athletic Association games, his college baseball career will extend beyond graduation day.
Holmes has already played more college baseball than the average player. He’s in Year 6, with the COVID-19 pandemic leading to two extra years of eligibility.
“After my time at Moravian, I told my coach there that if I didn’t find anything D-I, I wasn’t going to look at any other D-IIIs,” Holmes said by phone Monday night. “I would just stay and finish my career at Moravian.
“William & Mary was the first to offer. I never really talked to any other coaching staffs besides William & Mary.
“I found a great spot here in Virginia,” he added. “It was a great fit both academically andathletically.”
Holmes didn’t find a regular spot in the William & Mary lineup until this season. A three-timeLandmark Conference first-team selection at Moravian, he received only 17 at-bats in his firstyear with the Tribe. He scuffled in those limited chances, hitting .176.
With Rob McCoy taking over as William & Mary’s coach this season, Holmes expected toreceive playing time at catcher. The Tribe instead dealt with several injuries that opened spots on the infield.
Holmes played a bit of third base before moving to second base, a position he said he hadn’tplayed regularly since he was a Northwestern Lehigh sophomore. His bat has allowed him tohold a spot in the Tribe lineup. He began Tuesday hitting .333 with 11 doubles, 21 runs and 32 RBIs.
“With the coaching staff that we have and the team that we have, it kind of just allows you to go out there and play and do what you’re best at,” Holmes said. “For me, it’s relaxed me at the plate. I’ve been able to go back to what I was doing in high school and at Moravian, having the confidence to go up there in the box and hit the ball to all sides of the field.
“I’ve just been able to take it back and don’t make it too much, playing D-I baseball.”
William & Mary’s 7-5 mark in the CAA has it tied for second place. The top six finishers qualify for the CAA tournament May 21-24.
Holmes is pushing for an extended postseason run, though he’s taking it weekend-by-weekend with five league series remaining. Whenever his playing days end, he’s hoping to land a job close to the Lehigh Valley. He has interviewed for several positions and would love to stay within an hour of home.
“It was nice to come away for two years, but me and my brother [Justin, a D-I football player],we’ve both been talking about how it’s just different not being in Pennsylvania and the LehighValley,” Holmes said. “We’re enjoying our times in college, but we can’t wait to get back to theLehigh Valley.”
More Tigers noise: Holmes isn’t the lone Northwestern Lehigh grad wrapping up a productive college career.
Delaware left-hander Carter Welch had logged a 2.83 ERA over 28 2/3 innings and 11 reliefappearances heading into Tuesday’s nonleague game at Penn State. He had struck out 24 and walked nine while posting a 1.22 WHIP for the Blue Hens (18-16 overall, 6-6 CAA).
Moravian senior outfielder Nick Henry began Tuesday hitting .250 with a .431 on-basepercentage, nine runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games. He needed nine hits to reach 100 for hiscareer.
Extra bases
- Misericordia senior catcher Brock Bollinger (Palmerton) went into Tuesday’s game at Susquehanna leading the Cougars with a 1.182 OPS, 14 doubles, four home runs and 37 RBIs. He has also swiped 19 bases in 21 attempts.
- Lehigh Valley rivals DeSales and Muhlenberg will meet for a nonleague game Wednesdayat DeSales’ Weiland Park. DeSales has won the last five meetings, including a 13-5 victorylast season.
Stephen Miller is a freelance writer
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