Warrior Baseball
Western Albemarle High School

Skip Hudgins, Head Coach has been coaching baseball at Western Albemarle High School since 1983. During this time period his teams have amassed a number of accomplishments including

• A record of 318 wins, 204 losses (a 61% win ratio) and 4 ties through the 2008 season
• Made the Virginia State playoffs in 1995 and 1996
• Seven times the champions of their district (1984, 1987, 1989, and 1996 in the Valley; 1997, 2001,  and 2006 in the Jefferson District)
• Four times the winner of the Jefferson District Tournament (1999, 2005,  and 2006)
• 20 game win streak in 1996
• Region II champions in 1997 and runner up in 1985 and 1996

During that time period he has also received a number of awards and recognitions including

• Central Virginia Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, and 1997
• Region II Coach of the Year in 1997 and in 2006
• District Coach of the Year in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006

Finally, his players have been recognized in a number of ways including

• Central Virginia player of the year in 1983, 1989, 1995, 1996, and 1997
• 42 players have gone on to play college baseball
• 5 players have gone on to play professional baseball

Coach Hudgins grew up in Radford, Virginia where he lettered in high school in baseball, basketball, and track. He graduated from Milligan College (BS in Health, Physical Education and Psychology) in Tennessee where he pitched on several nationally ranked NAIA teams. He was inducted into the Milligan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Coach Hudgins also coaches basketball at Western.  In 2002 he completed his 13^th year as the head coach for the Western Girls Program.  He coached the girls from 1982- 89 and took over the program again from 1997-2002.  His overall record stands at 193 wins and 96 losses.  The past six seasons his teams have amassed a record of 105 wins and 30 losses.  During that span the Warriors won the Jefferson District twice and qualified for the Regionals five of the past six seasons.  He was named Jefferson District Coach of the year in 2000 and 2002 and Central Virginia Coach of the year in 2002.  He also works in the highly successful boys program at WAHS serving as Coach Darren Maynard’s assistant.  In 2003 he announced that he would be stepping down from his position as girls coach to spend more time with his family.

He has taught physical education in grades K-5 in the Charlottesville area since 1974. He has been at Cale Elementary School since 1990.  He has also taught Drivers Education since 1991.

Coach Hudgins resides in Ruckersville with his wife, Linda, and his three children, Trey, Megan, and Tyler.

Click Here to Send Mail to Coach Hudgins

Coach Beeler grew up in Charlottesville where he was a three-year letterman in basketball and baseball and was selected as the Most Valuable Player in his senior year. He played baseball at Le Tourneau University in Longview Texas between 1972 and 1976 earning numerous honors including a Gold Glove and All Big State Conference his junior and senior years.

In addition to coaching baseball at WAHS, he also directs the junior varsity boys basketball team.  He also coached three summers in the American Legion in Charlottesville.

He lives in Charlottesville with his wife Sandy who helps out in many of the athletic activities at WAHS.

Lou was honored for his 20+ years of service on the baseball team at a special banquet in June 2006.  In 2008 he was presented with the inaugural Sun Trust Award for Inspiration.  This award will be given annually and will be called the "Lou Beeler Inspiration Award."

Jim Freeland, Assistant Coach has been a volunteer coach in Coach Hudgins program since 1989. He had coached in various recreational baseball programs (Tee-Ball, Dixie Little League, Peachtree Babe Ruth, Lane Fall League, and C.B. Baker Babe Ruth) for many years prior to working at Western. His opportunity to coach at Western came about in a fortuitous way when his son, Ross, was playing on the junior varsity team in 1989. Thurman Collier was coaching the JVs then, and his wife delivered a baby just prior to the second game of the season. Jim was asked 90 minutes before game time to jump in and take the team. The next year when Ross was promoted to varsity, Coach Freeland went along and has been working with Coaches Hudgins and Beeler ever since.

Coach Freeland grew up in Kansas City where he played basketball and baseball. He received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University in 1968, and his MS and Ph. D. from Georgia Tech in 1970 and 1973. He was on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate Business School before joining the faculty at the Darden School at the University of Virginia in 1979. There he is Associate Dean for Faculty and Sponsors Professor of Business Administration.

Coach Clark has coached Peachtree Baseball for the last seven years.  His teams have won the District Tournament for the past three years advancing to the State Tournament.  He has also been involved in coaching AAU girls basketball for seven years and boys AAU basketball for the past three years.  When he was contacted by Coach Hudgins and asked to stop by his office this past summer, his initial thoughts were that were Coach Hudgins wanted to talk about his daughter, Hope, who was coached by Coach Hudgins on Western's varsity basketball team.  "I had no idea Skip wanted to discuss coaching baseball."

Coach Clark goes at a fast pace as he and his wife, Gail, own and operate "Tucked Away Dairy Farm," a three generation dairy farm in Whitehall.  Their daughter, Hope, was a starter on Western's varsity basketball team.  She now works at Crozet Elementary School.  Their son, Joe, was an outstanding player at Western and now attends Frostburg State University in Maryland where he plays on the baseball team.

Jeff Carter joined the Junior Varsity coaching staff in 2007.  He coached in the Peachtree Baseball Program for nine years and helped Coach Gardner in the Crozet Sharks Program for two years.  He grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia but has lived in the Whitehall area of Albemarle County since 1985.  Coach Carter graduated from Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC in 1976 and from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA in 1980 with a Masters Degree in Wetland Ecology.  He now works for Dominion Virginia Power in Charlottesville.

He resides with his wife Cindy, daughter Kayla and son Noah. Cindy is a math teacher at Henley Middle School.  Kayla, who was an outstanding field hockey player at Western, now attends James Madison University and Noah is a member of the Varsity Baseball team.

Justin Patenaude joined the varsity coaching staff in 2008.    Coach Patenaude came to Western after a three year stint with his alma mader, Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Florida.  He was born in Columbia, South Carolina and moved to Tallahassee at 13. He played his high school ball there at Lawton Chiles High School. While there, he was a four year starter on the varsity baseball team and soccer team. After his senior year he received a scholarship to play at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. He then returned to Chiles to lead the Freshman team for one year and JV team for two years. He also coached the Chiles varsity summer team the last three years.

 He is currently substitute teaching while he finishes his degree. His sister Nicole graduated from Western in 88'. He lives in Charlottesville and has two dogs.