Tomlin Back To Lead Tom Sox For Year Three

By: Ben Rekosh

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Randy Tomlin is set to return to coach the Tom Sox in 2026, the team announced Thursday (February 5th).

“I’m thankful for the trust from [President] Chesley [Mullins] and the organization to bring me back and to believe in what we’ve all been able to accomplish in the previous two years,” Tomlin, the 2024 VBL Coach of the Year, said.

The Tom Sox made the Valley Baseball League championship series both years with Tomlin at the helm, winning the franchise's fourth title in 2024. The franchise totaled 54 wins over the past two summers, and has seen 10 players named as All-VBL honorees during his tenure. In 2025, Charlottesville finished the regular season with a 20-18 record to enter the playoffs as the three-seed in the VBL playoffs in the South Division.

Tomlin is the seventh coach in the franchise’s 11-season history and only the second multi-season head coach. This will be his third-straight season as the ‘Sox head coach.

He expressed enthusiasm about having another chance to win the fifth championship in Tom Sox history: “The goal when you start the season is to say ‘Hey, we’re going to win a championship,’ but it’s a day-to-day process that you have to work on.”

The 2025 season was defined by resilience; the Tom Sox opened the season with the worst 12-game stretch in franchise history, but rallied to earn a spot in the championship series before losing 2-1 to the Strasburg Express in the best-of three-game contest. In a summer highlighted by 16 come-from-behind wins (four of which happening in walk-off fashion), Tomlin said he grew a great amount in his philosophies of unity and adaptability throughout the season.

Tomlin will again be joined by his son Coy, the honorary pitching coach for Charlottesville the past two summers. Coy talks about his experiences with the ‘Sox nearly every day – even still watching previous season’s games on Youtube –his father said.

Tomlin has been the head baseball coach at Liberty Christian Academy since 2012; the Bulldogs are coming off an appearance in the VHSL Class 3 semifinals last June. A graduate of Liberty University, he pitched in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1990-94 before getting into coaching.

Charlottesville will begin its season with Tomlin at the helm on May 29th against the Waynesboro Generals, with the full schedule set to be announced at a later date. Follow the Tom Sox on social media and visit tomsox.org for the latest.

“It’s exciting to have another shot and make another run at a championship."