West Virginia Wesleyan College head baseball coach Randy Tenney earned the 500th win of his career here Wednesday afternoon, when his Bobcats beat Pitt-Johnstown 7-6 in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader at Hank Ellis Field.

Tenney accomplished the milestone in grandiose fashion with a finish that is worthy of being made into a feel-good Disney movie. The Bobcats were down to their last out with the bases empty and trailing 6-3 in the seventh inning. The Bobcats rallied for four runs in the inning, including a dramatic three-run walk-off home run by junior first baseman Eric Stettnisch.

“It was an incredible way to win a ballgame, especially to win a 500th ballgame,” remarked Tenney.”

Tenney, who has spent his entire head coaching career at Wesleyan, was easily more jubilant for his team’s come-from-behind win than his own personal career mark. “Winning 500 games is a great accomplishment and it is something I am very proud of, but I was truly happy for our team after I saw Eric’s hit leave the park,” he remarked. “We have been struggling and losing some close games, it has been a tough start to the season, but hopefully this will create a spark and help us reach our ultimate goal of qualifying for the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) post-season tournament.”

Tenney is a 1977 graduate of Wesleyan and was a member of the baseball team coached by the legendary Hank Ellis from 1974-1977. He currently remains the all-time leader in stolen bases (78) and thefts in a single season (29). Following his playing days, he spent three years as an assistant baseball coach under Danny Lantz at Buckhannon-Upshur High School and then returned to Wesleyan as an assistant coach under Ellis in 1980. Tenney became the head coach of the Bobcats in 1987 succeeding Ellis, who retired after leading the team for 35 years.

In his 20th season as head coach at Wesleyan, Tenney has led his teams to seventeen 20-win seasons and four 30-win campaigns. His best season was in 1995 when his squad set a school record for 33 wins. His overall record stands at 500-290-6.

His teams have won four WVIAC championships (1991, ’92, ’95, and ’96) and have finished first or second 11 times during his tenure. He was named three times as WVIAC Coach of the Year (1991, ’92, and ’99), has been the coach of four WVIAC Player of the Year, three WVIAC Hitter of the Year, and seven WVIAC Pitchers of the Year.

Tenney, the winningest baseball coach in Wesleyan history, became the second active coach in the WVIAC to reach the 500-win milestone. He is also the second-longest tenured coach in the conference. He is 33rd in victories among active coaches in the NCAA Division II ranks, and is located in the top 55 in all-time wins by Division II coaches.

He resides in Buckhannon with his wife Shirley. They have three children: Bucky Murray ’04, director of Wesleyan’s Outdoor Recreation Program, Christie, a sophomore at Wesleyan, and J. R., a sophomore at Buckhannon-Upshur High School.