VMI Baseball 2020 Season Preview

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI baseball team opens the 2020 season this weekend at the University of North Florida. The Keydets are scheduled to square off with Ospreys Friday at 6:05 p.m., Saturday at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday in 1:05 p.m.

The Keydets return the nucleus of a very young 2019 team that finished in seventh place in the Southern Conference.

Offensively, junior second-baseman Callen Nuccio should serve as the leadoff hitter yet again this year after posting a .316 average and a .398 on-base percentage last spring. He finished the season reaching base safely in 27-straight games. Two other starters on the infield are veterans, with red-shirt junior Josh Hollifield expected to slide over to third base after serving as the team's shortstop in 2019 and senior Ryan Hatten manning first base. Hollifield ranked in the top five in the conference with 19 doubles, and hit .262 with 29 runs and 29 RBI. Hatten led the team with 10 home runs and both players should hit in the middle of the order. Freshman Zac Morris will take over the shortstop duties, while red-shirt senior Matt Keane and freshmen Justin Starke and JT Inskeep will all get opportunities behind the plate.  

Senior Jon Clines, the team leader in batting average (.340), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.511) will be the team's designated hitter after switching from the mound at mid-season last year. Junior Noah Cook, senior Michael Diodato, sophomore Jacob Mustain and sophomore Reeves Whitmore all will be looking for opportunities to contribute.

The outfield boasts four returnees from a year ago that saw plenty of action. Red-shirt sophomore Will Knight hit .253 last year and will see time in both center field and a corner. Senior Jordan Ebersole came on strong late last year and has the best range of the outfielders. Juniors Cody Warner and Nathan Loyd both hit from the leftside and will see time in the corner OF spots. Red-shirt sophomore Justin Nase will also look to crack the lineup.

The starting rotation should be deeper than a year ago after a number of freshmen got valuable experience. Senior right-hander Jacob Menders will anchor the starting staff after going 5-5 last year with a team-high 16 starts and a team-low 4.15 ERA. Sophomore righties Adam Jewell and Zach Sanders have laid claim to the other two weekend starting spots in pre-season and fellow sophomore Nathan Light, a lefty, will be in the mix as well for starts and important relief innings. Senior right-handers Derek Tremblay and Corey Johnston give the Keydets veteran options late in games, and sophomore lefty Will Lopez has gained the coaching staff's trust in tight situations. Junior Sam Ewald was used last year as a starter and reliever and should get an opportunity for innings this spring.

VMI travels to the University of Virginia Tuesday at 3 p.m. and opens its home slate Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 against Lafayette College (Pa.).