LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI baseball team will host its first games in nearly three weeks this weekend as Mercer University (Ga.) comes to Lexington for a three-game Southern Conference series. Game one is slated for Friday at 4 p.m. with a doubleheader to follow Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Keydets hosted UNCG March 26-27 at Gray-Minor Stadium and have been on the road ever since, traveling to Samford University and Western Carolina University for three-game SoCon series the previous two weekends.

Red-shirt freshman Justin Starke was named the Southern Conference's Baseball Player of the Week Monday after posting outstanding numbers this weekend. Starke hit .615 last week with two doubles and a home run in the series at WCU Saturday and Sunday. The first baseman drove in six runs, scored twice, and had a slugging percentage of 1.000. 

For the season, Starke is hitting .318 in 24 games, all starts. He has a team-high six doubles with four home runs and has 16 runs scored and 12 RBI. Starke ranks 10^th in the SoCon with a .444 on-base percentage and has a .523 slugging percentage.

Several other Keydets had outstanding individual performances at the plate after VMI scored 20 runs in the final two games alone. Zac Morris went 5-11 (.455) with three stolen bases and Trey Morgan was 4-9 (.444) with four walks and four runs. Cole Garrett blasted his third home run of the season and Cody Warner had a .462 on base percentage and scored five times.  

Mercer is atop the SoCon Red Division with an 8-1 conference record and is 20-12 overall. The Bears have swept their last two SoCon series against The Citadel and UNCG. Mercer outscored the Bulldogs 31-9 and UNCG 24-7.