LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI baseball team opens the 2023 season this weekend against stout competition, traveling to Mississippi State University for a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field.

Game times are set for 4 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in Starkville. The Bulldogs won the 2021 NCAA Division I title after going 50-18.

"Our guys have worked extremely hard this fall and since coming back from furlough to prepare for both this weekend and this season," said first-year head coach Sam Roberts. "I'm looking forward to what the experience this weekend down at Mississippi State is going to bring not only to our young guys, but also our veteran players.  It will be exciting to face an SEC opponent and this series will help prepare us well for the remainder of the season.  Our guys have really developed a trust in one another, and you can feel the excitement in our locker room."

The Keydets return some key personnel for Roberts, including three players that earned pre-season All-Southern Conference awards. Junior Brett Cook was voted as the designated hitter on the first-team, while red-shirt juniors Zac Morris (SS) and Justin Starke (3B) landed spots on the second-team.

Cook led the team with a .565 slugging percentage, 12 home runs and 48 RBI last season. He had a .383 on base percentage and stole eight bases. Morris earned 2022 second-team all-conference honors at second base by the league's media members. He led the team with a .332 batting average and had a healthy SoCon batting average of .408 and six home runs in 20 games. Starke was on his way to a monster season in 2022 before injury slowed him down, but still hit .315 with nine home runs and eight doubles. He had a .394 on base percentage and a .555 slugging percentage with 23 RBI in 43 games and 32 run scored.

Junior catcher Cole Garrett has been a consistent performer both offensively and defensively in his two seasons. Junior lefthander Trey Morgan will man centerfield when he is not on the mound and junior Cole Jenkins will see plenty of at bats between first base and an outfield corner. Junior Ty Swaim will start at second base and red-shirt senior JT Inskeep will be in the mix to backup Garrett behind the plate and also provide pitching depth. Junior Jed Barrett should start at various positions in a utility role once he returns from injury.

Freshmen Jimmy Koza and Grayson Fitzwater should battle for starting positions immediately and Owen Prince and Kazuya Jordan should also see playing time early in the season.

Sophomore right handers Tyler Kaltreider and Holden Wilkerson will be atop the pitching depth chart as will fifth-year lefties Will Lopez and Nathan Light. Red-shirt sophomore Will Riley was very effective in a relief role last season and sophomore Jaxon Lloyd looks to bounce back after an injury last spring. In addition to the aforementioned Morgan and Inskeep, sophomore Roberto Velasquez, a transfer from Bryant and Stratton, will see important innings on the hill. Freshmen Derrell Fletcher-Knight and Marcus Van Alstine will look to earn their way into the rotation or bullpen mix.

The Keydets also have the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech on the early-season non-conference schedule. VMI opens play in Gray-Minor Stadium Feb. 24-26 against Holy Cross and will welcome Coppin State, Norfolk State and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to Lexington for non-conference weekend series. SoCon play begins for the Keydets March 24-26 at Wofford College.