LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball (21-19, 4-5 SoCon) continues the homestand with a three-game set against a classic rival, The Citadel (16-19, 0-9 SoCon), starting Friday at Gray Minor Stadium.
 
The Keydets will dedicate its newly remodeled playing surface before Saturday's contest with an on-field ceremony commemorating VMI Baseball alum, Mike Lamore. Pregame festivities will begin at 2:40 p.m. with first pitch at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Game Information
Location: Lamore Field at Gray Minor Stadium
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Broadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Game Schedule and Probables
Game 1 | Friday at 6 p.m.
- RHP Andrew Jones (3-4, 5.29 ERA) vs. RHP Sam Swygert (3-3, 6.91 ERA)
Game 2 | Saturday at 3 p.m.
- LHP Trey Morgan (2-4, 6.16 ERA) vs. RHP Landon Slemp (2-3, 5.96 ERA)
Game 3 | Friday at 1 p.m.
- RHP Will Riley (5-2, 4.27 ERA) vs. RHP Ben Hutchins (3-4, 3.57 ERA)

Last Time Out
- VMI put up nine early runs to take down James Madison, 10-9, on Wednesday to record its fourth-straight home victory
- First win over the Dukes since 2021 and breaks six-game winless streak
- Grayson Fitzwater hammered a pair of home runs, one a grand slam, with a career-high seven RBI
 
 
Keys to the Keydets
- For the fourth consecutive week, the Keydets rank number one in the nation in stolen bases (129) and stolen bases/game (3.23)
- Kazuya Jordan ranks 14th in stolen bases per game (0.67) and 17th in total stolen bases (22) in the nation
- Along with being top-tier base bandits, VMI ranks in the top 25 multiple categories in NCAA DI: fifth in sacrifice flies (26), 11th in walks (228), 11th in sacrifice bunts (30), 16th in on-base percentage (.427), 17th in BB/9 (3.45), 23rd in runs (311), and 24th in hit by pitches (73)
- Riley ranks 23rd in starts (9) and 33rd in strikeouts (66) in NCAA DI
- Morgan has been a dual threat, standing fifth in BB/9 (0.91) and 15th in K/BB ratio (6.60) while being 10th in sacrifice flies (6) in NCAA DI
- Justin Starke has been key to the Keydets' offensive abilities, slashing .387/.697/.516 with 55 hits, 48 runs, and 33 walks
- Fitzwater has muscled a team-high 13 homers and 45 RBI
- Morgan has reached base in 26 consecutive games, the most by any Keydet in 2024 and just one game shy of breaking his all-time high
- Ty Swaim earned his 100th career RBI last week against Mercer
- VMI is 15-0 this season when scoring 10 or more runs
- Keep an eye on the record book as several Keydets inch their way into the top 10 in several categories including Starke who is one run away from breaking the all-time runs record set by current VMI Baseball Head Coach, Sam Roberts
- Roberts is three wins shy of earning his 50th victory as head coach

Scouting the Bulldogs
- Citadel enters the weekend 16-19 overall and 0-9 in SoCon play after starting the season 7-1, its best start since 2010
- Bulldogs are coming off a tight loss to South Carolina, 4-3, on Tuesday
- Citadel was predicted to finish last in the conference and currently holds the eight seed
- Bulldogs had three players land on the Preseason All-SoCon First Team: Will Holmes, Sam Swygert, and Sawyer Reeves
- Citadel has been outscored 92-19 in conference games this season
- Bulldogs have produced promises in the field, turning 30 double plays while producing 22 errors, the fewest in the league
- Landon Slemp and Sam Swygert have made nine starts each, ranking first in the conference and 23rd in the nation
- Wells Sykes enters the series slashing .367/.508/.408 with a team-leading 44 hits and five triples which ranks fifth in the nation
- Anthony Hausner boasts five homers and nine doubles, both team-highs
- Ben Hutchins leads the team with a 3.57 ERA, three wins, and two saves while George Derrick Floyd has recorded 38 strikeouts
- Luke Kissenberth ranks first in the conference with a 0.87 ERA while playing against SoCon teams
- Scoring will be key as Citadel is 9-1 when scoring 10 or more runs and 12-1 when recording six or more RBI

Series History
- Citadel leads the all-time series, 85-39
- Boasted as one of the richest rivalries in college baseball and the SoCon with the start of the feud beginning in 1955
- Last matchup was in the SoCon Championship Opening Round where the Bulldogs bested the Keydets, 5-2
- VMI dropped last season's series but won the last home series in 2021