LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball returns to the friendly confines of Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium for a non-conference showdown against George Washington on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Game Schedule and Probables
Wednesday at 6 p.m.
- LHP
Peyton Dhein (0-0, 14.14 ERA) vs. LHP Ayden Alexander (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The Keydets (16-8, 2-1 SoCon) are coming off a high note after winning three of their last four games, including a Southern Conference opening series dub against Western Carolina. George Washington, who is on a hot streak of its own, visits Lexington for the first time since 2017.
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Claim League Opening Series Against Catamounts. VMI took two of three against Western Carolina for its first SoCon series win. This marks just the fifth time VMI has taken a series in Cullowhee and the eighth series win against WCU in program history.
Historic Series Victory. It is the first time the Keydets have won the conference opening series since 2010 and the first time they have won the SoCon opening series since 2003.
Sophomore Standout. Cole Raile tallied three multi-hit games for a total of seven hits in the series win against the Catamounts. On Saturday, Raile blasted his ninth homer of the season with three RBIs. His seven hits lead all conference batters in league games.
Dealin' and Winnin'. Caden Plummer and
Jaxon Lloyd each picked up wins on the mound last weekend. Plummer went seven innings on Saturday while Lloyd came in relief on Sunday, tossing four innings.
Toro Jones. In his last two appearances,
Andrew Jones has thrown 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts and no runs allowed.
Dumbbell Raile. Cole Raile ranks number one in the nation with 42 runs and 1.75 runs per game. He has clobbered a team-leading nine home runs, the 22nd most in the nation. Raile can be speedy too, with 18 steals.
Torres It Up. Boston Torres leads the team with 37 RBIs, nine doubles, and five sacrifice flies. Torres ranks top 25 nationally in walks (26), walks per game (1.08), runs (36), RBIs (37), RBIs per game (1.54), runs per game (1.50), and sacrifice flies (5). He also has 10 multi-hit and multi-RBI games.
Prince of Pain. Not only does he lead the team with 32 steals, but
Owen Prince also leads the nation in steals and steals per game (1.33). Prince's 31 hits and 30 walks are also team bests. He's also fourth in the NCAA in walks (30), fifth in walks per game (1.25), and seventh in runs (37).
That's So B-Rad. Bradley Garner boasts a team-leading .395 batting clip and has earned at least one hit in four of his last five games. In the field, Garner has tallied three or more putouts in seven straight games.
Plum Dog. Caden Plummer leads the team with 38 strikeouts. He is top 25 in the country with 7.60 K/BB ratio and 1.15 BB/9.
The Brand. VMI is the only team in the country to have 100+ stolen bases with 134, which is on pace to beat the national record of 333 steals set by Wichita State in 1982. The closest team is Wofford, which has 94.
Runs Galore. VMI has scored 266 runs, the second most, with 11 runs per game, the nation's leader. The Keydets have scored double-digit runs in 15 games with seven run-rule victories.
K Zone. VMI staffers have posted 199 strikeouts, boasting over nine strikeouts per nine innings.
Eagle Eyes. The Keydets have drawn a nation-leading 202 walks.
Plate Warriors. VMI is slashing .312/.517/.481, which all stand in the top 30 in the NCAA. The Keydets' .517 on-base clip is number one in the country.
Rub Some Dirt On It. The Keydets have been hit by 55 pitches, the 13th-most in the NCAA.
Small Ball. The Keydets are fifth in sacrifice flies (20) and 13th in sac bunts (19).
Season Streaks. Boston Torres enters the week with a 24-game on-base streak, while
Grayson Fitzwater boasts a 19-game on-base streak.
Keydets in the Outfield. VMI's starting outfielders have put up big numbers this season:
Boston Torres (.345),
Owen Prince (.365), and
Bradley Garner (.395). They also attest to 135 putouts and 10 assists.
Record Book Watch. Grayson Fitzwater enters the season ranked first in career fielding percentage with .988. Other records to watch are career home runs (30), putouts (901), and slugging percentage (.586).
Owen Prince is five steals away from breaking VMI's single-season record and is closing in on top five in career steals with 60.
Scouting the Revolutionaries
- George Washington enters the midweek slate 12-11 overall and 3-3 in A10 play.
- The Revs took two of three from Rhode Island last weekend and have won four of their last five.
- GW boasts 12 freshmen, 12 sophomores, four juniors, seven seniors, and four graduates on its roster.
- The Revs will bring 13 infielders, five outfielders, two utilities, and 19 pitchers.
- GW is 2-5 when playing on the road.
- The Revs won the series against Holy Cross, a team VMI split a series with in early March.
- As a team, GW slashes .283/.418/.394 with 154 runs and 138 RBIs to pair with 52 doubles, three triples, and 15 home runs.
- The Revs' 52 doubles are ranked 31st in the nation.
- Sam Gates leads the team with a .361 batting clip, boasting 30 hits.
- Charlie Rogan has a team-high nine doubles and 20 runs.
- Ty Acker has driven in 18 RBIs.
- On the mound, GW holds a 6.35 ERA with 175 strikeouts and 125 walks.
- Three Revs have made 10 appearances with a sub-four ERA.
- GW has a .972 fielding percentage with 24 errors.
- The Revs are 5-1 when scoring double-digit runs.
- In their win over Maine, GW put up 26 runs, the 12th-most runs scored in a single game this season.
- The Revs score just over six runs per game but allow seven.
- Head Coach Gregg Ritchie, who graduated from GW in 1986, is in his 13th season with the Revs, racking up over 300 wins.
Series History
- VMI 20-28 against GW dating back to 1951.
- The Keydets hold an even 8-8 record when playing the Revs at home.
- The last meeting came in March 2021 when VMI defeated GW on the road, 8-1.
- This will be the first matchup at Gray-Minor Stadium since 2017.
- VMI has won three of its last five meetings against GW.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
