LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball will battle Mercer in a crucial Southern Conference series at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium starting Friday.
 
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1 | Friday at 3 p.m. (new start time)
- RHP Evan Parmer (2-2, 4.85 ERA) vs. LHP Colton Cosper (3-1, 4.33 ERA)
Game 2 | Saturday at 2 p.m.
- LHP Jaxon Lloyd (4-1, 7.53 ERA) vs. RHP Jeb Johnson (3-1, 3.91 ERA)
Game 3 | Sunday at 1 p.m.
- TBA vs. TBA
 
The Keydets (19-11, 3-3 SoCon) have been hot at the plate and want to keep the momentum against a talented Bears squad. VMI enters the weekend with a three-game winning streak while Mercer has won four of its last six games.
 
 
Keys to the Keydets
Keydets Get Season Sweep Over Longwood, Norfolk State. VMI won both of its midweek games, earning two run-rule victories over Longwood and Norfolk State.
 
Grand Slam City. The Keydets launched two grand slams against Longwood. James Newsome hit one in the first inning before Boston Torres laced one in the third inning.
 
Touchdown Keydets. VMI put up football numbers against Norfolk State, defeating the Spartans, 26-6. 26 runs is the most runs scored since 2002.
 
The Streak Continues. Boston Torres has reached base safely in all 30 games. Not only has the lefty slugger earned a hit in seven straight, but he has also homered in five straight games.
 
King of Steals. It only took Owen Prince 29 games to break VMI's single-season stolen base record after swiping his 37th bag against Longwood. He has reached 40 through 30 games.
 
That's Called a Winning Streak. VMI has outscored its opponents, 51-18, and has stacked up 43 hits during its three-game winning streak.
 
It's the Weekend. The Keydets are 15-8 when playing in weekend series. Boston Torres has been dominant in such games, earning 33 hits with 41 RBIs and seven homers. Owen Prince has also posted 33 hits in 23 games. As a team, VMI slashes .327/.534/.487 along with 184 walks to pair with 129 stolen bases and 32 homers. In such games, the Keydets have outscored their opponents, 250-154.
 
A Kid Named Boston. Boston Torres was outstanding in his battle against the Spartans, landing him SoCon Player of the Week. Torres tallied seven hits and seven RBIs, going five-for-five with three RBIs and four runs on Saturday before smashing the game-tying three-run home run to set up the Keydets for a series-finale victory on Sunday. Torres homered in all three games against the Spartans.
 
Lloyd Expressway. Jaxon Lloyd picked up his fourth win on Sunday, posting nine strikeouts for the second time this season.
 
Plate Perfectionists. Four Keydets have been perfect at the plate in the past week. Boston Torres went five-for-five while Ayden Schnarrs went four-for-four on Saturday before Owen Prince tallied four hits in four trips on Sunday. On Wednesday, Kazuya Jordan was four-for-four with a triple.
 
Home Run Derby. Three Keydets are in a race for the home run title. Grayson Fitzwater and Cole Raile each have 10, while Boston Torres is close behind with nine.
 
Witnessing History. VMI is in the running to break several program records this season. VMI's 168 stolen bases are third, while its 344 runs are seventh and its 240 walks are fifth.
 
Dumbbell Raile. Cole Raile ranks number one in the nation with 52 runs and 1.73 runs per game. He has clobbered a team-leading 10 home runs and has swiped 23 bags.
 
Torres It Up. Boston Torres leads the nation with 53 RBIs. Torres has also shown he can get on base and score as he ranks in the top 10 in walks (29) and top five in runs (47). Torres leads the team with 14 multi-RBI and 13 multi-hit outings.
 
Prince of Pain. Not only does he lead the team with 40 steals, but Owen Prince also leads the nation and league in steals and steals per game (1.33). Prince's 34 walks and .404 batting clip lead the SoCon while his 46 hits are second. He's fourth in the NCAA in walks, second in runs (49), and third in runs per game (1.63) while standing 26th in hits.
 
That's So B-Rad. Bradley Garner boasts a .396 batting clip and has a six-game hitting streak. He also has 12 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games.
 
Plum Dog. Caden Plummer leads the team with a 4.10 ERA, 41 strikeouts, four victories, and one complete game.
 
Season Streaks. Along with Torres, other Keydets have season streaks like Grayson Fitzwater, who boasts a 23-game on-base streak, and Owen Prince, who holds the highest hitting streak on the team with eight.
 
The Brand. VMI leads the country with 164 steals, which is on pace to beat the national record of 333 set by Wichita State in 1982. The closest team is Wofford, which has 104. The Keydets average over five steals a game.
 
Runs Galore. VMI is one of four teams to score 300+ runs this season and is the only team with over 11 runs per game. The Keydets have scored double-digit runs in 18 games with nine run-rule victories.
 
K Zone. VMI staffers have posted 257 strikeouts with eight strikeouts per game.
 
Eagle Eyes. VMI has drawn a nation-leading 240 walks. The top four players who lead the SoCon in walks are all Keydets.
 
Plate Warriors. VMI is slashing .328/.547/.486, which all stand in the top 20 in the NCAA. The Keydets' .486 on-base clip is first.
 
Rub Some Dirt On It. The Keydets have been hit by 73 pitches, the eighth most..
 
Small Ball. The Keydets are third in sacrifice flies (24) and seventh in sac bunts (27).

Scouting the Bears
- Mercer holds a 19-11 record while going 3-3 in SoCon play.
- The Bears took down Western Carolina last weekend for their first SoCon series win of the season.
- Mercer has picked up key series wins against Milwaukee, Kent State, Southern, and Tennessee Tech along with midweek victories over Kennesaw State and #5 Florida State.
- The Bears are 10-1 when scoring nine or more runs but are 1-9 when held to under six runs.
- Mercer's offense slashes .275/.467/.389 with 272, 57 doubles, three triples, and 42 home runs to pair with 188 RBIs and 202 runs.
- The Bears have struck out 212 times and have drawn 153 walks.
- Preseason All-SoCon selection Bradley Frye has been the glue to this Mercer offense as the shortstop holds a .385 batting clip with a team-leading 50 hits that stands ninth in the country.
- Preseason SoCon Player of the Year Ty Dalley hit his 50th career home run and now leads the Bears and ranks third in the SoCon with 11 homers this season.
- Mercer is 14-1 when allowing four or fewer earned runs.
- The Bears' staff boasts a 4.68 ERA with 269 strikeouts and 113 walks, equaling a 2.38 K/BB ratio that ranks 50th.
- Mercer has a 3.83 BB/9, which stands 44th.
- Colton Cosper and Jeb Johnson are set to start this weekend, as Cosper leads the team with 35.1 innings pitched and three wins, while Johnson has also posted three victories and leads the team with 12 appearances.
- Jess Ackerman has a team-high 45 strikeouts and a 3.73 ERA.
- Head Coach Craig Gibson has spent the last 21 seasons at Mercer, becoming the all-time winningest coach in 2023.
 
Series History
- VMI is 12-25-1 against Mercer, dating back to the first matchup in 1964 that ended in the lone tie.
- The Keydets took the series against the Bears last year, but it was Mercer who ended VMI's season in the SoCon Tournament with a 19-14 final in the first round.
- VMI has won four of its last six home games against Mercer.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.