LEXINGTON, Va. – It was announced by the Southern Conference office Saturday evening that eighth-seeded VMI Baseball will play in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday at 3 p.m. against No. 5 Western Carolina at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.
 
The Keydets will play as the eighth seed for the 14th time in program history, as well as facing the Catamounts for the 14th time. The winner of the elimination round will advance to the double-elimination portion of the bracket and will battle No. 4 Mercer on Thursday at 3 p.m.
 
The Runnin' Roos put up the best start to a season since 2010, winning 11 of their first 12 games. VMI enters the postseason with a 27-25 overall record, while going 6-15 in league play. The Keydets ended the regular season with a dominating 15-6 victory over Wofford, securing a winning record for the first time since 2014 and the third-straight season for head coach Sam Roberts and company with 25 or more wins, the first time in 17 seasons.
 
In last year's tournament, VMI was a first-round exit after a high-scoring loss to Mercer, 19-14. The Keydets are in search of their first postseason victory since 2017. In 2025, VMI took two of three from Western Carolina on the road in the opening conference series.
 
East Tennessee State claimed the one seed with Samford right behind in the two spot, both earning a double bye. The Citadel and Mercer go three and four, respectively, and get a first-round bye. With Western Carolina and VMI earning five and eight seeds, that leaves UNC Greensboro and Wofford finishing out the first round battles as six and seven seeds.
 
All games of the SoCon Championship will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The tournament winner earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Regional.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.