LEXINGTON, Va. – After a midweek getaway, VMI Baseball returns to Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium for a three-game set against Maryland Eastern Shore.
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1 | Friday, February 20 - 3 p.m.
- RHP Jonah Stepner vs. LHP
Peyton Dhein
Game 2 | Saturday, February 21 - 1 p.m.
- RHP Richard De Jesus vs. RHP
Owen Riley
Game 3 | Saturday, February 21 - 4 p.m.
- RHP Henry Clausell vs. RHP
Andrew Jones
The Keydets (4-1) had a solid outing against Virginia and look to build off that performance against the Hawks (0-3). Due to forecasted rain during the weekend, Saturday will turn into a doubleheader.
Keys to the Keydets
Run Fast, Turn Left. VMI's identity in the
Sam Roberts era has been speed on the base paths. The Keydets have claimed the NCAA Division I stolen base crown three-straight seasons, including a program-record 209 steals in 2025. This season, VMI has 34 steals and ranks first nationally.
Getting On Base. VMI has found every way to score its 69 runs this season, but it starts by getting on base by any means necessary. Six Keydets have reached base safely in all five games, resulting in a conference-leading 56 RBIs.
What To Watch For
Sipe's Streak. Hot-handed
Hunter Sipe has tossed eight innings and allowed just two hits with 11 strikeouts. In his two appearances, opponents have been batting under .100 and have scored none. His 11 strikeouts are the fifth-most among D-I pitchers.
Staying Perfect. VMI is 19-0 all-time against UMES, a streak that started in 2007.
Dheining For More. Projected Friday starter
Peyton Dhein looks for another strong performance. In the season opener, the true sophomore diced up the lineup, allowing no runs and striking out five in just six innings for the win.
Fitz Bomb. Grayson Fitzwater is two home runs shy of passing new-age VMI legend Justin Starke in career home runs.
Game Notes
Keydets Hang Tight With Hoos. VMI's first road test resulted in a tight 5-2 defeat to ACC foe Virginia.
The Stable Holds. The VMI bullpen proved itself against the nation's highest-scoring offense, allowing just one earned run in seven innings of work.
Hot Bats. Four Keydets enter the weekend with a five-game hitting streak.
Ayden Schnarrs' .571 batting clip ranks second in the league, and leads the team with a .684 on-base percentage.
Grayson Fitzwater boasts a team-high nine hits.
Bradley Garner, who belted his second home run of the year against Virginia, has totaled nine RBIs to pair with a team-high .941 slug.
Runs Galore. The Keydets scored 69 times in five games, the fourth-most runs scored by any NCAA DI team (Georgia Tech, 75; Virginia, 74; Miami, 71), and the seventh-most runs per game (13.8).
Swing, Batter, Swing. VMI has been a force at the plate, posting 55 hits and 16 doubles, both top 25 in the nation, along with six homers and 56 RBIs. VMI's .355 batting clip stands 18th in the country.
Watchful Eye. Even without putting bat to ball, the Keydets have been productive, walking 34 times (ninth in the nation) and hit by 22 pitches (second in the nation). As a result, VMI's on-base percentage is a cool .524, the fourth highest nationally.
Looking For A Four-Peat. As always, the Keydets have controlled the base path with 34 stolen bases and nearly seven steals per game, the most by any team in the country. The next closest team is still 11 steals behind.
Leading The League. VMI leads the league in all but two offensive categories. Individually, at least one Keydet is in the top five in all offensive categories. VMI's 3.55 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 1.32 WHIP are the second-lowest in the conference.
Magic No. 4. Though it is early, VMI is 4-0 when allowing four or fewer runs.
Southpaws Rule. It has been the lefties that have come out on top for the Keydets' pitching staff. The combined stat line for the left-handed pitchers who made at least one out is one earned run and 25 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.
Taking One For The Team. The Keydets set a new single-game record against the Hornets: nine hit by pitches. The one with the most bruises is
Cole Cook, who has four hit by pitches.
Freshmen See The Field. Seven freshmen had at-bats during the Delaware State series, combining for four hits and three RBIs. Five freshmen made their debut on the bump, tossing nine innings with 12 punch outs as a group. Against UVA, seven freshmen made an appearance either at the plate or on the mound.
Speedy Kaz. Kazuya Jordan is second in the country with seven stolen bases. Last season, Jordan swiped the second-most bags in a single-season behind fellow Keydet
Owen Prince. The speedster has eclipsed 80 career steals and is just 17 away from setting the all-time record.
Weekend Windup. The Keydets were 20-21 in weekend series games in 2025. This season, VMI is 4-0. Also to note, VMI posted 21 non-conference victories last year, winning all series and tying one.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Maryland Eastern Shore is 0-3 after getting swept by La Salle on the road, being outscored 48-16 in three games.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes two graduate students, five seniors, five juniors, nine sophomores, and 10 freshmen.
Offense. In three games, the Hawks have slashed .247/.376/.387, with 21 hits, three doubles, 1 triple, and two homers, to pair with 16 runs and 15 RBIs. UMES has struck out 25 times and walked 15 times. Diego Aponte leads the team with five hits and three RBIs, while Jonathan Gonzalez Perez boasts two home runs.
Defense. UMES' .882 fielding percentage is the lowest among all D-I programs, committing 11 errors in the field.
Pitching. As a team, the Hawks hold a 17.30 ERA, allowing 41 earned runs. The UMES staffers have 21 strikeouts and a .359 opponent batting clip, while hitting 11 batters, which ranks 21st nationally.
The Probables. Jonah Stepner, Richard De Jesus, and Henry Clausell will get the nods for the series, the same rotation as last weekend.
Coach Danny Acosta. Danny Acosta begins year number three at the helm. Despite going winless in year one, his second season brought plenty of positives, including ending a 55-game drought dating back to 2023. Acosta comes to UMES with 30 years of experience in coaching, scouting, and skill development. He spent the previous three years as head coach at Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa.
Series History
VMI is 19-0 against UMES, with all 19 games played in Lexington. Last season, the Keydets swept the Hawks during opening weekend, scoring double-digit runs in every outing.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
