LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball caps off its long homestand with a four-game series against Stonehill starting Friday at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1 | Friday, February 27 - 3 p.m.
- RHP Jimmy Gilleran vs. LHP
Peyton Dhein
Game 2 | Saturday, February 28 - 1 p.m.
- RHP Ryan Douglas vs. LHP
Trace Monroe
Game 3 | Saturday, February 28 - 4 p.m.
- LHP Hunter Bell vs. RHP
Andrew Jones
Game 4 | Sunday, March 1 - 1 p.m.
- TBA vs. TBA
The Keydets (7-1) have won seven-straight home games, while the Skyhawks (0-7) search for their first win of the season. This will be VMI's third-straight series against an NEC opponent.
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 48 steals, with six steals per game, and ranks first nationally.
Getting On Base. VMI has found every way to score its 103 runs this season, but it starts by getting on base by any means necessary. Four Keydets have reached base safely in all eight games, resulting in a conference-leading 88 RBIs.
Fielding It Cleanly. In their last series, the Keydets committed no errors in the field. VMI boasts a .984 fielding clip, the 35th best in the nation.
What To Watch For
Sipe's Streak. Hot-handed
Hunter Sipe is one of three SoCon pitchers and one of 83 NCAA Division I pitchers to allow zero runs. Among the three league throwers, Sipe has the most innings pitched and the lowest opponent batting average (.132) and WHIP (.50).
Fitz Bomb. Grayson Fitzwater is just one home run shy of taking sole possession of second all-time in career home runs, passing new-age VMI legend Justin Starke.
The Quest To 100. Head Coach
Sam Roberts has accumulated 87 wins at the helm, inching closer to the 90 and 100 win milestones. Roberts' 50th win in 2024 made him the fastest head coach to reach 50 wins in program history. At this pace, Roberts would become the fastest coach to reach 90 and 100 wins.
Game Notes
Keydets Sweep Hawks. VMI easily handled Maryland Eastern Shore, winning all three games, with two by the mercy rule.
7 Up, 7 Down. The Keydets are a perfect 7-0 at home. The longest home winning streak was 15 games in 2007.
Cole Cook Cooks. Cole Cook put up video game numbers against the Hawks, slashing .462/1.231/.611 in four games. The sophomore sensation went six-for-13 at the dish, hammering three home runs and driving in six RBIs, both team highs. He also scored four times, walked five times, and swiped two bags. All three homers came in the first two games against UMES. On Friday, Cook went three-for-four with two home runs and four RBIs.
The Stable. VMI's pitching staff has been crucial to the early success. The Keydets hold a league-low 3.69 ERA, and have allowed the second-fewest hits and home runs. Most importantly, the bullpen has been key in every game. In eight games and just under 38 innings, VMI's relief have allowed just nine earned runs, just north of a 2.00 ERA.
Hot Bats. Ayden Schnarrs enters the weekend with a five-game hitting streak, the longest active streak by any Keydet, with
Cole Cook right behind with four games.
Grayson Fitzwater,
Bradley Garner, and Cook each have three multi-hit games.
Runs Galore. The Keydets' 103 runs and 13 runs per game both rank sixth in the nation.
Owen Prince leads the team with 13 runs, the 26th most in the country.
The Chef. Cole Cook has been an early standout. Cook leads the team with eight stolen bases and four home runs, both nationally ranked in the top 20.
Hurts So Good. VMI has been hit by 33 pitches, the third most in the country. Last season, the Keydets ended the year with 109 hit by pitches, the second most in program history.
Owen Prince leads the team in hit by pitches with five, which is top 25 nationally.
Swing, Batter, Swing. VMI has been a force at the plate, posting 77 hits and 23 doubles, along with 10 homers and 88 RBIs. VMI's doubles mark is top 10, while its .332 batting clip stands 26th in the country.
Watchful Eye. Even without putting bat to ball, the Keydets have been productive, walking 58 times (14th in the nation). As a result, VMI's on-base percentage is a cool .515, the third highest nationally.
Looking For A Four-Peat. As always, the Keydets have controlled the base path, going 48-for-50 on stolen bases, with six 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. VMI has allowed no more than four earned runs in eight games.
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 six runs and 41 strikeouts in 37 innings.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Stonehill is 0-7 to start the season after facing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Florida Gulf Coast. To start the year, all 11 games will be on the road.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes two graduate students, five seniors, 13 juniors, nine sophomores, and 10 freshmen.
Offense. The Skyhawks are slashing .196/.249/.305 in seven games. Stonehill ranks in the bottom 10 nationally in batting average and slugging percentage. The Skyhawks have mustered eight extra-base hits.
Defense. Stonehill's .926 fielding percentage is the fifth lowest among D-I teams, with its 18 errors being the third most.
Pitching. As a team, the Skyhawks hold an 8.20 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 39 walks. Noah Durham leads the team with six strikeouts. Ryan Douglas has made two starts and has gone seven innings, the most by any Skyhawk this season. In two starts, Jimmy Gilleran has gone five innings and has given up a mere .118 opponent batting clip.
The Probables. Stonehill will turn to RHP Jimmy Gilleran (0-0, 0.00 ERA), RHP Ryan Douglas (0-2, 11.57 ERA), and LHP Hunter Bell (0-1, 5.68 ERA) as the projected pitchers for games one through three. Game four is undecided.
Coach Sean Callahan. In his first season as head coach, Sean Callahan returns to the dugout after being an associate head coach for the Skyhawks since 2024. Before his time at Stonehill, Callahan was the head coach at his alma mater, Framingham State, where he was named the 2023 MASCAC Coach of the Year after leading the Rams to a 26-15 record and their first-ever regular-season title.
Series History
VMI is 1-1 against Stonehill, with both games being last season. Stonehill took game one in an offensive shootout, but game two belonged to the Keydets.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
