LEXINGTON, Va. – The Southern Conference announced Thursday afternoon that VMI Baseball senior first baseman
Grayson Fitzwater has been named SoCon Preseason Player of the Year, with two other Keydets –
Bradley Garner and
Owen Prince – voted to All-Conference teams.
This marks just the second time in program history that a Keydet has been named Preseason Player of the Year (Justin Stark, 2024). 21 Keydets have been voted to a Preseason All-SoCon Team, with 10 second-teamers and 11 first-teamers since the accolade started in 2016.
While being dubbed Preseason MVP, Fitzwater was voted first-team All-SoCon for the second-straight season. In 2025, the Suffolk, Virginia, native posted career highs of 64 hits, 53 runs, and 65 RBIs. He also led the team with 17 home runs and set a new on-base streak record, reaching base safely in 43-straight games. Fitzwater enters the new season ranked first in VMI history with 159 career RBIs, and currently stands third with 41 home runs, fourth with a .595 slugging percentage, fifth with a .988 fielding percentage, and 10th with 95 walks.
Garner, who was named to the first team as an outfielder, had a breakout season in his first year in a Keydets uniform. The Richmond native produced a conference-leading .389 batting clip that landed in the top 30 nationally. He also led the team with 20 doubles, 133 total bases, and a .672 slugging percentage. His .496 on-base clip was second-best in the SoCon, top 50 nationally, and seventh in VMI single-season history.
Earning second-team honors for the second-straight season as an outfielder was Prince. The Roanoke product quickly became the face of speed in 2025 after swiping a record-setting 46 bags, ranking third nationally by the end of the year. He collected a team-high 82 hits and 46 walks, both the second-most in the conference and top five in VMI single-season history, and boasted a .385 batting clip and .504 on-base percentage that was second in the league and top 50 in the nation. The starting centerfielder also led the squad with 25 multi-hit outings. Prince's on-base clip and 63 runs rank fourth in VMI single-season history.
In addition to the preseason honors from the conference office, Fitzwater was dubbed Preseason SoCon Player of the Year and ranked as the 12th-best first baseman in baseball by D1Baseball.com. He was also named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference list.
Garner, who was also on the Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference Team, was named Preseason Player of the Year by the accredited collegiate baseball media outlet. Prince was also acknowledged as a Preseason All-League recipient.
In addition to the awards, VMI was predicted to finish seventh in the preseason poll. Samford, who received four first-place votes, was projected to win the league crown, with Mercer right behind, followed by ETSU, The Citadel, Western Carolina, and UNC Greensboro. Wofford received the least amount of votes.
Preseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses)
- Samford (4) – 45
- Mercer (3) - 44
- ETSU (1) – 38
- The Citadel – 30
- Western Carolina – 24
- UNC Greensboro - 16
- VMI - 14
- Wofford - 13
Preseason Player of the Year: Grayson Fitzwater, 1B, VMI
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Mason Blasche, RHP, Samford
Preseason All-SoCon First Team
SP – Mason Blasche, Samford
SP – Michael Harpster, ETSU
SP – Garrett Lambert, Mercer
SP – Davis Wright, Western Carolina
RP – Derek McCarley, ETSU
RP – Champ Davis, Wofford
RP – Collin Edwaldsen, Mercer
C – Cade Carr, Samford
1B – Grayson Fitzwater, VMI
2B – Jeffrey Ince, Samford
SS – Trent Turner, Western Carolina
3B – Parker McDonald, Samford
OF – Jake Souders, Samford
OF – Bradley Garner, VMI
OF – Jamie Palmese, ETSU
DH – Trey Spees, Western Carolina
Preseason All-SoCon Second Team
SP – Will Holmes, The Citadel
SP – Noah Chapman, UNCG
SP – Andrew Stanley, The Citadel
SP – Jess Ackerman, Mercer
RP – Braydon Kersey, Mercer
RP – Owen Austin, Western Carolina
RP – Ryan White, Western Carolina
C – Phillips Daniels, The Citadel
1B – James Layman, Wofford
1B – Tristan Curless, ETSU
2B – Tanner Hardin, Wofford
SS – Titan Kamaka, Mercer
3B – Brant Baughcum, Mercer
OF – Owen Prince, VMI
OF – Axel Melendez, ETSU
OF – TJ Anderson, The Citadel
DH – Trey Higgins, Samford
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
