LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball caps off the five-game road swing in Williamsburg, Virginia, against cross-state rival William & Mary on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
 
Game Schedule and Probables
Tuesday, March 31 - 6 p.m.
- TBA vs. TBA
 
Both sides are coming off conference road victories, with the Keydets (21-6, 1-2 SoCon) earning their first SoCon win of the season, and the Tribe (12-14, 4-5 CAA) getting their fourth CAA dub. This will be the 118th meeting between the two programs, the most against a non-conference opponent in Keydets history.
 
 
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 124 steals, with nearly five steals per game, ranking first nationally in both categories.
 
The Long Ball. The Keydets have homered in all but five games this season, with 31 homers against non-conference opponents.
 
Get On and Score. The Keydets are no strangers to getting on base, boasting a .441 on-base clip that ranks top 15 nationally, but capitalizing on every opportunity has made them effective, ranking 13th in runs per game (9.2) and 18th in total runs (248) among all D-I programs.
 
What To Watch For
Prince of Stolen Bases. Owen Prince stole the spotlight last year by setting the single-season stolen base record midway through the season. This year, Prince is eyeing the career stolen base record and is just four steals away from the 101 mark.
 
Elite Company. Grayson Fitzwater is nearing one of the greatest feats in program history: the 200/50/50 club. Fitzwater is just five RBIs from the 200 milestone. He has already captured 51 career doubles and 51 home runs, and would become the first Keydet to ever hit all three marks. He holds the career record in homers and RBIs.
 
118. Tuesday's game will be the 118th meeting between these two historic Virginia institutions. William & Mary is VMI's most common non-conference opponent, with 51 wins in 75 years, the most against a non-conference foe.
 
Game Notes
Keydets Topple Bucs In Series Finale. Down to its last out, VMI rallied past ETSU with three ninth-inning runs to take the series finale. This marks the Keydets' first win against the Bucs since 2023 and the first win in Johnson City since 2021.
 
Raile Rakes. Cole Raile has been on a tear, especially last week, by blasting a pair of home runs and earning a team-high seven RBIs and three runs.
 
Keepin' Up With The Jones. Andrew Jones had a successful week, making two appearances, allowing no runs, and striking out eight. In his last four outings, Jones has tossed 11 innings and allowed just one earned run, and has punched out 13 batters.
 
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 31 walks rank 10th in the country, just four behind the nation's leader. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 126 times, now fourth all-time.
 
Sipe Hunting. Hunter Sipe has been exceptional in his senior campaign, boasting four wins and a 2.34 ERA, which is second-best in the conference. Sipe ranks in the top 10 nationally with an 11.67 K/BB ratio and a 0.78 BB/9, and is 13th with a 0.81 WHIP.
 
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is Owen Prince, swiping 23 bags and ranking third nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 41 runs, the second in the country, and nearly two runs per game, the fifth most in the country.
 
G Fitty. Grayson Fitzwater has been slugging in March, helping build his .878 slugging clip, which ranks eighth in the country, and a .556 on-base percentage that stands ninth. The lefty slugger leads the SoCon with 36 RBIs and is second with 11 doubles and 10 home runs.
 
Buddy Ball. Freshman Buddy Baker is a perfect 5-0 on the bump with a team-high two saves in 11 appearances, boasting a 0.78 WHIP and 1.62 ERA. His five victories are 13th nationally and the second most in the SoCon, while his two saves rank sixth in the league.
 
Like A Thief In The Night. The top four base stealers in the league are Keydets, led by Owen Prince with 23, followed by Bradley Garner with 20, Cole Raile with 17, and Cole Cook with 16. Prince and Garner are two of 13 players in the country with 20+ steals.
 
Multi Boys. Grayson Fitzwater is the only Keydet with 10+ multi-hit and multi-RBI games. Owen Prince has totaled a team-high 13 multi-hit games.
 
A Keydet Sacrifice. JW Kohlmeyer ranks 14th with six sacrifice bunts, while Bradley Garner stands 27th with four sacrifice flies. Both marks are first in the SoCon.
 
Super Streaky. Owen Prince has reached base safely in all 27 games and is on a 10-game hitting streak. Cole Raile leads the team with a 12-game hitting streak.
 
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 15 total and nearly one per game. He ranks second in the conference and 10th nationally in hit by pitches. As a team, VMI has been hit by 73 pitches, the fourth most in the nation and fifth most in program history.
 
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 27th in the country and second in the SoCon with 161 walks.
 
Leading The League. VMI's staff leads the league with four shutouts, while giving up a league-low 22 home runs.
 
Magic No. 7. VMI is 19-0 when scoring at least seven runs.
 
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. W&M has tallied 12 victories, four in conference action. The Tribe are 8-2 at Plumeri Park and have won five of their last seven games.
 
Roster. The 2026 roster includes five graduate students, three seniors, seven juniors, 10 sophomores, and 18 freshmen.
 
Offense. The Tribe are slashing .252/.392/.347 with 30 doubles, nine triples, and 24 home runs to pair with 136 RBIs and 159 runs. Their nine triples rank 25th nationally. Jamie Laskofski has tallied three three-baggers to rank 18th in the nation. W&M is quick on the basepaths, too, ranking fourth in the country with 87 stolen bases. Chase Ecker boasts 19 steals, standing 14th nationally.
 
Defense. In the field, the Tribe has a .965 fielding clip with 31 errors.
 
Pitching. W&M has a 7.46 ERA with 204 strikeouts and 172 walks.
 
Coach Rob McCoy. Rob McCoy was named the 40th head coach in program history in 2024, entering his second season at the helm. Last season, McCoy tallied 33 wins and coached the CAA Co-Player of the Year. His 14-13 CAA record was the first winning record since 2022, qualifying for the conference tournament for the sixth-straight year. Previously at Niagara, McCoy posted a program-best 299 wins and guided the Purple Eagles to 2024 MAAC regular season and tournament titles, tabbing him as the MAAC Coach of the Year.
 
Series History
VMI is 51-66 all-time against W&M. In known location contests, the Keydets have defeated the Tribe 11 times in Williamsburg, winning two of the last three road tilts. Last season, VMI won a thrilling game in the Peninsula Classic, topping W&M, 12-9, with a walk-off home run in Hampton, Virginia.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.