LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball comes back to the friendly confines for a three-game Southern Conference series against Wofford at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1 | Thursday, April 2 - 6 p.m.
- RHP Cullen Condon vs. RHP
Roberto Velasquez
Game 2 | Friday, April 3 - 6 p.m.
- RHP Alec Bouchard vs. RHP
Justin Spiegel
Game 3 | Saturday, April 4 - 1 p.m. (Alzheimer's Awareness Game/Purple Out)
- RHP Cade Bouknight vs. TBA
After a five-game road trip, the Keydets (22-6, 1-2 SoCon) are back in Lexington to host the Terriers (19-10, 3-0 SoCon) for their first home conference series. Saturday's game will be the Alzheimer's Awareness Game, where VMI encourages fans to wear purple to bring awareness to Alzheimer's disease.
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 130 steals, with nearly five steals per game, ranking first nationally in both categories.
Stable Arms. The Keydets' staffers have kept a sub-five ERA past the halfway mark, a feat that is not easy to come by in this age of offense-driven baseball.
Get On and Score. The Keydets are no strangers to getting on base, boasting a .442 on-base clip that ranks top 15 nationally, but capitalizing on every opportunity has made them effective, ranking 16th in runs per game (9.2) and 18th in total runs (258) 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 two 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 one RBI from the 200 milestone. He has already captured 52 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.
Even Playing Field. Since 2023, the VMI-Wofford rivalry has been evenly matched. Wofford won the series in 2023 and 2025 in Spartanburg, but when the Keydets welcomed the Terriers to Lexington in 2024, they took two of three.
Series Notes
Keydets Win 118th Meeting Against Tribe. VMI picked up the pace down the stretch to capture the 10-3 victory over William & Mary.
Late Momentum. Offense sparked late against the Tribe, with eight of VMI's 10 runs coming in the final four frames. To pair with a powerful offense, the Keydets' arms were cruising, allowing no hits in the last three innings.
This Is March. The month of March was nothing but kind to
Grayson Fitzwater as the powerhouse lefty slashed .500/1.161/.634 with 28 hits, eight doubles, one triple, and nine home runs to pair with 29 RBIs and 20 runs. Fitzwater walked 22 times and swiped six bags. On the mound,
Buddy Baker had a prominent month, ending the span with a 4-0 record, one save, a 0.93 ERA, and seven strikeouts in 9.2 innings. VMI earned 13 wins in March, winning its first six.
Buster Posey-esque. Cole Raile was one of 50 catchers named to the 2026 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Midseason Watchlist. He is slashing .319/.628/.467, with five doubles and eight homers to pair with 30 runs and 29 RBIs. Uncommon for a catcher, Raile has shown speed on the basepaths, going a perfect 17-for-17 on stolen bases, the most by any catcher in the nation. Behind the plate, Raile has caught 13 runners stealing, the most by a single catcher in the SoCon.
The Natural. Grayson Fitzwater ranks in the top 10 nationally with a .561 on-base clip and .863 slugging percentage. His .411 batting average stands tall at number 31 with his 10 homers at number 35 among D-I hitters.
Sipe Hunting. Hunter Sipe's non-conference outings have been phenomenal, posting a 1.46 ERA, 37 strikeouts, all while going 4-0 with a save in such games. This season, Sipe boasts a 0.70 BB/9 that ranks sixth, a 12.67 K-BB ratio, and a 0.83 WHIP that ranks 17th nationally. His BB/9 ratio is first in the league, while his 2.33 ERA stands second. With 14 appearances, Sipe has made the 23rd-most appearances among D-I slingers and the most in the SoCon.
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is
Owen Prince, swiping 25 bags and ranking second nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 43 runs, the third most in the country, and nearly two runs per game, the fifth most in the country.
Buddy Ball. Freshman
Buddy Baker is a perfect 5-0 on the bump with a team-high two saves in 12 appearances, boasting a 0.79 WHIP and 1.53 ERA. His five victories are 13th nationally and the second most in the SoCon, while his two saves rank sixth in the league.
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 32 walks rank 10th in the country, just three behind the nation's leader. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 127 times, now fourth all-time.
Like A Thief In The Night. The top four base stealers in the league are Keydets, led by
Owen Prince with 25, followed by
Bradley Garner with 20, and
Cole Raile and
Cole Cook with 17. Prince and Garner are two of 14 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 15th with six sacrifice bunts, while
Bradley Garner stands seventh nationally and first in the conference with five sacrifice flies. Both marks are first in the SoCon.
Super Streaky. Owen Prince has reached base safely in all 28 games and is on an 11-game hitting streak. Prince's reached base streak is the fifth-highest in Keydet history since 2013.
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 16 total and nearly one per game. He ranks first in the conference and ninth nationally in both categories. As a team, VMI has been hit by 74 pitches, the fourth most in the nation and fifth most in program history.
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 20th in the country and second in the SoCon with 171 walks.
The 'Pen Is Mightier. VMI's staff leads the league with four shutouts. The Keydet slingers hold the second-lowest ERA, walks, and home runs allowed among conference teams.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Wofford is 19-10 overall and a perfect 3-0 in conference play after sweeping UNC Greensboro at home last weekend. The Terriers have won five of their last six games. On the road, Wofford is 5-4, winning series against Belmont and Xavier.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes 11 seniors, 10 juniors, 11 sophomores, and 14 freshmen.
Offense. The Terriers are slashing .288/.423/.425 with 56 doubles, seven triples, and 16 home runs to pair with 195 RBIs and 220 runs. Just like the Keydets, Wofford has a tendency to steal bases, ranking 17th nationally with 74. The Terriers have also been sacrificing, ranking in the top 25 with 23 sacrifice bunts and 17 sacrifice flies. Also like VMI, Wofford is in the top 10 among D-I teams with 69 hit by pitches.
Defense. In the field, the Terriers have a .972 fielding clip with 27 errors.
Pitching. Wofford's arms hold a 4.58 ERA with 249 strikeouts and 95 walks. Alec Bouchard leads the team with 40 strikeouts, while Kenny Michaels has a team-high five victories. Many will expect Champ Davis to get more innings under his belt after making 14 appearances with four saves and three wins thus far.
The Probables. The Terriers will look to Cullen Condon, Alec Bouchard, and Cade Bouknight for starter duties this week. The trio has a combined 6-3 record with 69 strikeouts.
Coach J.J. Edwards. Entering his third season at the helm and 15th overall is J.J. Edwards. In 2024 and his first season, Edwards piloted the Terriers to their second-ever SoCon Tournament title. He was the winningest first-year coach and first rookie skipper in program history to take his squad to an NCAA Tournament.
Series History
VMI is 19-30 all-time against Wofford. The Terriers took last season's series, but the Keydets bested Wofford twice in the last series in Lexington in 2024. VMI is 10-13 against Wofford at home.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
