LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball heads back to the 757 for round two against Norfolk State on Tuesday at Marty L. Miller Field.
Game Schedule and Probables
Tuesday, April 14 - 3 p.m.
- TBA vs. TBA
The Keydets (24-11, 2-7 SoCon) have a chance to get back on track with a midweek tilt against Norfolk State (12-20, 9-9 NEC).
Keydets Notes
VMI has continued its speedy threat on the basepaths, leading the nation with 146 stolen bases.
Owen Prince enters the midweek game with his eyes set on breaking the all-time stolen base record. Prince is just two steals away from taking the top spot in VMI history and has already accumulated 25 stolen bases this season, the ninth most in the country.
Offensively, the Keydets have been led by
Grayson Fitzwater, who is slashing .372/.835/.524 with a league-leading 47 RBIs and 14 home runs. Not only has he been able to hit, but Fitzwater has had a keen eye at the plate, ranking 14th nationally with 36 walks. The lefty powerhouse also ranks in the top 25 in home runs, on-base percentage, RBIs, slugging percentage, and total bases.
Getting on base has become second nature to VMI. The Keydets rank in the top 10 with 84 hit by pitches and top 25 with 203 walks. Their on-base clip is a stellar .427, the 16th highest in the country.
On the hill, VMI has had positive impacts by fourth- and first-classmen.
Hunter Sipe has drawn national attention from his senior standout season, boasting a 7.50 K-BB ratio, 0.94 WHIP, and 1.10 BB/9, ranking in the top 25 nationally and first in the conference. Stepping up in big ways is
Buddy Baker, who leads the team with five wins and a sub-two ERA in 14 appearances.
Spartans Notes
Norfolk State enters Tuesday with a 12-20 record, going 9-9 in NEC play. The Spartans are on a four-game skid after getting swept by Wagner last weekend. Norfolk State has won six of its last seven home games.
Thomas Ealey and Justin Journette have been bright spots in the Spartans' lineup. Ealey boasts a .375 batting clip with a team-best 45 hits and a pair of triples. Journette has been a powerhouse at the dish, smashing 11 home runs and 31 RBIs, with his .716 on-base percentage ranking in the top 50 nationally.
Norfolk State's staffers combined for an 8.27 ERA with 218 strikeouts and 190 walks. A reliable arm out of the bullpen has been Yasseel Samboy, who has made 12 appearances and scored three wins and three saves.
Piloting the Spartans is first-year head coach Merrill Morgan, who most recently served as the Mid-Atlantic area scout supervisor for the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays since 2021.
Series History
VMI is 29-2 all-time against Norfolk State, dating back to 2001. Earlier this year, the Keydets routed the Spartans, 15-10, in an offensive shootout. Last season, the Keydets swept the Spartans in a three-game series in Lexington, then went over to Norfolk and left with a dominating 26-6 victory. VMI has won three of the last five games by run-rule.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
