LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball will face a pair of Big South foes on the road this week, starting with a midweek tilt against Longwood on Tuesday at Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville, Virginia.
Game Schedule and Probables
Tuesday, April 20 - 5 p.m.
- RHP Joe Castrichini vs. LHP
Trace Monroe
The Keydets (26-13, 3-9 SoCon) have had success in non-conference outings and look to keep that momentum against the Lancers (23-17, 8-7 Big South), who have had an impressive turnaround this season.
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 156 steals, with four steals per game, ranking first nationally in both categories.
Getting On Base. The Keydets are no strangers to getting on base in more ways than one, boasting a .426 on-base clip that ranks in the top 20 nationally, but capitalizing on every opportunity has made them effective, averaging over eight runs a game with 324 total runs scored, both categories are top 50 in the country.
Magic No. 7. For VMI, the goal is to score at least seven runs. When VMI scores seven or more, they are a perfect 24-0.
What To Watch For
Record Breaker. 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 one steal away from the 101 mark. Prince has also reached base safely in all 39 games, ranking fourth in program history for a single-season on-base streak.
Fitz Bomb. Grayson Fitzwater has homered in five of his last seven games, totaling 17 long balls this season, the third-most home runs in VMI single-season history and just two shy of breaking the record that he set in 2024.
30. VMI is eyeing a 30-win season for the first time in nearly 20 years. There have only been three seasons (2006, 2007, 2010) in which the Keydets have reached 30 wins.
Game Notes
Keydets Start Series Hot. VMI bested Western Carolina in the series opener, but the Catamounts took the final two games against the Keydets. VMI tallied a 10-8 win to open the weekend, but WCU won the last two off a run-rule in game two and an extra-inning comeback in game three.
The Return Of Regal Spiegel. Justin Spiegel shone bright in his start against the Catamounts, throwing 6.1 innings with six punchouts and no earned runs. It was the longest start and the most strikeouts of his 2026 campaign.
Andy's World. Out of the bullpen,
Andrew Jones delivered five no-run innings to help preserve a tied game against WCU on Sunday. In his last two appearances, Jones has allowed no runs and just three hits.
Non-Conference Success. VMI has won its last six non-conference games, while going 5-1 in midweek matchups, the only loss coming in a 5-2 loss to a now nationally-ranked Virginia squad.
Crown Him. Grayson Fitzwater is looking for the home run crown this season, as he leads the conference with 17 home runs, which also ranks 12th in the country. He also leads the league and ranks in the top 25 nationally with 53 RBIs, .855 slugging clip, and 118 total bases. His slugging percentage actually stands in the top three in NCAA DI.
On-Base Junkies. While ranking in the top 25 nationally in on-base percentage, VMI has two players in the top 100 among DI players and four in the top 15 among SoCon players.
Grayson Fitzwater leads the group with a stellar .514 on-base clip, good enough for 19th in the country, while
Owen Prince sits in the top 100 with a .481 on-base clip.
Ayden Schnarrs and
Cole Cook are among the top 15 in the league.
Super Streaky. Owen Prince has one of the longest active on-base streaks in D-I baseball. Prince, who has reached base safely in 48-straight games dating back to last season, is third on this list.
I Am Speed. All four of the SoCon's stolen base leaders are Keydets, with Prince leading the charge with 26, followed by
Cole Cook with 22,
Bradley Garner with 21, and
Cole Raile with 19. Notably,
Cole Raile is 19 for 19 on stolen base attempts and ranks second among DI catchers.
Sipe Hunting. One of the best success stories this season has been
Hunter Sipe, who has stepped into a large bullpen role in 2026. Sipe boasts a 1.37 BB/9, 6.13 K-BB ratio, and a 1.01 WHIP, which all rank top 50 nationally and top three in the league. The lefty slinger leads the team with 49 strikeouts, 20 appearances, and 52.2 innings pitched. He also holds the fourth-lowest ERA among ERA-qualified SoCon staffers at 2.91.
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is
Owen Prince, swiping a league-high 26 bags and ranking 14th nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 49 runs, the 20th most, and just north of one run per game, the 25th most in the country. The senior centerfielder has also been a challenge to strikeout, boasting a 12.0 toughest-to-strikeout margin that ranks 36th nationally. Notably, Prince moved into first in program history with a .990 career fielding percentage.
Freshmen Arms. Several freshmen are making a name for themselves.
Buddy Baker boasts a 5-0 record with a pair of saves in 17 appearances.
Trace Monroe enters his midweek start with a 4-0 split.
Eli Tyndall has been a consistent option who provides long-term outings, pitching 40 innings in 14 appearances with a pair of victories.
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 38 walks rank in the top 20 nationally. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 133 times, now third all-time and just 10 shy of tying the program record.
Multi Boys. Five Keydets have muscled 10+ multi-hit games, including
Owen Prince (15),
Grayson Fitzwater (17),
Bradley Garner (14),
Cole Cook (11), and
Cole Raile (13).
Grayson Fitzwater has the most multi-RBI outings with 16, while
Cole Raile has 12.
A Keydet Sacrifice.
Bradley Garner stands 13th nationally and first in the conference with six sacrifice flies.
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 20 total and nearly one per game to move into fourth in the VMI single-season record book. He ranks first in the conference and 11th nationally in hit by pitches. As a team, VMI has been hit by 90 pitches, the 10th most in the nation, second most in the league, and fifth most in program history.
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 21st in the country and second in the SoCon with 226 walks.
One Of One. Grayson Fitzwater looks to become the first Keydet to reach 200 RBIs and 200 runs in their career. Fitzwater is the only Keydet to hit the 200-RBI milestone and looks to become the second to reach 200 runs.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Longwood is 23-17 overall with an 8-7 Big South record. The Lancers started the year red hot with sweeps over NJIT and UMB, along with going toe-to-toe with No. 9 North Carolina. Last weekend, Longwood took two of three from Presbyterian in conference play. The Lancers are an impressive 17-5 at home.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes six graduate students, five seniors, nine juniors, nine sophomores, and 11 freshmen.
Offense. The Lancers are slashing .259/.407/.381 with 72 doubles, seven triples, and 36 home runs to pair with 212 RBIs and 247 runs. Longwood's 214 walks are top 50 in the country and first in the Big South. Similarly to VMI, the Lancers like to swipe bags, ranking in the top 15 with 107 stolen bases.
Defense. In the field, Longwood has a .966 fielding clip with 51 errors.
Pitching. The Lancers have proven to be a strong pitching group, boasting a 4.41 ERA with 328 strikeouts and 172 walks. The team's ERA mark ranks 40th, and their 3.31 BB-9 ratio stands 11th nationally. Leading the charge is VMI graduate (Class of 2025) and lefty ace
Jaxon Lloyd, who is 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA and 57 strikeouts. JR Fordham leads the team with 20 appearances and seven saves to pair nicely with a 1.33 ERA.
The Probable. The Lancers turn to Joe Castrichini for the start on the hill. The graduate student is 1-2 with a 6.12 ERA in six starts.
Head Coach Ray Noe. Second-year head coach Ray Noe has built an impressive resume with the Lancers, surpassing last season's win total by nine wins and hitting last year's conference-wins mark halfway through the season. Noe was an assistant coach for the Keydets before being named the fifth skipper at Longwood.
Series History
VMI is 20-13 all-time against Longwood, dating back to 1979. The Keydets took the season sweep over Longwood in 2025, defeating the Lancers on the road, 9-7, before run-ruling them at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium, 17-6. VMI is 9-3 when playing in Farmville.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
