LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball will have another shot at Longwood on Tuesday at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.
Game Schedule and Probables
Tuesday, April 28 - 6 p.m.
- RHP Jackson Nash vs.
Clark Driscoll
The Keydets (26-17, 3-9 SoCon) look to snap a six-game skid and get their revenge against the Lancers (26-18, 8-7 Big South), who won the first matchup last week. This will be just the second home midweek game for VMI 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 162 steals with nearly four steals per game, ranking first in steals and second in steals per game.
Getting On Base. The Keydets are no strangers to getting on base in more ways than one, boasting a .415 on-base clip that ranks 30th nationally, but capitalizing on every opportunity has made them effective, averaging eight runs a game with 341 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 43 games, tied for the longest single-season on-base streak in VMI history.
Fitz Bomb. Grayson Fitzwater has been hitting for power, totaling a league-leading 18 long balls this season, just one shy of breaking the VMI single-season record that he set in 2024. Fitzwater holds the VMI record with 59 career home runs.
30. VMI is eyeing a 30-win season for the first time in 16 years. There have only been three seasons (2006, 2007, 2010) in which the Keydets have reached 30 wins.
Game Notes
Keydets Swept By Big South Foes. VMI went 0-4 in last week's games against opponents representing the Big South. The Keydets fell 10-4 against Longwood, then dropped all three games against High Point.
Raile Rakes. Cole Raile dominated the weekly slate, slashing .429/.929/.471 while going six-for-14. Raile smashed two home runs and six RBIs, with both homers coming against High Point on Sunday. The slugging catcher is on an eight-game hitting streak and has snuck into the top 15 of the SoCon with a .340 batting clip. With his two blasts last weekend, Raile moves into seventh in program history with 33 career bombs.
Hits Limited. VMI staffers allowed just three hits in the series finale against High Point, one of the best mid-major hitting programs. It is the fewest hits allowed on the road since last year's victory over Coppin State.
Down The Stretch. The Keydets' final innings on the mound have been crucial in close games. VMI has allowed just 52 of its 266 runs in the last three innings. On the opposite end, the Keydets have scored nearly half of their runs in the first three innings.
Non-Conference Slugging. VMI's heavy hitters come alive in non-league games, boasting 37 home runs and a .488 slugging clip.
Grayson Fitzwater has tallied 11 long balls, with
Cole Raile right behind with nine, and
Bradley Garner and
Cole Cook with seven each. All four Keydets have a .320+ batting average and .630+ slugging percentage in those contests.
Crown Him. Grayson Fitzwater is looking for the home run crown this season, as he leads the conference with 18 home runs, which also ranks 11th in the country. He also leads the league and ranks in the top 25 nationally with 55 RBIs, 42 walks, .808 slugging clip, and 122 total bases.
On-Base Junkies. While ranking 30th nationally in on-base percentage, VMI has one player in the top 50 among DI players and three in the top 15 among SoCon players.
Grayson Fitzwater leads the group with a .495 on-base clip, good enough for 48th in the country, while
Owen Prince and
Ayden Schnarrs 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 52-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 23,
Bradley Garner with 22, and
Cole Raile with 19. Notably,
Cole Raile ranks fourth 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 1.78 BB/9, 4.55 K-BB ratio, and a 1.10 WHIP, which all rank top 75 nationally and second in the league. The lefty slinger leads the team with 50 strikeouts, 22 appearances, and 55.2 innings pitched. He also holds the third-lowest ERA among ERA-qualified SoCon staffers at 3.07.
Touch 'Em All. Grayson Fitzwater has added one more career record to his resume: total bases. The senior has totaled 459 bases, surpassing Justin Starke as the all-time leader.
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is
Owen Prince, swiping a league-high 26 bags and ranking 25th nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 53 runs, the 24th most, and just north of one run per game, the 36th most in the country, ranking second in the league in both categories. The senior centerfielder moved into first in program history with a .990 career fielding percentage.
Freshmen Arms. A couple of freshmen are making a name for themselves.
Buddy Baker boasts a 5-1 record with a pair of saves in 18 appearances.
Trace Monroe, who tossed two one-hit innings against Longwood last week, is 4-0.
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 42 walks rank in the top 15 nationally and just seven away from the VMI single-season record. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 137 times, now second all-time and just six shy of tying the program record.
Multi Boys. Six Keydets have muscled 10+ multi-hit games, including
Owen Prince (16),
Grayson Fitzwater (17),
Bradley Garner (15),
Cole Cook (11),
Ayden Schnarrs (10), and
Cole Raile (15).
Grayson Fitzwater has the most multi-RBI outings with 17, while
Cole Raile has 13.
A Keydet Sacrifice. Bradley Garner stands 18th nationally and first in the conference with six sacrifice flies.
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 21 total, to move into fourth in the VMI single-season record book and just four shy of tying the record, which was set by current assistant coach
Ryan Smoot. He ranks first in the conference and top 10 nationally in hit by pitches and hit by pitches per game. As a team, VMI has been hit by 95 pitches, the 16th most in the nation, second most in the league, and fourth most in program history.
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 32nd in the country and second in the SoCon with 237 walks.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Longwood is 26-18 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. Longwood has won five of its last six contests, including a series win over Binghamton last weekend.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes six graduate students, five seniors, nine juniors, nine sophomores, and 11 freshmen.
Offense. The Lancers are slashing .264/.415/.384 with 86 doubles, seven triples, and 40 home runs to pair with 245 RBIs and 281 runs. Longwood's 234 walks are top 50 in the country and first in the Big South. Similar to VMI, the Lancers like to swipe bags, ranking in the top 20 with 112 stolen bases and nearly three steals per game.
Defense. In the field, Longwood has a .965 fielding clip with 57 errors.
Pitching. The Lancers have proven to be a strong pitching group, boasting a 4.45 ERA with 367 strikeouts and 153 walks. The team's ERA mark ranks 43rd, and their 3.57 BB/9 ratio stands 29th nationally. Leading the charge is VMI graduate (Class of 2025) and lefty ace
Jaxon Lloyd, who is 5-2 with a 2.98 ERA and 63 strikeouts. JR Fordham leads the team with 22 appearances and seven saves to pair nicely with a 1.16 ERA.
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 20-14 all-time against Longwood, dating back to 1979. The Lancers toppled the Keydets in last week's meeting, 10-4. In 2025, VMI took the season sweep over Longwood, defeating the Lancers on the road, 9-7, before run-ruling them at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium, 17-6. VMI is 11-9 when playing at home.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
