LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball travels to Birmingham, Alabama, for a Southern Conference matchup against Samford at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1| Friday, April 10 at 7 p.m. (ET)
- RHP Joseph Lee vs. RHP
Justin Spiegel
Game 2 | Saturday, April 11 at 3 p.m. (ET)
- RHP Mason Blasche vs. RHP
Roberto Velasquez
Game 3 | Sunday, April 12 at 2 p.m. (ET)
- RHP Noah Berry vs. TBA
The Keydets (24-8, 2-4 SoCon) have won a pair of league games, both in the series finale, and are taking on the preseason favorite Bulldogs (14-17, 2-4 SoCon) on the road.
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 141 steals, with over four steals per game, ranking first nationally in both categories.
Fielding It Cleanly. The Keydets look to play the field without any miscues. VMI holds a .974 fielding clip, the second-best percentage in the conference.
Get On and Score. The Keydets are no strangers to getting on base in more ways than one, boasting a .438 on-base clip that ranks top 15 nationally, but capitalizing on every opportunity has made them effective, ranking in the top 20 nationally in runs per game (9.0) and runs (188).
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 two steals away from the 101 mark. Prince has also reached base safely in all 32 games, ranking fourth in program history in the on-base streak category.
Eclipsing 25 Wins. In each of
Sam Roberts' years at the helm, VMI has won at least 25 games. A win this weekend would mark the first time since the 2005-08 seasons and the second time ever that the Keydets have earned 25+ wins in four-straight years.
Snapping The Road Skid. VMI is seeking its first win in Birmingham since 2022, and its first-ever road series win against the Bulldogs.
Series Notes
Keydets Handle Revs In Midweek Bout. VMI took the season sweep against George Washington on Tuesday with a 10-7 victory. This marks the first season sweep over the Revs since 1968.
Conference Success. Highlighting the Keydets during league outings has been
Owen Prince, batting just south of .400 with 11 hits.
Cole Raile and
Grayson Fitzwater have produced seven RBIs apiece and have combined for five home runs.
Leading The League. The Keydets have multiple statistical leaders in the SoCon.
Owen Prince leads the conference in runs and stolen bases, while
Grayson Fitzwater sits atop the league in home runs, RBIs, walks, and on-base percentage. On the mound,
Hunter Sipe has produced the fewest walks among ERA-qualified pitchers. As a team, VMI still has the most shutouts, hit by pitches, and stolen bases.
The Natural. Grayson Fitzwater ranks in the top 10 nationally with a .543 on-base clip and .844 slugging percentage. His 45 RBIs stand tall at number 14, with his 92 total bases at number 23 and 12 homers at number 28 among D-I hitters.
Sipe Hunting. Hunter Sipe boasts a 0.81 BB/9 that ranks fifth, a 10.57 K-BB ratio that ranks seventh, and a 0.87 WHIP that ranks 17th nationally. All three categories are first in the SoCon. With 15 appearances, Sipe has made the fifth-most appearances among D-I slingers.
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is
Owen Prince, swiping 25 bags and ranking fifth nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 46 runs, the fourth most, and nearly two runs per game, the seventh most in the country.
Buddy Ball. Freshman
Buddy Baker is a perfect 5-0 on the bump with a team-high two saves in 13 appearances, boasting a 0.92 WHIP and 2.18 ERA. His five victories are 27th nationally and the second most in the SoCon, while his two saves rank seventh in the league.
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 36 walks rank sixth in the country, just three behind the nation's leader. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 131 times, now third 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 19. Prince and Garner are two of 25 players in the country with 20+ steals.
Multi Boys. Five Keydets have muscled 10+ multi-hit games, including
Owen Prince (14),
Grayson Fitzwater (13),
Bradley Garner (11),
Cole Cook (11), and
Cole Raile (10).
Grayson Fitzwater has the most multi-RBI outings with 14, while
Cole Raile has 11.
A Keydet Sacrifice. Bradley Garner stands 16th nationally with five sacrifice flies, while
JW Kohlmeyer ranks 26th with six sacrifice bunts. Both marks are first in the SoCon.
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 19 total and nearly one per game to move into fifth in the single-season record book. He ranks first in the conference and fourth nationally in both categories. As a team, VMI has been hit by 83 pitches, the third most in the nation, most in the league, and fifth most in program history.
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 23rd in the country and second in the SoCon with 188 walks.
Magic No. 7. VMI is 22-0 when scoring at least seven runs.
One Of One. Grayson Fitzwater became the first Keydet to reach 200 RBIs in their career. In his dominant career, Fitzwater created an elite club: the 200/50/50 Club, which is 200 RBIs, 50 home runs, and 50 doubles.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Samford, who was predicted to win the league in the preseason vote, is 14-17 overall with a 2-4 SoCon record. The Bullodgs dropped series against Western Carolina and ETSU, winning each of the series openers and losing the final two outings.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes one graduate student, nine seniors, nine juniors, eight sophomores, and 11 freshmen.
Offense. The Bulldogs are slashing .285/.459/.374 with 38 doubles, five triples, and 43 home runs to pair with 162 RBIs and 178 runs. Their homers mark ranks 50th nationally.
Defense. In the field, Samford boasts an impressive .983 fielding clip, ranking first in the league and 11th nationally. The Bulldogs have only committed 18 errors this season, with five in conference play.
Pitching. Samford's arms hold a 6.64 ERA with 274 strikeouts and 124 walks.
The Probables. The Bulldogs will lean into Joseph Lee, Mason Blasche, and Noah Berry as the rotation this weekend. The three starters have a combined 4-6 record.
Head Coach Tony David. Tony David enters his fifth season at the helm, accumulating nearly 150 wins. David led the program to 2023 SoCon regular-season and tournament titles, earning their fourth NCAA Tournament bid. Prior to taking the throne, David was the associate head coach from 2006 to 2021 and has been on staff since 2005.
Series History
VMI is 9-31 all-time against Samford, with the Bulldogs winning seven of the last nine matchups. The Keydets have tallied four victories in Birmingham, the last coming in 2022. Last season, Samford took the series in Lexington after the Keydets thumped the Bulldogs in game one.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
