LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball enters the last week of the regular season with more to prove, hosting a four-game homestand starting with Norfolk State on Tuesday at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium.
 
Game Schedule and Probables
Tuesday, May 12 | 6 p.m.
- TBA vs. LHP Peyton Dhein
 
The Keydets (27-23, 3-15 SoCon) are trying to bust out of their slump against the Spartans (19-28, 9-9 NEC) in their final non-conference outing. This will be the third and final meeting between these two teams this year.
 
 
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 169 steals with over three steals per game, ranking second in both categories.
 
These Boots Are Made For Walkin'. A keen eye makes a true Keydets, as VMI draws plenty of walks, 261 heading into the week, to rank third in the league and 47th nationally. The Keydets' ability to get hit by pitches has been impressive, recording 102 beanballs this year, which ranks second in the SoCon and 24th in the country.
 
Magic No. 7. For VMI, the goal is to score at least seven runs. When VMI scores seven or more runs, they are a perfect 24-0.

What To Watch For
200/200 Club. Grayson Fitzwater is nearing an unbreakable career feat: 200 RBIs and 200 runs. The senior is just 13 runs away from hitting the 200 milestone to become the second Keydet to hit the mark. He has collected 218 RBIs already, the only Keydet to do so.
 
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.
 
Success Against The Spartans. VMI is 29-2 against Norfolk State dating back to 2001. The Keydets have won the last six meetings and are a perfect 19-0 when playing the Spartans at home.
 
Game Notes
Keydets Brought Down By Bears. VMI could not get things rolling in Macon, falling in all three games against red-hot Mercer.
 
Single-Season Watchlist. A few Keydets have their sights set on some single-season history. Grayson Fitzwater enters the week just eight RBIs and three walks shy of single-season records. Fitzwater's .998 fielding clip would be first and his .634 slugging percentage would be second. He is also one base away from cracking the top five in total bases. Ayden Schnarrs is three hit by pitches away from breaking current assistant coach Ryan Smoot's record. Bradley Garner is just a pair of doubles away from the second-most and six shy of the record in VMI single-season history.
 
Mid-Majors' Finest. During their week 12 rankings, Mid-Major D1 Baseball ranked Grayson Fitzwater as the second-best first baseman, Hunter Sipe as the fourth-best relief arm, and Cole Raile as a top-10 catcher among mid-major programs. Fitzwater was ranked eighth among all D-I first basemen, while Sipe rounded out the top 25 among relief pitchers, and Raile checked in at 28th among catchers.
 
Two Bagger. Ranking second in the league and 12th nationally with 20 doubles is Bradley Garner, who has been hot at the plate since running the 2026 Boston Marathon in late April.
 
Raile Rakes. Cole Raile has snuck into the SoCon's top 10 with 14 home runs and a .344 batting clip. The slugging catcher moved into sixth in program history after crushing his 35th career bomb against UNCG. Raile has earned at least one hit in 14 of the last 15 games.
 
Crown Him. Grayson Fitzwater is looking for the home run crown this season, as he leads the conference with 20 home runs, which also ranks 14th in the country. He also leads the league and ranks in the top 20 nationally with 46 walks, while being in the top five in the SoCon and top 50 in the country with 59 RBIs and a .760 slugging clip.
 
Prince Of Pain. Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is Owen Prince, swiping a league-high 28 bags and ranking 31st nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 57 runs, which is top 50 in the country and top five of the league. Defensively, the senior centerfielder moved into first in program history with a .991 career fielding percentage.
 
Sipe Hunting. One of the best success stories this season has been Hunter Sipe, who has stepped into a large bullpen role. Sipe boasts a 2.15 BB/9, which is first in the conference, and a 3.47 K-BB ratio and a 1.13 WHIP, which both rank top three in the league. The lefty slinger leads the Keydets with 59 strikeouts, 27 appearances, and 71 innings pitched. He also holds the fourth-lowest ERA among ERA-qualified SoCon staffers at 3.30 and has the fifth-most wins with five.
 
Goose Eggs. The Keydets have tossed five shutouts this year, a new single-season program record and the most since 2007. Five shutouts are the most among SoCon teams and the 13th most in the nation. On the other end, the VMI bats have yet to be shut out this season.
 
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 46 walks rank in the top 25 nationally. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 141 times, now second all-time and just three shy of setting a new program record.
 
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 23 total, which ranks second in the conference and top 15 nationally. In just two seasons, Schnarrs has been hit by 41 pitches, tied for the fourth most in VMI history. As a team, VMI has been hit by 102 pitches, the 24th most in the nation, second most in the league, and third most in program history.
 
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Norfolk State is 19-28 overall with a 15-15 NEC record. The Spartans lost the first two meetings against the Keydets, but have bounced back each time by winning 10 games after the first loss and seven more after the second loss.
 
Roster. The 2026 roster includes two graduate students, 11 seniors, 12 juniors, six sophomores, and four freshmen.
 
Offense. The Spartans are slashing .281/.410/.376 with 82 doubles, six triples, and 35 home runs to pair with 271 RBIs and 307 runs. Thomas Ealey boasts a team-high .384 batting clip with 71 hits, both of which are top 100 in the nation, while swiping 35 bags, the 11th most in the country. Justin Journette has smashed 16 home runs and 54 RBIs.
 
Defense. In the field, Norfolk State has a .957 fielding percentage with 72 errors.
 
Pitching. The Spartans' staff holds an 8.10 ERA with 338 strikeouts and 279 walks. Ethan Blakeney and Yasseel Samboy lead the team with five wins apiece.
 
Head Coach M.L. Morgan. In his first year at the helm, Merrill "M.L." Morgan has piloted the Spartans to 19 wins thus far, the most since 2021. Morgan joins the staff after spending three years as a VCU assistant coach. Most recently, Morgan served as the Mid-Atlantic area scout supervisor for the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays since 2021.
 
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.