LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball competes in its final road series of the year in Macon, Georgia, against Mercer at OrthoGeorgia Park this weekend.
Series Schedule and Probables
Game 1| Friday, May 8 at 6 p.m.
- RHP Garrett Lambert vs. RHP
Justin Spiegel
Game 2 | Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m.
- RHP Miguel Hugas vs. RHP
Clark Driscoll
Game 3 | Sunday, May 10 at 1 p.m.
- TBA vs. TBA
The Keydets (27-20, 3-12 SoCon) are in the final stretch with just seven games remaining, with three against the sluggin' Bears (36-13, 9-6 SoCon), who are having a stellar 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 168 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, 257 heading into the weekend, to rank second in the league and 33rd nationally. The Keydets' ability to get hit by pitches has been impressive, recording 100 beanballs this year, which ranks second in the SoCon and 19th 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 14 runs away from hitting the 200 milestone, becoming the second Keydet to hit the mark. He has collected 217 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.
Raile's On Fire. Cole Raile has had the hot bat lately, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games. In those games, Raile has slashed .413/.826/.434 with four doubles, five home runs, 13 runs, and 17 RBIs.
Series Notes
Keydets' Conference Woes Continue In Greensboro. VMI dropped all three contests against UNC Greensboro last weekend. The Keydets have lost five-straight league outings and seven-straight road matchups.
The King Is Here. Grayson Fitzwater has been named the Home Run King after setting a new single-season home run record with his 19th bomb against the Spartans. In three of his four years, Fitzwater has settled in the top five in VMI single-season history in home runs, hitting 18 his sophomore season and 17 his junior year. The slugging senior has slammed 60 homers in his career, a program record.
Mid-Majors' Finest. During their week 12 rankings, Mid-Major D1 Baseball ranked
Grayson Fitzwater as the second-best first baseman and
Cole Raile as a top-10 catcher among mid-major programs. Fitzwater was ranked eighth among all D-I first basemen, while Raile checked in at 28th among all D-I catchers.
Two Bagger. Ranking second in the league and 13th nationally with 19 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 .347 batting clip. The slugging catcher moved into sixth in program history after crushing his 35th career bomb against UNCG.
Crown Him. Grayson Fitzwater is looking for the home run crown this season, as he leads the conference with 19 home runs, which also ranks 13th in the country. He also leads the league and ranks in the top 20 nationally with 45 walks and a .776 slugging clip, while being third in the SoCon and 25th in the country with 58 RBIs.
The Return Of CD. Making his glorious return was
Clark Driscoll, who was sidelined for over a month. In his last three appearances on the hill, Driscoll has totaled eight innings with nine strikeouts and just one earned run. He is scheduled to make his sixth start on Saturday.
On-Base Junkies. While ranking 36th nationally with a .412 on-base percentage, VMI has one player in the top 75 among DI players and three in the top 15 among SoCon players.
Grayson Fitzwater leads the group with a .482 on-base clip, good enough for 74th in the country, while
Owen Prince and
Cole Raile are among the top 15 in the league.
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 2.03 BB/9, 3.73 K-BB ratio, and a 1.11 WHIP, which all rank top three in the league. The lefty slinger leads the Keydets with 56 strikeouts, 25 appearances, and 66.2 innings pitched. He also holds the fourth-lowest ERA among ERA-qualified SoCon staffers at 2.97 and has the fifth-most wins with five.
Prince Of Pain. Leading the Keydets on the base path once again is
Owen Prince, swiping a league-high 28 bags and ranking 24th nationally. His explosive abilities on the base path have not been for nothing, as Prince leads the team with 57 runs, the 33rd most, and just north of one run per game, the 37th most in the country, ranking in the top three of the league in both categories. Defensively, the senior centerfielder moved into first in program history with a .991 career fielding percentage.
Watch Out For Fitz'walk'er. Grayson Fitzwater's league-leading 45 walks rank in the top 20 nationally and just four away from the VMI single-season record. In his career, Fitzwater has walked 140 times, now second all-time and just four shy of setting a new program record.
Hurts So Good. Ayden Schnarrs has worn plenty of pitches, 22 total, to move into third in the VMI single-season record book and just three shy of tying the record, which was set by current assistant coach
Ryan Smoot. He ranks first in the conference and top 15 nationally in hit by pitches and hit by pitches per game. In just two seasons, Schnarrs has been hit by 40 pitches, the fifth most in VMI history. As a team, VMI has been hit by 100 pitches, the 19th most in the nation, second most in the league, and third most in program history.
Walk It Out. VMI ranks 33rd in the country and second in the SoCon with 257 walks.
Scouting the Opponent
Overall. Mercer is 36-13 overall with a 9-6 SoCon record. The Bears are 26-2 when playing at home and have not lost at OrthoGeorgia Park since March 22. Mercer swept Wofford and took the series against Samford, The Citadel, and UNCG. The Bears have won 11 of their last 12 games.
Roster. The 2026 roster includes 11 seniors, 12 juniors, six sophomores, and nine freshmen.
Offense. The Bears are slashing .319/.573/.440 with 107 doubles, six triples, and 102 home runs to pair with 421 RBIs and 448 runs. Mercer's 102 homers rank third in the country, while averaging over two home runs a game, the fourth-best mark in the nation. The Bears also rank in the top 10 nationally with 293 walks, 448 runs, a .318 batting clip, 531 hits, a .440 on-base percentage, 9.1 runs per game, and a .573 slugging clip. Titan Kamaka boasts a .413 batting mark with 21 doubles, both top 10 in the country. Braydon Kersey has muscled a league-leading 19 home runs. Chris Katz is in the top 25 nationally with 73 hits, a .508 on-base percentage, a .742 slugging clip, a .392 batting average, and 138 total bases.
Defense. In the field, Mercer has a .972 fielding percentage with 46 errors.
Pitching. The Bears' slingers hold a 5.60 ERA with a league-leading 445 punchouts. Garrett Lambert boasts a 3.97 ERA, which is seventh among ERA-qualified league pitchers, and is a perfect 4-0. Miguel Hugas leads the program and conference with eight victories. While slugging at the plate, Braydon Kersey has a team-high four saves on the mound.
Head Coach Craig Gibson. With 23 years of experience under his belt, Craig Gibson leads the dugout once more for Mercer, collecting over 750 wins and four regular-season conference titles.
Series History
Since the first meeting ended in a tie back in 1964, VMI has gone 13-27 against Mercer. Last season, the Bears took two of three from the Keydets in Lexington, but the last time both sides met in Macon in 2024, VMI won the series.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
