VMI baseball will return to action Friday, when the Keydets open a three-game SoCon series against the Mercer Bears in Macon, Ga. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., with games Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) to follow.
How to Follow
Fans can see the game live with a subscription to ESPN +, ESPN’s new monthly subscription service. Trial packages are available, please visit the appropriate link contained within this article for more info. In addition, live stats will also be available.
Probable Starting Pitchers
- Friday: VMI RHP Josh Winder vs. Mercer LHP Austin Cox
- Saturday: VMI RHP Zak Kent vs. Mercer RHP Chase Burks
- Sunday: VMI LHP Kyle Staats vs. Mercer TBA
Leadoff Hitters
The Keydets enter this series coming off a dramatic 9-7 win over Virginia Tech Wednesday evening at Gray-Minor Stadium, a game won on Peyton Maddox’s walk-off homer in the ninth. Not only was that VMI’s first walk-off homer since Jacob Morley did it against Campbell in a game in 2012, but it gave VMI two wins over an ACC opponent in the same season for the first time since 1994.
The other note out of Wednesday’s game was Collin Fleischer’s first-inning home run, which gave him sole possession of the career VMI home run record. Fleischer’s 42 home runs are the sixth-most among active Division I players.
Matt Pita has been one of the key cogs of VMI’s offense this year, and is in the midst of perhaps the most well-rounded offensive campaign of any SoCon player this season. Pita ranks in the top-five in the conference in a litany of categories, but perhaps most impressively, is 13th among active Division I players in career slugging percentage.
Josh Winder will enter Friday night’s game on a 13 1/3 scoreless innings streak after carrying a no-hitter into the fifth last weekend versus Furman. Winder allowed only two runners to reach second base in that game.
Next Time Out
Following this contest, the Keydets return to the Commonwealth to take on Virginia Tech on May 1. First pitch in Blacksburg is set for 6 p.m.
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