2009 KEYDET BASEBALL VMI BASEBALL GAME NOTES VMI BASEBALL GAME NOTES VMI BASEBALL GAME NOTES VMI BASEBALL GAME NOTES VMI (8-8) at Virginia Tech (10-6) March 17-18; English Field Probable Starting Pitchers VMI Michael Devine, Fr., RHP (0-0, 9.45 ERA) vs. VT Sean McDermott, So., LHP (1-1, 3.86 ERA) VMI Jeremy Brown, Fr., RHP (1-2, 7.11 ERA) vs. VT Josh Wymer, Jr., RHP (0-0, 3.60 ERA) Date Opponent Time/Result The VMI baseball team returns to action this first win over the Hokies in Lexington since April Feb. 20 at #1 North Carolina L, 3-13 week, playing a rare two-game mid-week series in 25, 1969. Feb. 21 at #1 North Carolina L, 0-6 Blacksburg against Virginia Tech. The Keydets The Keydets held a 7-4 advantage entering Feb. 22 at #1 North Carolina L, 3-11 are wrapping up a six-game road swing, as the the ninth, and had yet to lose a game this season Feb. 24 Old Dominion W, 4-3 (11) Institute enjoys its spring break this week. when leading or tied entering the ninth. The Feb. 25 at Richmond L, 4-10 Last weekend, VMI opened up Big South streak nearly came to an end, as the Hokies man- Feb. 27 Youngstown State L, 6-7 play at first-year conference member, aged three runs on three singles, two errors, a Feb. 28 Youngstown State L, 4-9 Presbyterian. After getting rained out on Friday, pair of sacrifice flies and a hit batsman, before March 4 William and Mary W, 7-4 VMI pounded out a season-best 21 hits on its way VMI came back to steal the win. March 6 Rider W, 7-4 (12) March 7 Rider (DH) W, 17-11; L, 8-12 to a 14-4 win on Saturday. The Keydets had to With that win, VMI now goes for its first March 8 Rider W, 12-11 rally late on Sunday to take a 12-10 decision over back-to-back wins over the Hokies since 1962, March 10 at Norfolk State W, 4-3 the Blue Hose, marking the third-straight season when VMI won three straight in the series. March 11 at #18 Virginia L, 3-10 that VMI has opened Big South play with a road Additionally, the Keydets will be looking for their March 14 at Presbyterian * W, 14-4 sweep. first win in Blacksburg since the 2005 season, March 15 at Presbyterian * W, 12-10 (8) The Keydet offense has been on fire of late, when VMI scored a 6-2 victory at English Field. March 17 at Virginia Tech 5:30 p.m. led by senior A.J. Yoder. The second baseman is On Tuesday, the Keydets are expected to March 18 at Virginia Tech 5:30 p.m. currently on a career-long 13-game hitting streak, send out freshman right-hander Michael Devine March 20 UNC Asheville * 4 p.m. hitting .383 during the stretch, including a (0-0, 9.45 ERA) to oppose Hokie sophomore March 21 UNC Asheville * 2 p.m. career-best five-hit performance on Saturday southpaw Sean McDermott (1-1, 3.86 ERA). On March 22 UNC Asheville * 1 p.m. against PC. Wednesday, VMI freshman righty Jeremy Brown March 24 Richmond 5 p.m. March 27 at Charleston South. * 2 p.m. Overall, the Keydet bats have come to life (1-2, 7.11 ERA) will earn the nod, squaring off March 28 at Charleston South. * (DH) 11:30 a.m. over the past 10 games, hitting .334 with 21 against Tech junior righty Josh Wymer (0-0, 3.60 March 31 at VCU 7 p.m. doubles and 10 home runs to post a .481 slug- ERA). April 3 Liberty * 6 p.m. ging percentage. Both of the games in Blacksburg will be cov- April 4 Liberty * 4 p.m. VMI now gets set to take on a Hokie squad ered via a live audio broadcast online at April 5 Liberty * 1 p.m. that sits at 10-6 on the young season. Last week- www.VMIKeydets.com. Tuesday’s game will also April 7 VCU 5 p.m. end, Tech and #1 North Carolina could get in only be video-streamed online through ACC Select at April 10 Gardner-Webb * 6 p.m. two games of their ACC series as well, with the www.TheACC.com, while Wednesday’s game may April 11 Gardner-Webb * (DH) 1 p.m. Tar Heels winning both decisions. That came a also be carried on ACC Select. April 14 at James Madison 4 p.m. weekend after Tech dropped its opening confer- The Keydets return to Gray-Minor Stadium April 15 Longwood 5 p.m. ence series of the season at Duke. this weekend, taking on Big South foe UNC April 17 at Radford * 3 p.m. April 18 at Radford * 2 p.m. The Keydets scored a wild, 8-7 win over the Asheville. Current plans call for Saturday’s game, April 19 at Radford * 1 p.m. Hokies in the teams’ only meeting last season. set for a 2 p.m. start, to be broadcast online at April 21 at Old Dominion 6 p.m. Shane Geisslinger drew a bases-loaded walk with www.VMIKeydets.com, with Wade Branner calling April 22 Norfolk State 6 p.m. two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give VMI its the action. April 24 at Winthrop * 6 p.m. April 25 at Winthrop * 4 p.m. Probable Starters April 26 at Winthrop * 2 p.m. Yr. AVG R 2B 3B HR RBI SLG OBP SB-A April 28 at William and Mary 7 p.m. 2B A.J. Yoder Sr. .342 9 3 1 0 9 .411 .372 5-7 April 29 James Madison 6 p.m. CF Jacob Morley Fr. .288 10 2 1 1 9 .407 .328 4-4 May 9 at Coastal Carolina * 6 p.m. 3B Tanner Biagini Jr. .300 16 4 0 1 8 .400 .364 2-3 May 10 at Coastal Carolina * 6 p.m. 1B Jordan Ballard Jr. .350 10 3 0 3 16 .550 .459 2-3 May 11 at Coastal Carolina * Noon RF Sam Roberts So. .316 15 1 0 3 16 .491 .446 3-4 May 14 High Point * 6 p.m. May 15 High Point * 6 p.m. LF Brian Sandridge R-Jr. .270 14 4 0 2 6 .429 .378 2-2 May 16 High Point * 6 p.m. C Alex Haitsuka So. .294 11 4 0 2 10 .490 .446 1-1 May 19-23 at Big South Tournament TBD DH George Piccirilli Fr. .407 6 0 0 0 7 .407 .328 4-4 SS Graham Sullivan So. .278 10 5 0 2 9 .481 .391 3-3 VMI’s Record in 2009..... Keydets Sweep Again In Big South best with five hits against Presbyterian, going 5- Opener: for-7 with a double and two RBI. Overall . .8-8 Yoder currently leads VMI with 25 hits and For the third consecutive season, VMI opened five stolen bases while ranking second on the team Big South . .2-0 its Big South campaign with a road sweep, though with a .342 batting average. the 2009 version was not much like anything the Non-Conference . .6-8 Keydets had seen before. At Home . .5-3 Taking on Presbyterian in the Blue Hose’s Middle Innings Kind to Keydets: This season, VMI has had no problem produc- On the Road . .3-5 first year as a member of the Big South, the Keydets saw Friday’s contest postponed and even- ing runs in the fourth and fifth innings. It’s just At Home (Big South) . .0-0 tually cancelled due to inclement weather. On been the other frames that have been problematic. On the Road (Big South) . .2-0 Saturday, the Keydets pounded out a 14-4 win The Keydets have scored 108 runs this sea- with a season-best 21 hits, before rallying late for son, with 55 of them coming in the fourth and At Home (Non-Conference) . .5-3 a 12-10 win in eight innings on Sunday. fifth innings. On the Road (Non-Conference) . .1-5 In all, the Keydets scored 26 runs on 32 hits VMI has scored 20 runs in the fourth inning in the two games. The two-game series marked this season and 35 in the fifth. The second In Extra-Inning Games . .2-0 the first conference series that VMI was unable to inning (16 runs) is the only other frame that VMI Vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams . .0-4 complete since joining the Big South six seasons has scored more than 10 runs in this season. Alarmingly, the Keydets have now been Vs. In-State Teams . .3-2 ago. VMI last played a two-game series back in 2002, managing only two games each against outscored 71-22 after the fifth inning this season. Playing a Day Game . .8-8 UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State in the Playing a Night Game . .0-0 program’s Southern Conference days. Six The Magic Number for VMI: With the series win, the Keydets have now In 2009, six runs has been the magic num- In First Game of a Doubleheader . .1-0 won each of its past five conference-opening ber for VMI’s success on the diamond. In Second Game of a Doubleheader . .0-1 series, with the last four of those coming on the When the Keydet bats can score more than road.