VMI Baseball Heads to UNC Asheville After Three-Game Winning Streak

VMI Baseball Rides Hot Streak to UNC Asheville

LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball (9-9) is gearing up for a three-game series against the University of North Carolina at Asheville Bulldogs (9-7) in Asheville, North Carolina. The Keydets are coming off a three-game winning streak after impressive victories over Binghamton University and Norfolk State University at Gray Minor Stadium.

Series Information:

Location: Greenwood Baseball Field

Live Stats: UNC Asheville Live Stats

Broadcast: Game One | Game Two | Game Three

Series Schedule and Probables:

Game One: Friday at 3 p.m. -LHP Trey Morgan (1-0, 4.24 ERA) vs. LHP Cole Schiff (1-0, 7.13 ERA)

Game Two: Saturday at 1 p.m. -RHP Will Riley (2-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. RHP Michael Groves (1-0, 6.00 ERA)

Game Three: Sunday at 12 p.m. -RHP Holden Wilkerson vs. RHP Colby Guy (3-0, 4.08 ERA)

Last Time Out:

-VMI’s offense exploded for a 14-4 (7 inn.) victory over Norfolk State on Tuesday.

-Keydets dominated the scoring, collecting all 14 runs before the sixth inning.

-Andrew Jones earned his first win of the season, pitching four innings and allowing just one hit.

-Justin Starke and Brett Cook showcased their power with home runs in the second and fourth innings.

-Despite a late push from Norfolk State, VMI’s bullpen shut down the opposition.

-Justin Starke led the Keydets at the plate, going 4-5 with three RBI and three runs.

-VMI displayed speed on the base paths, recording five stolen bases by four different players.

Tracking the Keydets:

-VMI ranks fifth nationally in stolen bases and nearly three per game, but leads the country in caught stealing with 22.

-The Keydets excel in sacrifice bunts, ranking eighth in the nation with 15.

-VMI’s pitching staff leads the conference and ranks 18th in NCAA D-I for walks per nine innings with 2.31.

-Marcus Van Alstine has been dominant out of the bullpen, tallying five saves, the second most in the country.

-Trey Morgan leads the nation in K/BB ratio, boasting 24 innings pitched with 13 strikeouts and zero walks.

-Justin Starke (.377/.738/.494) leads the Keydets’ offense with 23 hits, 16 RBI, and six home runs.

-Marcus Van Alstine (1.42 ERA) shines on the mound with a .178 opponent batting average and 13 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

-VMI struggles defensively, posting the third-most errors nationally with 37 miscues and a .942 fielding percentage.

Scouting the Bulldogs:

-UNC Asheville enters the weekend slate with a 9-7 record.

-The Bulldogs recently fell to Liberty University 12-2 in an eight-inning contest on Tuesday.

-UNC Asheville swept both preceding series against Niagara University and Siena College.

-The Bulldogs faced tough competition against Georgia and Tennessee, suffering losses in all four matchups.

-UNC Asheville put up a strong fight against #9 Tennessee, falling narrowly 3-2 in Knoxville.

-The Bulldogs boast an impressive offense, slashing .283/.449/.429 and scoring 9.1 runs per game.

-UNC Asheville shows discipline at the plate, amassing 115 walks for the 16th best mark in NCAA D-I.

Series History:

-This will be the first meeting between VMI and UNC Asheville since the Keydets rejoined the Southern Conference.

-VMI holds a 16-12 lead in the all-time series against the Bulldogs.

-The Bulldogs have won the last three matchups, but VMI has emerged victorious in seven of the last ten meetings.

-When playing in Asheville, VMI holds a 6-9 record against UNC Asheville.

-This marks the first series between the two teams since March 2012.