VMI Keydets baseball

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VMI Keydets baseball
Baseball current event.svg 2026 VMI Keydets baseball team
Vmi keydets wmark2025.png
Founded1866
University Virginia Military Institute
Head coach Sam Roberts (4th season)
Conference Southern
Location Lexington, Virginia
Home stadium Gray–Minor Stadium
(Capacity: 1,400)
Nickname Keydets
ColorsRed, white, and yellow [1]
     

The VMI Keydets baseball team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. [2] The team is a member of the Southern Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. VMI's first baseball team was fielded in 1866. The team plays its home games at Gray–Minor Stadium in Lexington, Virginia. The Keydets are coached by Sam Roberts.

Contents

History

In fall 1866, just two years after the Virginia Military Institute had been burned down by David Hunter and the Union Army, a group of cadets got together and created the Institute's first organized baseball team. It was the first organized team from any sport. In the inaugural season, the Keydets had an astounding mark of 20–1–2, playing among in-state rivals such as Washington and Lee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney, and continuously so for the next several decades.

In 1921, the team started playing at recently built Alumni Memorial Field along with the football team. Both squads had, up to that point, been playing on the Parade Ground. It was not until the 1960s that the baseball team shifted to Patchin Field, and most recently in 2007, began playing in Gray-Minor Stadium. Excluding 2004 to 2014, when they played in the Big South, the Keydets have played for the Southern Conference.

Despite having many winning seasons throughout the 20th century and into the last decade, the Keydets have never been able to make the NCAA tournament. The 1969 team lost to Furman in the SoCon Championship Finals; Furman made the 1969 NCAA University Division baseball tournament with the win. [3] The 1987 and 1993 team each made the tournament final. The 1993 team came closest to breaking the barrier with a run to the Southern Conference finals, and despite being an 8th seed, VMI upended three higher-seeded teams before bowing down to eventual champion Western Carolina.

Year-by-year results

YearRecordConference recordConferenceCoach
19504–142–7Southern ConferenceFrank Summers
19511–200–12
19521–131–8Vince Ragunas
19537–74–4Chuck Noe
195412–66–4
195512–86–7
195612–107–7Jack Null
19578–134–6
19584–122–8
19595–115–10Weenie Miller
19606–85–8
19617–76–6
19628–77–7Charlie McGinnis
196314–117–7
196411–12–15–9
196515–98–6
196610–136–10Fred Kelly
19679–117–9
19687–83–5Chuck Roys
196910–128–7
19706–134–9Tom Sawyer
19715–241–15
19726–193–13Phil Tucker
19733–140–11
19746–145–9 Donny White
19752–181–13Jerry Roane
19766–232–12
19775–192–12Vern Beitzel
19782–270–14
19796–250–15
19804–220–12
19813–370–16Jim Rowsey
198211–296–10Donny White
198311–255–9
198416–186–7
198516–248–10
198615–257–11
198716–16–18–4
198820–2011–7Paul Maini
198916–238–7
199012–266–8
19912–35–11–15
199211–394–15 Chris Finwood
199320–295–15
199421–2910–13
199519–2810–14Scott Gines
199617–297–16
199713–356–13
199814–357–17
199922–2713–16
200019–3011–19
200115–328–19 Tom Slater
200210–411–27
200325–2716–14
200423–324–20Big South Marlin Ikenberry
200527–2811–13
200630–259–15
200734–2110–11
200829–2614–7
200918–3510–15
201033–2213–14
201127–24–114–13
201216–367–17
201320–356–18
201425–2311–16
201520–2812–12Southern Conference Jonathan Hadra
201621–354–20Southern Conference
201724–347–17Southern Conference
201826–2712–12Southern Conference
201917–419–15Southern Conference
20204–130–0Southern Conference
202118–2913–17Southern Conference
202216–406–15Southern Conference
202326–299–11Southern ConferenceSam Roberts
202427–297–14Southern Conference
202527–266–15Southern Conference

Coaching history

CoachTenureRecordPct.Conference Record
Frank Summers1950-515-34.1282-19
Vince Ragunas19521-13.0711-8
Chuck Noe1953–5531–21.59616–15
Jack Null1956–5824–35.40713–21
Weenie Miller1959–6118–26.40917–25
Charlie McGinnis1962–6548–39–1.55126–28
Fred Kelly1966–6719–24.44213–19
Chuck Roys1968–6917–20.45911–12
Tom Sawyer1970–7111–37.2295–24
Phil Tucker1972–739–33.2143–24
Donny White1974, 1982–8791–151–1.37745–60
Jerry Roane1975–768–41.1633–25
Vern Beitzel1977–8017–93.1552–53
Jim Rowsey19813–37.0750–16
Paul Maini1988–9150–104–1.32626–37
Chris Finwood1992–9452–97.34919–43
Scott Gines1995–2000104–184.36154–95
Tom Slater2001–0350–100.33325–60
Marlin Ikenberry2004–14282–307–1.478109–166
Jonathan Hadra2015–22147–249.37163–108
Sam Roberts2023-present80–84.48722–40

VMI and MLB

VMI has had 31 Major League Baseball draft selections since the draft began in 1965. [4]

The 1938 film, Brother Rat is set at the Virginia Military Institute. The film features Eddie Albert as the VMI baseball team's star pitcher, and Ronald Reagan as his catcher. The film's plot centers on Albert and Reagan as they attempt to win the big baseball game against rival Virginia. Portions of the film were shot on location at the VMI campus in Lexington. In 1940, the film was followed by a sequel, Brother Rat and a Baby , featuring the same lead cast members. The sequel film's plot centered on the since-graduated Albert's attempt to get a job as a baseball coach at his alma mater. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ VMI Visual Identity Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Military Institute Keydets" . Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  3. ↑ https://vmikeydets.com/documents/2025/5/28/2025_Baseball_Record_Book.pdf?path=baseball
  4. ↑ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Virginia Military Institute (Lexington, VA)"". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Warner Archive Wednesday ~ Brother Rat (1938) and Brother Rat and a Baby (1940)". outofthepastblog.com. March 12, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
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