The VMI Keydets baseball team will play against The Citadel Bulldogs in the opening game of the 2026 Southern Conference Baseball Championship, according to a May 18 announcement. The matchup marks the fourth meeting between the two teams within a week, with first pitch scheduled for 9 a.m. at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.
The tournament’s format is single elimination for this round, meaning the winner will advance to face Wofford later that day while the loser will be eliminated from contention. Broadcast coverage is available on ESPN+ and live statistics are expected to be provided.
VMI enters the contest with a record of 28-26 overall and three wins in conference play. The Citadel holds a record of 30-24 and finished above .500 in league games after sweeping VMI over their recent weekend series. “Run Fast, Turn Left” has become synonymous with VMI under head coach Sam Roberts as his team has led NCAA Division I in stolen bases for three consecutive seasons, setting a program record last year and ranking second nationally this season with over three steals per game.
Senior Grayson Fitzwater continues to set records for VMI as he approaches career milestones of both 200 runs scored and more than 220 runs batted in (RBIs). Fitzwater recently became VMI’s all-time home run leader after hitting his twentieth homer of the season against The Citadel. Cole Raile has also been productive at bat, collecting hits in most recent games and moving into sixth place on VMI’s career home run list.
Other standouts include Bradley Garner, who ranks among national leaders with twenty doubles after running the Boston Marathon earlier this spring; Hunter Sipe leads VMI’s pitching staff with strong strikeout numbers; Owen Prince tops both his team and conference with stolen bases; while Ayden Schnarrs broke school records by being hit by pitches twenty-seven times this season.
The Keydets are seeking their first thirty-win season since 2010 but must win two tournament games to reach that milestone. Meanwhile, The Citadel arrives at the tournament having swept VMI twice over consecutive seasons under head coach Russell Triplett.
