VMI Keydets baseball


The VMI Keydets baseball team represents the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. 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.

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. 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

19504–142–7Southern ConferenceFrank Summers
19511–200–12Southern ConferenceFrank Summers
19521–131–8Southern ConferenceVince Ragunas
19537–74–4Southern ConferenceChuck Noe
195412–66–4Southern ConferenceChuck Noe
195512–86–7Southern ConferenceChuck Noe
195612–107–7Southern ConferenceJack Null
19578–134–6Southern ConferenceJack Null
19584–122–8Southern ConferenceJack Null
19595–115–10Southern ConferenceWeenie Miller
19606–85–8Southern ConferenceWeenie Miller
19617–76–6Southern ConferenceWeenie Miller
19628–77–7Southern ConferenceCharlie McGinnis
196314–117–7Southern ConferenceCharlie McGinnis
196411–12–15–9Southern ConferenceCharlie McGinnis
196515–98–6Southern ConferenceCharlie McGinnis
196610–136–10Southern ConferenceFred Kelly
19679–117–9Southern ConferenceFred Kelly
19687–83–5Southern ConferenceChuck Roys
196910–128–7Southern ConferenceChuck Roys
19706–134–9Southern ConferenceTom Sawyer
19715–241–15Southern ConferenceTom Sawyer
19726–193–13Southern ConferencePhil Tucker
19733–140–11Southern ConferencePhil Tucker
19746–145–9Southern ConferenceDonny White
19752–181–13Southern ConferenceJerry Roane
19766–232–12Southern ConferenceJerry Roane
19775–192–12Southern ConferenceVern Beitzel
19782–270–14Southern ConferenceVern Beitzel
19796–250–15Southern ConferenceVern Beitzel
19804–220–12Southern ConferenceVern Beitzel
19813–370–16Southern ConferenceJim Rowsey
198211–296–10Southern ConferenceDonny White
198311–255–9Southern ConferenceDonny White
198416–186–7Southern ConferenceDonny White
198516–248–10Southern ConferenceDonny White
198615–257–11Southern ConferenceDonny White
198716–16–18–4Southern ConferenceDonny White
198820–2011–7Southern ConferencePaul Maini
198916–238–7Southern ConferencePaul Maini
199012–266–8Southern ConferencePaul Maini
19912–35–11–15Southern ConferencePaul Maini
199211–394–15Southern ConferenceChris Finwood
199320–295–15Southern ConferenceChris Finwood
199421–2910–13Southern ConferenceChris Finwood
199519–2810–14Southern ConferenceScott Gines
199617–297–16Southern ConferenceScott Gines
199713–356–13Southern ConferenceScott Gines
199814–357–17Southern ConferenceScott Gines
199922–2713–16Southern ConferenceScott Gines
200019–3011–19Southern ConferenceScott Gines
200115–328–19Southern ConferenceTom Slater
200210–411–27Southern ConferenceTom Slater
200325–2716–14Southern ConferenceTom Slater
200423–324–20Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
200527–2811–13Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
200630–259–15Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
200734–2110–11Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
200829–2614–7Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
200918–3510–15Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201033–2213–14Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201127–24–114–13Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201216–367–17Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201320–356–18Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201425–2311–16Big SouthMarlin Ikenberry
201520–2812–12Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
201621–354–20Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
201724–347–17Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
201826–2712–12Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
201917–419–15Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
20204–130–0Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
2021 18–2913–17Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
202216–406–15Southern ConferenceJonathan Hadra
202326–299–11Southern ConferenceSam Roberts
202427–297–14Southern ConferenceSam Roberts
202527–266–15Southern ConferenceSam Roberts

Coaching history

VMI and MLB

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

In popular culture

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.