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 Jonathan Hadra.

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.
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 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

YearRecord Coach
19504–14 Frank Summers
19511–20 Frank Summers
19521–13 Vince Ragunas
19537–7 Chuck Noe
195412–6 Chuck Noe
195512–8 Chuck Noe
195612–10 Jack Null
19578–13 Jack Null
19584–12 Jack Null
19595–11 Weenie Miller
19606–8 Weenie Miller
19617–7 Weenie Miller
19628–7 Charlie McGinnis
196314–11 Charlie McGinnis
196411–12–1 Charlie McGinnis
196515–9 Charlie McGinnis
196610–13 Fred Kelly
19679–11 Fred Kelly
19687–8 Chuck Roys
196910–12 Chuck Roys
19706–13 Tom Sawyer
19715–24 Tom Sawyer
19726–19 Phil Tucker
19733–14 Phil Tucker
19746–14 Donny White
19752–18 Jerry Roane
19766–23 Jerry Roane
19775–19 Vern Beitzel
19782–27 Vern Beitzel
19796–25 Vern Beitzel
19804–22 Vern Beiztel
19813–37 Jim Rowsey
198211–29 Donny White
198311–25 Donny White
198416–18 Donny White
198516–24 Donny White
198615–25 Donny White
198716–16–1 Donny White
198820–20 Paul Maini
198916–23 Paul Maini
199012–26 Paul Maini
19912–35–1 Paul Maini
199211–39 Chris Finwood
199320–29 Chris Finwood
199421–29 Chris Finwood
199519–28 Scott Gines
199617–29 Scott Gines
199713–35 Scott Gines
199814–35 Scott Gines
199922–27 Scott Gines
200019–30 Scott Gines
200115–32 Tom Slater
200210–41 Tom Slater
200325–27 Tom Slater
200423–32 Marlin Ikenberry
200527–28 Marlin Ikenberry
200630–25 Marlin Ikenberry
200734–21 Marlin Ikenberry
200829–26 Marlin Ikenberry
200918–35 Marlin Ikenberry
201033–22 Marlin Ikenberry
201127–24–1 Marlin Ikenberry
201216–36 Marlin Ikenberry
201320–35 Marlin Ikenberry
201425–23 Marlin Ikenberry

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.