VMI Keydets baseball

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 Jonathan Hadra.

VMI Keydets
2021 VMI Keydets baseball team
Founded1866
UniversityVirginia Military Institute
Head coachJonathan Hadra (7th season)
ConferenceSouthern
LocationLexington, Virginia
Home stadiumGray–Minor Stadium
(Capacity: 1,400)
NicknameKeydets
ColorsRed, White, and Yellow[1]
              

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
Main article: List of VMI Keydets baseball seasons
Year Record (Conference) Coach
1950 4–14 (2–7) Frank Summers
1951 1–20 (0–12) Frank Summers
1952 1–13 (1–8) Vince Ragunas
1953 7–7 (4–4) Chuck Noe
1954 12–6 (6–4) Chuck Noe
1955 12–8 (6–7) Chuck Noe
1956 12–10 (7–7) Jack Null
1957 8–13 (4–6) Jack Null
1958 4–12 (2–8) Jack Null
1959 5–11 (5–10) Weenie Miller
1960 6–8 (5–8) Weenie Miller
1961 7–7 (6–6) Weenie Miller
1962 8–7 (7–7) Charlie McGinnis
1963 14–11 (7–7) Charlie McGinnis
1964 11–12–1 (5–9) Charlie McGinnis
1965 15–9 (8–6) Charlie McGinnis
1966 10–13 (6–10) Fred Kelly
1967 9–11 (7–9) Fred Kelly
1968 7–8 (3–5) Chuck Roys
1969 10–12 (8–7) Chuck Roys
1970 6–13 (4–9) Tom Sawyer
1971 5–24 (1–15) Tom Sawyer
1972 6–19 (3–13) Phil Tucker
1973 3–14 (0–11) Phil Tucker
1974 6–14 (5–9) Donny White
1975 2–18 (1–13) Jerry Roane
1976 6–23 (2–12) Jerry Roane
1977 5–19 (2–12) Vern Beitzel
1978 2–27 (0–14) Vern Beitzel
1979 6–25 (0–15) Vern Beitzel
1980 4–22 (0–12) Vern Beiztel
1981 3–37 (0–16) Jim Rowsey
1982 11–29 (6–10) Donny White
1983 11–25 (5–9) Donny White
1984 16–18 (6–7) Donny White
1985 16–24 (8–10) Donny White
1986 15–25 (7–11) Donny White
1987 16–16–1 (8–4) Donny White
1988 20–20 (11–7) Paul Maini
1989 16–23 (8–7) Paul Maini
1990 12–26 (6–8) Paul Maini
1991 2–35–1 (1–15) Paul Maini
1992 11–39 (4–15) Chris Finwood
1993 20–29 (5–15) Chris Finwood
1994 21–29 (10–13) Chris Finwood
1995 19–28 (10–14) Scott Gines
1996 17–29 (7–16) Scott Gines
1997 13–35 (6–13) Scott Gines
1998 14–35 (7–17) Scott Gines
1999 22–27 (13–16) Scott Gines
2000 19–30 (11–19) Scott Gines
2001 15–32 (8–19) Tom Slater
2002 10–41 (1–27) Tom Slater
2003 25–27 (16–14) Tom Slater
2004 23–32 (4–20) Marlin Ikenberry
2005 27–28 (11–13) Marlin Ikenberry
2006 30–25 (9–15) Marlin Ikenberry
2007 34–21 (10–11) Marlin Ikenberry
2008 29–26 (14–7) Marlin Ikenberry
2009 18–35 (10–15) Marlin Ikenberry
2010 33–22 (13–14) Marlin Ikenberry
2011 27–24–1 (14–13) Marlin Ikenberry
2012 16–36 (7–17) Marlin Ikenberry
2013 20–35 (6–18) Marlin Ikenberry
2014 25–23 (11–16) Marlin Ikenberry

VMI and MLB

VMI has had 31 Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[3]

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.[4]

See also

References
  1. VMI Visual Identity Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  2. "Virginia Military Institute Keydets". Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  3. "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Virginia Military Institute (Lexington, VA)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  4. "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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