ODU Hosts the VMI Keydets at the Bud

NORFOLK, Va. -- Riding a five-game winning streak, the Old Dominion Baseball Monarchs will take on the Virginia Military Institute on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex presented by Tidewater Home Funding.

Old Dominion opened conference play with three victories over WKU in 24 hours last weekend and sit at 16-4 on the season, the second-best overall mark in C-USA and among the top 20 winning percentages in Division I.

With some of the hottest bats in the country, ODU will look to continue its recent trend of success against VMI. The Monarchs have won 12 out of the last 13 games against the Keydets and hold an overwhelming 42-10 record in the overall series.

After registering 34 hits in the Conference USA series sweep of the Hilltoppers, the Monarchs rank in the top five in four C-USA offensive categories. ODU is second with seven triples and fifth in on base percentage (.373), runs scored (118) and RBIs (103). The Monarchs are also clutch in two-out situations, racking up 35 RBIs this season with two outs in the inning (35/103).

The pitching staff has been instrumental in ODU’s success this season, helping the Monarchs rank fifth in the league in ERA (3.93) and first in saves (8). ODU has also fanned 136 batters, with Nick Hartman leading the way with 22 strikeouts. Junior Sam Sinnen leads ODU with a 1.71 ERA, which ranks third in C-USA.

ABOUT VMI
The Keydets enter the matchup with ODU with a 13-9 overall record following a 4-1 win over Rider on Sunday. With VMI down 1-0 in the fifth, Will Malbon hit one over the right field wall for a two-run shot, his first of the year, to give VMI a lead it would not surrender. The Keydets tacked on an additional run later in the inning, and one in the sixth as well to secure the win. That capped the scoring, thanks to four hitless innings combined for by Micah Gorman, Kyle Staats, Jack Gomersall and Taylor Edens.

David Geary leads VMI with a .381 batting average, 32 hits and 25 runs. Jack Gomersall leads the pitching staff with a 3.60 ERA in 15.0 innings pitched.

Jonathan Hadra, a four-year letterman and 2004 graduate of VMI, was named the 20th head coach in VMI baseball history and completed his first year at the end of the 2015 campaign. In his first season at the helm of the Keydets, he helped the team win a main draw game in a postseason tournament for the first time since 2003. His player Matt Winn was a Johnny Bench Award finalist and a Third Team All-American, the first Keydet upperclassman to make an All-American team outright. Winn (14th round, Giants) and Jordan Tarsovich (22nd round, Dodgers) were drafted. In addition, the Keydets set a new team record for stolen bases, helped by Tarsovich's league-leading total and also hit the second most home runs in school history.

PROJECTED STARTERS
Tuesday, March 22 | 6 PM
Victor Diaz (RHP) vs. Micah Gorman (RHP)

Wednesday, March 23 | 3 PM
TBA vs. Nathan Eaton (RHP)