LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI baseball team travels to nationally-ranked Virginia Tech Tuesday for a non-conference contest at 6 p.m. at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park.

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Virginia Tech is ranked #22 in both the D1Baseball.com and USA Today Coaches polls this week.

The Keydets are coming off a three-game Southern Conference sweep of Mercer University this weekend. VMI took the first contest 4-3 Friday and won both ends of a Saturday twinbill, 5-4 and 10-0 (7 innings).

Red-shirt freshman Justin Starke followed up his SoCon Player of the Week award last week with another outstanding week at the plate to earn the honor again. The first baseman hit .727 with a double, two home runs, four runs and four RBI against Mercer. He walked and was hit by a pitch for a .769 on base percentage and boasted a 1.364 slugging percentage. Starke had a walk-off single in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, bringing home two runs with two outs.

The Keydets needed to use only four pitchers in the three games. Nathan Light tossed eight innings Friday to earn the win, and Jacob Menders threw a complete-game in the first contest Saturday. Tyler Bradt started his first game of the season in the nightcap Saturday against Mercer. The right-hander threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out three. Adam Jewell notched his first two saves of the season in the opening and closing contests of the series.

The Hokies have won the last three games against VMI, including the most recent, 10-9 on April 23, 2019 in Blacksburg. The Keydets trailed 10-3 entering the final frame but nearly came all the way back, scoring six in the ninth inning. Current Keydet Callen Nuccio went 3-5 with two runs scored.  

Virginia Tech dropped two of three this weekend at home to ACC foe Georgia Tech.