Changes/Additions to Web Site

Hello all...Just wanted to fill everyone in on some changes/additions to VMIKeydets.com.

We've heard your concerns regarding several of the ads on our web site, particularly the pesky Virginia Beach that has inundated the Internet recently, and now we've taken action...JumpTV (the company that hosts VMIKeydets.com) has told us that, although they cannot completely eliminate the ad, they can take it off certain pages and greatly reduce how often it shows up everywhere else. That should be done by now, although it could take some time to filter down to you, the user.

Secondly, our summer blog will debut Sunday morning..."Logging Miles", a blog discussing the summer training for cross country, will be a bi-weekly feature to begin, but is expected to move to a weekly column in late July. It's a work in progress, but we hope you enjoy having some original summer content on the web site!

Speaking of track and cross country, we've added some new features to the track and cross country pages. If you check out the left-hand menu bar, we've put in some interesting links that we'll show here as well - If you're watching a blog or twitter feed from a meet, and the marks are given only in metric (or only in English), you can use this link to easily convert them.

If you're new to track and field, and wanting to learn about the logistics or history of a race, a good, basic place to start is at Wikipedia's Track and Field article, linked here (is listed as "Track and Field Primer" on Keydets.com). Finally, if you're following the exploits of the cross country teams next fall, and want to know how the meets are scored, we've given you a full tutorial here. Again, these are all accessible from the sport menu bars at VMIKeydets.com, giving a central access point for all these useful items.

There are a couple of other things we're working on and throwing around, but they're still in the planning stages, for the most part. We'll post more about them as they get more solidified.

This Week in VMI Athletics - June 1

Hello, and welcome to what will be the final weekly blog post of 2009-10. We'll continue to use the blog as needed for updates, so check back when you can...We'll also try to post on Twitter when there's info here, so that you know to come check. The weekly posts should resume in late August...

We are planning some things for the summer, including a new bi-weekly blog on preparation for the 2010 Cross Country season, written by Jenna Moye and Ermin Mujezinovic. That should debut somewhere around June 10, give or take a couple of days, and we're still discussing names for it. Feel free to email me (saloisbj@vmi.edu) your suggestions.

Felix Kitur highlighted this week, as a runner-up finish in his second race at the NCAA Preliminary Meet sent him on to Eugene, Oregon, where he and Coach Paul Spangler will head next week. Kitur's first race is on June 9, with the final hopefully to follow on June 11...If you'd like, you can check out videos of Kitur's races at the VMI Track and Field Youtube Channel, located here. An in-depth preview of the men's 800 in Eugene should run early next week, and will be accompanied by an interview with Kitur and Spangler.

Baseball also wrapped up, with Cory Spangenburg being named Freshman of the Year and Jordan Ballard earning First Team All-Conference honors. The Keydets picked up a win over UNC Asheville on the tourney's first day, before ending their season with losses to Coastal Carolina and Winthrop. Certainly not the way they wanted to end the year, but VMI should be a real threat next year, as only Jordan Ballard and Tanner Biagini are done with their time at the I.

Lacrosse also had news this week, with Tim Moran being announced as an honorable mention All-American. That is the first-ever All-American honor for VMI lacrosse. Also, the final 2010 stat rankings came out today, and after the NCAA tourney (won by Duke in thrilling OT fashion), the Keydets' Stephen Robarge finished fourth in D1 in face-off percentage and second in ground balls per game.

This Week in VMI Athletics - May 25...Sort of

We won't do a full blog this week, because there simply isn't that much to say...Except make sure to follow VMI baseball at 4 p.m. today as they open the BSC Tournament down at Winthrop. It'll be VMI vs. UNCA at that time, streamed on the Big South Network and on VMIKeydets.com.

Also, make sure to follow our Twitter feed on Thursday and (hopefully) Friday for live updates from Greensboro, N.C., as Felix Kitur competes in the NCAA Preliminary Round (which used to be the Regional meet) and bids for a trip to Eugene.

This Week in VMI Athletics - May 18

Here's an update regarding what's going on in VMI Athletics this week -

Tonight's baseball game versus Virginia, scheduled to be the final non-conference game of the regular season for the Keydets, has been canceled. Recent heavy rains caused poor field conditions at Davenport Field, and the game will not be rescheduled. Baseball will get back on the diamond Thursday night, hosting Presbyterian at 6 p.m.

Of course, the Keydets salvaged the final game of their series with Winthrop this weekend, rallying for a 7-5 win Sunday. The win moved VMI into fourth place in the league standings with just three games to play.

The other sport still going, track, saw action this past weekend at the IC4A Championships. Felix Kitur, as he's been all year, was outstanding. The junior finished second in the 800-meter finals, a day after running a 1:47.62 to rank (at the time) sixth in the country. That time now places Kitur fifth in the region and eighth in the country, with the preliminary round of the NCAA Championships set to begin in Greensboro on May 27.

Swimming and Diving announced its team awards this past week, and you can check out a release on that here.

That'll do it for this very short recap...Enjoy the week, and we'll be back with you next week for another edition of This Week in VMI Athletics!

This Week in VMI Athletics - May 10

Hello everyone, and welcome to a post-exam version of This Week in VMI Athletics. Baseball returns to action tomorrow night versus Richmond, taking on the Spiders at 6 p.m. down at Gray-Minor Stadium. Weather is a concern, but as usual, any updates/changes will be posted on VMIKeydets.com the moment we know of them.

Women's soccer has released its 2010 schedule, highlighted by a trip to Colorado Springs, Colo. for a tournament hosted by Air Force. Check out the full schedule release here, and a women's soccer captains release here.

Track sent Matt Sagar to the Duke Twilight Qualifier yesterday, in a last-ditch effort to allow him to qualify for IC4A's...And qualify he did, running a PR of 9:09 in the steeple to make this coming weekend's Championships. That meet will be in Princeton, N.J. and VMIKeydets.com will be on hand with a live blog, chronicling such storylines as Sagar and Satterwhite's efforts in the steeple, the performances of Chad Lawson and Cody Davis and Felix Kitur's efforts to become a two-time IC4A champ.

That blog is going to be a little different from what you see at the Big South Championships...I'll be using the software provided by www.coveritlive.com, which is also used by such sites as Yahoo Sports (they use it every week for their NASCAR in-race chat). Check out an example of it here.

What this allows for is more of a chat room feel, with you, the viewer, able to ask questions as I'm typing, without having to take the time to send me an email, etc. I can then put the comment into the window, verbatim, with just one click. At the same time, I can moderate to ensure that one person is not asking all the questions, keep the atmosphere family friendly (and focused on track!), etc. I can also plug in photos, video, and link the blog window itself to our Twitter page if I have to go across track to cover a field event (some may recall I did this several times at the BSC Championships in April). Hopefully there will be some other, different features as well, but those are depending upon conditions at the facility.

Tim Moran led the postseason honorees for VMI lacrosse, as he was named to the all-conference first team for the third time in his illustrious career. Moran wrapped up his four years in Lexington sixth in goals, eighth in assists and seventh in total points in program history. You can read all about that here.

Basketball wrapped up its signing class with the announcement of Sean Armstrong's signing...He looks to be pretty solid, at least based on his background listed here.

Oh yeah, by the way...VMI women's water polo has its first coach! Welcome to the I, Anna Phelps.

That'll do it for now...Check back next week!

This Week in VMI Athletics - May 4

Baseball finally got off its epic slide, ending its 11-game losing streak Sunday and going into exams with a 7-5 win over Radford.

The Keydets don't play again until May 11, when they host Richmond at Gray-Minor, so if there ever was a time to have gotten a win...Sunday was it. Still left on the schedule? The Winthrop Eagles, who VMI is currently battling with for control of one of the top four spots in the conference. Those spots are critical, because they get you out of the play-in games held the first day of the tourney, and make it where you have to lose your first game to draw Coastal Carolina...If you miss the play-ins and win game #1, you have a chance to build momentum and get on a roll before you face the Chanticleers, and who wouldn't want that?

Other sports have seen interesting weeks, particularly track. Felix Kitur took part in an epic 800-meter race at Liberty Thursday night, as he posted what was, at the time, tied for the fifth-fastest time in the country (1:47.78). The race's story was picked up by letsrun.com, and VMIKeydets.com's video was noted by Liberty, UVA and letsrun. Anyway, that time remains the fifth-fastest time in the East Region, and puts him in good shape for the upcoming regional meet.

On the women's side, Michelle Feole led a VMI sweep of the top three spots in the javelin, while Jennifer Sing and Kate Collins both had strong outings in the pole vault. Sing's, in particular, was notable, as she became just the third VMI woman ever to clear 11 feet in the pole vault.

We were speaking of track's regional meet earlier...The format of Regionals and Nationals has changed a bit this year. What used to be the Regional meets have now become the first round of the Championships, as the meets have been combined to act as one, all-encompassing get-together. View more details on this, as well as a PDF of the structure of this meet, here.

In another track-related tidbit, alum Donnie Cowart '09 hit the B standard in the 3K steeple this past week. Take a look at that here.

Lacrosse ended its season Saturday at Patchin Field with a 12-11 overtime loss to Canisius, one of the most epic games I've seen in a long time. The careers of Tim Moran, Brett Leonard, Sean McCoy, Dave Padgett, and the rest came to an end with the final horn. The Golden Griffins, VMI's archrivals, were left out of the MAAC Tournament after losing in a random draw.

Men's soccer released its schedule this past week...Games with some new opponents (Mercer comes to mind), as well as the return of the Sculley Memorial Tournament. The women's schedule shouldn't be too far behind the men's.

Finally, football held its final spring scrimmage this past Friday. You can check out the recap from that here, and also, check out Coach Woods' Twitter account @SparkyWoodsVMI.

Thanks, as always, for joining us...We will have a condensed blog next week, despite the fact that there won't be any events to recap. Enjoy the slower time period, but keep watching VMIKeydets.com for news that could come out during this time. Anything's possible.

This Week in VMI Athletics - April 26

Welcome back to our weekly sojourn through all things Keydet...

Let's open with lacrosse...Honestly, Saturday's ending was the strangest I've ever seen...

"During a Wagner (1-11, 1-5 MAAC) timeout with 52 seconds remaining in the overtime, the Seahawks set up a play. After several deliberate passes, Travis cut to his right, toward the middle of the field. He fired off a shot from about 10 yards out, angled just to the right of VMI (2-11, 0-6) keeper Kelly McMinn. Originally, it was ruled that the attempt was just wide, but after conferring, the officials determined that Travis’ shot had gone through a small portion of the net in the upper right-hand corner of the mesh, just over McMinn’s left shoulder. The ball had then come out of the back of the cage, meaning that the goal would stand and the Seahawks had prevailed."

That's right, the ball went through a part of the net and out the back. A one-in-a-million shot, believe me. The LAXers will try to get back on the winning track versus Mount St. Mary's, a game that will match the Keydets against the top RPI team in the MAAC. The Mount are currently #23 in that ranking system...Game notes will hopefully be out later today.

Track saw a pair of IC4A qualifying efforts this week, as the 4X800-meter relay team finished 15th in its section at the Penn Relays and qualified for IC's in the process. Also qualifying was Matt Satterwhite, thanks to a PR in the steeplechase during Sunday's meet at High Point. The next meet for the team is Thursday at Liberty, and VMIKeydets.com is expected to be on hand to get photos and, likely, to have periodic twitter updates for the middle portions of the event.

Baseball's had a rough week...The losing streak is now at seven, following a 6-2 loss to #7 Coastal Carolina Sunday. The Diamond Dwellers are back in action tomorrow night, and it doesn't get much easier. Virginia Tech is the opponent, fresh off taking two of three at #3-ranked Georgia Tech.

In a bit of news, the men's soccer schedule is nearly finalized. We hope to publish it within the next 10-14 days, barring an unexpected setback.

Wrestling also had news...Josh Wine was named to the VaSID All-State team.

This Week in VMI Athletics - April 21

Hello, and welcome to another edition of This Week in VMI Athletics!

Let's open with track...Hopefully everyone was able to follow along with the blog from Charleston! The men's team finished fourth at this past week's Big South Championships, a performance that wasn't quite as high as last year's (second) but did have many strong outings. Felix Kitur's meet record in the 800 (on his birthday, no less!) was certainly a highlight, as were the two all-conference steeplechase performers.

The women's team didn't quite perform to expectations, as the squad has suffered through injuries for the majority of the year, but Chandale Williams did run under 56 seconds for the first time in her career, breaking her 400-meter record by more than a second. Also, Zipporah McCann broke the Keydet heptathlon record with her outing at the meet.

Track now heads to the Penn Relays and High Point, meets which were previewed just a few moments ago.

It's been a rough week for baseball, and who would have expected that a week ago tonight? That's because seven days ago, the Keydets topped then-#1 UVA 12-3 in front of a record crowd at Gray-Minor...But it's been a slide since. Four straight losses, including three at conference rival Liberty, send the Keydets into William and Mary tonight on quite the skid. See if they can turn it around by clicking here.

Lacrosse lost to Siena 13-8 Saturday, falling despite leading 6-5 at the half and 4-0 early in the game. Improvement is taking place, and the Keydets certainly hope it continues into this weekend's game versus Wagner. Notes and a preview for that should be up Friday, but fans should note the game time has been changed to 2 p.m. due to a football intrasquad scrimmage (most of the scrimmage will take place in Foster Stadium, hence the LAX time change).

That'll do it for this week...Check back next week for more news from Post.

Blog Tomorrow

Look for this week's blog tomorrow...Make sure to come out and support VMI Baseball tonight versus VCU, with a 6 p.m. start. If you can't get there, the game will broadcast on 96.7 3WZ, with Wade Branner on the call.

This Week in VMI Athletics - April 12

We'll open with something other than baseball, just to give this week a bit of variety. It's been announced within the last hour that VMI's Stephen Robarge is the Division I leader in face-off percentage (63.8%). As a team, VMI ranks second in D-I in that stat, trailing only Hartford...Robarge is also second in D-I in ground balls per game (8.09) trailing the face-off specialist from, you guessed it, Hartford.

For all fans wanting to see if the Keydets can get back on the winning track, you can go here to watch the game for a $5.95 fee.

Track has perhaps its biggest weekend of the year, starting Thursday in Charleston as CSU hosts this year's Big South Outdoor Championships. As we were last year, the VMI Athletic Media Relations office will be on hand to live blog and otherwise chronicle the events...The blog was a no-doubt, rousing success last year and should be a similar venture in 2010. You'll also be able to follow along the Big South Network's video streaming, as well as live results. The full preview on VMIKeydets.com, evaluating the Keydets' chances in particular events, should be up either Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Also from track, an alumnus wrote up a perspective on late March's Military Championships. Please check that out at the bottom of this post.

Wade Branner did an audio interview with Head Football Coach Sparky Woods earlier this week, and you can check that out here.

Now, baseball :-)...Rankings haven't come out yet for this week, but the Keydets are expected to remain ranked for the fifth consecutive tabulation after sweeping Gardner-Webb to run their win streak to eight. There is a chance VMI could move up to 27th in a matter of moments (Baseball SID Christian Hoffman, sitting right behind me, is pressing refresh on his web browser every couple of minutes).

Back to the on-field action...Alex Haitsuka had a huge week, including a 4 for 5 Sunday and a cycle Tuesday versus Longwood. Jordan Ballard tied the VMI record for career home runs Saturday, and Cory Spangenburg had a nice week as well. This is quite the roll...And now the Keydets draw UVA. Virginia comes into Gray-Minor Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. tilt, in a game that will be the first matchup between two ranked teams ever at the Keydets' home facility. The Hoos are currently ranked #4, but could move up as high as #1 in some polls after taking two of three from second-ranked Georgia Tech...Notes and a full preview should be up tomorrow.

IMPORTANT NOTE - The Virginia game is expected to draw one of the largest crowds in the history of Gray-Minor Stadium. Fans are strongly encouraged to park on the parade ground and walk to the stadium, as parking down the hill will be severely, severely limited and congestion will be high in that area. Also, we recommend that you purchase tickets in advance, just in case (540-464-7266).

That'll do it for this week...Check back next week for another update from Post, and hopefully more ranking updates from baseball!

NOTE AFTER PUBLISHING - Keydets are ranked 26th in Collegiate Baseball poll...Release to follow later today.
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It’s Saturday in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The air is cool and clear. Miles away from major cities and sports arenas, a few spectators stand and sit in the chill for hours to watch a great and sadly unheralded sports event.

The press and media presence is minimal. There is no wide video screen. There are no instant replays. There is no loud music. America is tuned into March Madness when sixty four teams will compete before screaming fans in massive arenas. There will be Cinderella stories and close games, but none of that can inspire one as the competition which unfolded last weekend at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).

Here was held the 2010 Military Track & Field Championships. Present were teams from all the Federal Academies- Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine together with the Citadel and VMI. Over 350 athletes competed over two days. These athletes do not aspire to be professional stars; most are to become second lieutenants and ensigns and some, future generals and admirals.

It was a privilege to spend several hours at this meet watching athletes, some of national stature and many more competing for the joy of competition. I sat next to Bobby Ross VMI Class of 1959, a career college and professional football coach who started his coaching career at VMI and concluded it at West Point. Along the way he won a national championship at Georgia Tech and took the San Diego Chargers to the Super Bowl. This man knows intercollegiate athletics, its purposes, its successes and its challenges.

He also knows what it means to be a member of the military. His son Kevin was a distance runner and captain of the Navy track team in the 1980’s. With a daughter-in-law serving in the Army in Afghanistan and a daughter married to a Navy Captain, just back from Afghanistan, the Ross family knows well the sacrifices our service men and women and families make defending our country.

Together, we watched race after race. We marveled at the competition and incredibly “squared away” young men and women in the races and field events. They were uniformly trim, athletic and fiercely competitive.

Yet the true majesty of the meet was not lost as we watched and talked. These were not just athletes; they will be the future leaders of America. More importantly, they would soon be responsible as young line officers for America’s greatest treasure- its young men and women serving throughout the world in its most dangerous places. They will place their own lives at risk and will be responsible for the lives of those they will command. They will undertake whatever mission they are given no matter how dangerous it might be. How they have been trained to endure pain and lead amidst adversity will determine whether men and women die, are wounded or return to their families safely.

Just when we thought it would not be possible to be more proud of a group of young Americans, the track meet hosted two races – 100 and 200 meter events. This time young military veterans would be the runners. This time they would be not just runners, but wounded warriors running with artificial legs. They gave all they had to run those meters with grit and courage- the same grit and courage that, no doubt, had helped them overcome the pain of their wounds. Other wounded veterans refusing to give in to their injuries and showing the same determination the runners displayed competed in field events.

As the last race was run and the loud speaker system announced the order of team points, we focused not on who won or lost, but that from these fields of friendly competition, these Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen would one day serve as comrades in arms defending our nation. On those occasions, they may reflect with pride on one spring weekend in Virginia when they met, competed and prepared to lead our Armed Forces in their defense of our freedom and liberty.

Certainly the commentaries and press will describe with much fanfare another brand of sacrifice, leadership and courage throughout March Madness. Yet if they wanted to see a much different level of collegiate athletics, sacrifice, courage, commitment and leadership and one vital to our nation, they should have been in Lexington, Virginia this weekend.

May God bless and protect this very special group of American athletes and patriots.

George. H.”Skip”Roberts, Jr. is an attorney practicing in Lexington, ran cross country and track at VMI 1964- 1968 and served in the United States Air Force. He may be reached at sroberts@wawlaw.com.

This Week in VMI Athletics - April 6

As the temps begin to rise in the Lexington area (85 degrees is possible this week), baseball continues its amazing run. Ranked 29th for the second straight week, the Keydets are now 23-5 on the year and 7-2 in the Big South. This weekend will send VMI down to the Carolinas to take on Gardner-Webb, in three games that will NOT be played in Boiling Springs. Rather, the three-game set will be in Spartanburg, S.C...But first, the Keydets have a pair of mid-week games, with Longwood coming to Gray-Minor Stadium tonight and James Madison to follow Wednesday. Internet audio will be available for both games.

After a two-week road trip, lacrosse is back in town to take on the Saint Joseph's Hawks. SJU sits at 0-10, while VMI comes in having been on the wrong end of six straight results. As they say, something's got to give...The Keydets and Hawks always have close games, and this one should be no exception.

Track had a great meet down at Liberty last weekend, with Kate Collins and Chandale Williams setting new VMI records. James Alexander posted two IC4A marks and moved himself into position to possibly qualify for the regional meet, while Felix Kitur triumphed in the 400-meters. Next up, a trip to UVA on the 9th and 10th with the Big South Championships to follow the weekend after...It's VERY likely (but not officially set yet) that we'll repeat last year's coverage at the conference meet by blogging, etc.

In something you may have noticed on pretty much all of our sport sites, nominations are now being accepted for the distinguished coaching award. Read more about that here.

Of course, what would an update be without Reggie Williams news...Here's our latest capsule on him. Finally, VMI football announced three additional signings this week...Check those out here.

That's it for now...Make sure to catch VMI baseball vs. Longwood tonight on VMIKeydets.com!

This Week in VMI Athletics - March 29

Welcome to the latest version of This Week in VMI Athletics!

VMI baseball continues to roll, staying in Collegiate Baseball's top-30 (#29) after taking two of three from Charleston Southern this past weekend. The only loss was to CSU ace Tyler Thornburg, who allowed just two hits in a thrilling 1-0 CSU win two weeks after pitching a CG against the Florida Gators. That kid can pitch. Jason Farley answered with a CG of his own in the second game of Saturday's twinbill, pitching VMI to a win. Tuesday sends the Keydets to Virginia Tech, in a game that will be broadcast on 1450 AM WREL in the Lexington area (as well as VMIKeydets.com).

VMI football announced three new recruits today, and you can check out that article here.

Track comes off a solid weekend at the Military Championships, which were hosted here in Lexington. Hannah Granger smoked the field in the 5K, setting a new school record by some 20 seconds, and Felix Kitur hung on late to win the 800. Both teams finished fourth, which was a strong result, and now the squads will prepare to head to Liberty next weekend for a meet there. We'll be on hand with some twitter updates on Saturday, although we'll not sure how much or when yet.

Lacrosse lost to Detroit-Mercy 11-8 Saturday, falling to 2-7 overall and 0-2 in the MAAC. Keith Long continues to show improvement, as he posted three goals and an assist, while Sean McCoy appears to be back to his normal self as he stopped 11 shots in defeat. Manhattan is up next for the Keydets, in a game which is set for noon on Saturday.

Women's soccer will hold a skills clinic April 24, and you can check out more info on that here. That'll wrap up this week's blog, check back next week for further update!

No blog this week

No blog this week, as we prepare to host the Military Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday at Foster Stadium. Follow along through a live blog on VMIKeydets.com, as well as periodically updated results at this link. In addition, Charleston Southern comes to town for a three-game series at Gray-Minor Stadium, the final two games of which will be on the Big South Network. Make sure to follow along!

This Week in VMI Athletics - March 19

Not long ago, the #30 Keydet baseball team ran its record to 17-1, improving on what was already the best start in VMI history. A two-run home run by Graham Sullivan in the top of the ninth broke a 3-3 tie with High Point, and VMI held on to win 5-4. That came after sweeping The Citadel in a two-game midweek series (game one here, game two here). Of course, Jordan Ballard had a banner week award-wise, as he was not only the Big South Player of the Week, but also earned co-ECAC Player of the Week honors and was tabbed one of the National Players of the Week.

The series with High Point will continue tomorrow evening, and it promises to be another interesting game offensively (both teams came in to tonight's game in the top-five nationally in batting average). Tune in via the VMI Sports Network on www.vmikeydets.com.

Speaking of broadcasting, tomorrow's lacrosse game at Foster Stadium is going to be streamed on the Big South Network. The Keydets, led by current MAAC Offensive Player of the Week Tim Moran, will take on Marist in the MAAC opener for both teams, and the stream can be viewed for a $3.95 cost. Check out the full preview here.

Track's outdoor season will begin next Friday, as the Keydets host the second Military Championships at Foster Stadium. Check out the meet information here, and be aware that there will be no charge for admission. Our coverage from the meet is still being worked on, but that'll certainly be put out there when we figure out what's viable.

Believe it or not, that's it from Post this week...Things have been slow as the cadets have been on Spring Break. We're excited for lacrosse tomorrow and track the next week, and once again, congratulations to baseball on its 17th win of 2010!

This Week in VMI Athletics - March 11

Let's open this week's blog with the hottest team on Post, VMI baseball. The Keydets started off the year rolling, winning their first 10 games, before losing to Bryant 8-5 this past Monday. VMI's offense has been rolling, as the team is hitting .374, paced by Graham Sullivan's .432 clip. The team is outhomering its opponents 24-2, led by Cory Spangenberg's four and Sam Roberts' five. Pitching has been solid, led by Adam Lopez's 21-2 K/BB ratio. The Keydets will be back in action beginning today, as they face La Salle in the opener of a four-game weekend series. That game has been moved to 4 p.m., with the other three games taking place at 5, 1 and 1. Yes, those are strange times.

I'm told that fans can watch every game next week, with three games broadcast online by The Citadel. The three games at High Point will be on the Big South Network, and in addition, it is possible that every game next week will be an audio broadcast (even if just online) by some combination of Wade Branner and Christian Hoffman. That last part, however, is still up in the air.

Lacrosse is also in action here on Post Saturday, as the Keydets have their final non-conference game of the year. Vermont comes to town for a 1 p.m. start at Foster Stadium. VMI is looking to rebound from two consecutive losses, albeit to a pair of the best offensive attacks in D-I (Robert Morris and UVA). The Catamounts come in at 0-4, but have lost those four games by just 10 total goals, so this should be a close, competitive and hard fought game all the way through. Live stats, of course, will be available on VMIKeydets.com.

LAX has also announced that its April 10 game with Saint Joseph's will feature a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. The release on that is available here.

Track wrapped up its indoor season at the IC4A Championships this past weekend, and Felix Kitur led the way by claiming the title in the 800-meters. Video of his winning effort is available here.

Unfortunately, that time did not qualify Kitur for the NCAA Championships (although it did earn him Big South Indoor Track AOTW honors), so the indoor season is, in fact, over for VMI. The Keydets' next event is the Military Championships, an outdoor meet at Foster Stadium the last weekend in March. Look for more info on that shortly, but it promises to be an exciting meet filled with great competition.

Also on the running front, women's cross country was named one of the USTFCCCA's All-Academic teams. A fine honor for the ladies, who enjoyed a banner year on course as well!

Wrestling wrapped up its season as well, posting seven placewinners and a fifth-place team finish at the SoCon Championships.

In other news, Reggie Williams '08 had a career-high 28 points earlier this week versus New Orleans. The final game of his first 10-day contract is tonight. Stay tuned for further information on whether it will keep "raining" in Golden State.

Blog to move to Thursday

At least for this week, the blog is moved to Thursday...We spent Wednesday promoting the Military Championships track meet (March 26-27), hence, the need to move the blog to Thursday.

This Week in VMI Athletics - March 3

Well, basketball season ended for the Keydets last night. Down 24 to top-seeded Coastal Carolina, VMI clawed back within seven before eventually losing, 82-73 to the Chanticleers down in Conway. It was a spirited comeback, but Coastal is not a fluke, by any usage of the term. They have talent inside and out, and when they can run out to a lead shooting the ball like they did, they could beat anyone.

Before the game, three Keydets were named to Big South Postseason squads, including Stan Okoye and Austin Kenon. You can read all about those honors here.

Speaking also of basketball, the second Keydet to ever make the NBA debuted last night, as Reggie Williams '08 got on the floor for the Golden State Warriors. He had 10 points in 20 minutes of play, and clearly impressed GS coach Don Nelson. Reggie's back in action tonight against Vince Carter and the Orlando Magic in a game that will be available on NBA TV.

Baseball is off to the best start in program history, as that squad has begun its season 7-0, including yesterday's 11-inning win at Maryland. Freshman John Garrett earned the win in relief, as he retired all six hitters he faced. In a strange stat, the Keydets' seven different wins have come from seven different pitchers. VMI returns to the diamond Friday, taking on Maryland Eastern Shore.

Lacrosse is also on a roll, fresh off a 14-7 win over Presbyterian yesterday in Clinton, S.C. Tim Moran had four goals, Kelly McMinn (the MAAC Rookie of the Week) had 10 saves and VMI was able to play its bench in the second half after pouring on the goals early (en route to a 9-1 advantage). The Keydets are 2-2 for the first time since '05, and will host the highest scoring team in Division I on Saturday, as Robert Morris comes to town for a 1 p.m. start at Foster Stadium.

Wrestling is getting ready for the SoCon Championships this weekend...We'll have a preview up in a day or two, but for now, check out this feature story on Josh Wine.

Track will go to the IC4A/ECAC Championships this coming weekend, fresh off a solid outing at the conference championships. The men were third, led by Dada Titcombe's 24 points (including the longest indoor long jump in the Big South since '05), while the women scored the most points they ever had at a conference meet (52), won multiple events for the first time (Granger (5K) and Collins (pole vault) and finished in a tie for sixth. That's a team on the rise.

That'll do it for this week...It's a busy week coming up, so make sure to check in on VMIKeydets.com throughout the next seven days, and follow Reggie Williams on the various media outlets.

Pushing back a day

We're going to push the blog to tomorrow because of everything that's going on...Don't forget to tune in to basketball's tournament game tonight at 7 p.m.!

This Week in VMI Athletics - Feb. 23

All right, let's get right into it, shall we? It's been a crazy week.

A week ago today, Austin Kenon exploded on Senior Night. A career-high 38 points later, the Keydets had a huge 91-84 win over High Point, helping VMI keep its tournament hopes alive. Next up? Charleston Southern, who's enjoying a respectable year down at the BucDome. That game goes off Thursday night, and a win would be, shall we say, helpful. Looming in the season finale is Coastal Carolina, who is bearing down on the Big South record for regular season victories.

It would be nice for the Keydets to be looking for a momentum win in Conway, rather than simply trying to get into the conference tourney...However, if VMI does get in, that season-ending game at CCU could pay dividends. The Keydets and Chanticleers would likely face off again, just days after the regular season ended, and it is very hard, historically speaking, to beat a team in two games that close together. It is certainly a two-sided coin, without a doubt.

Wrestling continues to march toward the SoCon Championships...A 31-9 loss to Chattanooga ended the team's regular season, but they have time to rest up and train for the conference tournament, as that doesn't take place until March 6.

Baseball opened its season with an impressive sweep of Bucknell this past weekend...The three-game series featured some very notable play from a handful of freshmen, particularly Cory Spangenburg, who hit .500 with two doubles and a home run over the three-game sweep. This week's game with Richmond has been postponed, leaving the Keydets looking toward Friday for their return, when Lafayette is expected to come to Gray-Minor Stadium for the opening of a three-game series.

Also with baseball, our popular player blogs have made a return. Tanner Biagini is filing this one from baseball, and it is quite the humorous read so far...Make sure you check it out, and read all about the "House that Sam Roberts Built".

Lacrosse had a head-turning game Saturday, nearly pulling off an upset of Army before eventually falling, 11-9. A four-goal comeback in the fourth quarter, a push that got the Keydets within one with 5:51 to play, fell just short as Army notched the clincher in the final 90 seconds. Stephen Robarge was the catalyst for the team's performance, as he won 16 of 19 face-offs on the day, helping earn himself the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honor. Jacksonville comes to town Saturday, fresh off its first win in program history, a triple OT thriller over #18 Denver. That game will be at 1 p.m.

Track sent a handful of athletes to Virginia Tech this past weekend, and action was headlined by Felix Kitur posting an NCAA Provisional Qualifying time in the 800-meters (1:49.55). The Big South Championships now loom large, and VMIKeydets.com is conducting an in-depth preview all this week. Monday, we broke down the contenders in the women's pole vault, and later today, we'll have a detailed overview of the men's weight throw. The series culminates Friday with an interview with VMI head coach Darrin Webb, before the Championships begin Saturday in Clemson, S.C.

In a side note for track, we're preparing for the Military Championship meet that we'll host at Foster Stadium in March...Look for more info on that as we get closer to the date.

Swimming and Diving closed out its season this past week, as they took part in the CCSA Championships. James Goodwillie had a great meet (In a bit of a scoop, Goodwillie and the aforementioned Robarge will share the VMI Athlete of the Week honor that'll be announced later today), including earning the first podium finish for the Keydets since they joined the conference. Both the men's and women's teams broke multiple school records, and matched their best finishes since becoming part of the CCSA.

Finally, VMI men's soccer coach Ben Freakley announced his resignation Wednesday. He will accept a position at Georgia Southern, and a national search for a new head coach is underway. Former assistant Richie Rose has assumed the title of Interim Head Coach during the search.

This Week in VMI Athletics - Feb. 16

Let's jump right in...

The picture at left is from VMI lacrosse's
season opener, a 16-5 loss at Navy Saturday afternoon. The Keydets fell behind early, but a solid performance from redshirt freshman keeper Kelly McMinn, as well as three goals from Tim Moran, helped keep the game somewhat competitive. LAX is back in action Saturday at West Point, taking on Army.


Baseball is on the verge of opening its season, with three games scheduled for this weekend. There is still snow on the field and on the grounds as a whole, but at this moment, the games are still on. There certainly will be updates on the web site if that changes.

Also for baseball, I'm told that the season preview and the entire media guide will go onto the web site either today or tomorrow. Also scheduled to debut in the next 48 hours is a player blog for baseball, written by Tanner Biagini...No official title yet, but these blogs have gotten good reviews for other sports, and this one should be no exception.

Basketball split its North Carolina road swing, including pulling out a huge win at Gardner-Webb. That victory, coupled with the Keydets' victory over HPU earlier in the season, puts VMI at the #8 spot in the Big South standings with three games to play...And those three games begin tonight, as High Point comes into Cameron Hall for Senior Day. Tip is at 7 p.m.

Track and Field competed in two meets this weekend, with a Lindsey Carty PR pacing the teams at Liberty and five IC4A qualifying marks coming in Akron, Ohio. There's a question right now where the Keydets will next compete, as they may send a few competitors to Virginia Tech this coming weekend. The conference championships will be the following weekend, Feb. 27-28, in Clemson, S.C.

Wrestling dropped a pair of SoCon duals this week, falling to UNC Greensboro and App. State. Senior night is Friday evening, as the Keydets host Chattanooga.

That's all for this week...Check back next week, when we just might have the first baseball results of the new year.