CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Navy swept the three Patriot League Baseball Weekly Awards when the League office announced honors on Tuesday.
Navy senior catcher/first baseman Christian Hodge captured his first Patriot League Baseball Player of the Week of the season and second of his career after batting .435 (10-for-23) with two home runs, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored to lead the Mids to a 6-0 week, including a four-game sweep over Bucknell.
Navy sophomore right-handed pitcher Jared Leins earned his first pitcher of the week accolade after earning a win against Bucknell on Saturday by tossing 6.0 innings of two-hit, shutout ball with six strikeouts.
The Mids freshman first baseman Zach Stevens picked up his second rookie of the week award this season after batting .538 (7-for-13) with eight runs scored and six RBIs during Navy’s 6-0 week. He slugged .769 with one double and one triple during the week. He also recorded a .682 on-base percentage and walked six times and being hit by pitch twice.
Lehigh junior RHP Levi Stoudt and junior shortstop Matt Hand and Holy Cross freshman right fielder Ben Malgeri were selected as weekly honorable mentions.
2019 Patriot League Baseball Standings (as of 3.18.19)
School League Overall
| Navy |
4-0 |
14-7 |
| Army West Point |
0-0 |
9-8 |
| Lehigh |
0-0 |
7-8 |
| Lafayette |
0-0 |
3-13 |
| Holy Cross |
0-0 |
2-18 |
| Bucknell |
0-4 |
4-14 |
Patriot League Baseball Upcoming Games (How to Watch)
The six Patriot League baseball teams will combine to play eight games on Tuesday and Wednesday, before a full slate of League games this weekend. Army West Point hosts a four-game series with Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette will play four games and Navy travels to Holy Cross for four games. For an up-to-date schedule and streaming availability visit the
baseball composite schedule on PatriotLeague.org.
PATRIOT LEAGUE STUDENT-ATHLETES AMONG NCAA DI LEADERS
*Navy senior RHP Noah Song leads NCAA DI in strikeouts (65), strikeouts per nine innings (17.91) and is among the nation’s leaders in ERA (64th, 1.38).
*Lehigh senior outfielder Ryan Malloy (41st, .414) is among the nation’s leaders in batting average. Malloy is ninth in the nation with an .845 slugging percentage.
* Army West Point sophomore first baseman Anthony Giachin (61st, 1.19) and Malloy (78th, 1.14) are in the top-80 NCAA DI players in RBIs per game.
*Army West Point junior outfielder Jacob Hurtubise is 24th in the nation averaging 0.69 stolen bases per game and 77th in runs per game with 1.13.
NCAA DI BASEBALL RPI (3.18.19)
145. Army West Point
166. Lafayette
189. Navy
231. Lehigh
256. Holy Cross
262. Bucknell
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Christian Hodge, Navy, Sr., C/1B, Winder Ga./Winder-Barrow
*Hodge batted .435 (10-for-23) with two home runs, 11 RBIs and eight runs scored to lead the Mids to a 6-0 week, including a four-game sweep over Bucknell.
*He hit in all six games and drove in at least one run in five of his six games played, while slugging .739 and reaching base at a .458 clip.
*Hodge combined to go 7-for-15 with eight RBIs and five runs scored in the four games against the Bison.
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Jared Leins, Navy, So., RHP, Raleigh, N.C./Leesville Road
*Leins earned a win against Bucknell on Saturday by tossing 6.0 innings of two-hit, shutout ball with six strikeouts.
*The sophomore right-hander the Bison to hit .100 batting average to earn his first victory of the season.
*Leins held a no-hitter against Bucknell through 4.1 innings.
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Zach Stevens, Navy, Fr., 1B, Lexington, Mass/IMG Academy
*Stevens batted .538 (7-for-13) with eight runs scored and six RBIs during Navy’s 6-0 week that included a four-game sweep over Bucknell.
*He slugged .769 adding one double and one triple during the week and recorded a .682 on-base percentage, walking six times and being hit by pitch twice.
*Stevens went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs, including a two-run single, before he scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning to help preserve Navy’s sweep.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Matt Hand, Lehigh, Jr., SS, Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North
*Hand batted .381 (8-for-21) with six RBIs and six runs scored while slugging .524 and reached base at a .458 clip to help Lehigh go 3-2 last week.
Levi Stoudt, Lehigh, Jr., RHP, Pennsburg, Pa./Perkiomen School
*Stoudt threw 7.0 shutout innings while scattering four hits while striking out seven and walking none to record a 1-0 win against VMI on Friday night.
Ben Malgeri, Holy Cross, Fr., RF, Stratham, N.H./Exeter
*Malgeri batted .471 (8-for-17) with five runs and three RBIs during a five-game week for Holy Cross. The freshman right fielder slugged .647 with one double and one triple. He posted a .550 on-base percentage and walked three times, twice on intentional passes.
Player of the Week
2.19 – Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, So., 1B
2.26 – Ryan Malloy, Lehigh, Sr., OF
3.5 – JohnPaul Bell, Bucknell, Jr., OF
3.12 – Ryan Malloy, Lehigh, Sr., OF
3.18 – Christian Hodge, Navy, C/1B
Pitcher of the Week
2.19 – Noah Song, Navy, Sr., RHP
2.26 – Noah Song, Navy, Sr., RHP
3.5 – Jack Grabek, Bucknell, Sr., LHP
3.12 – Noah Song, Navy, Sr., RHP
3.18 – Jared Leins, Navy, So., RHP
Rookie of the Week
2.19 – Casey Rother, Lehigh, Fr., DH
2.26 – Ben Malgeri, Holy Cross, Fr., OF
3.5 – Zach Stevens, Navy, Fr., 1B
3.12 – Justin Johnson, Lafayette, Fr., SS
3.18 – Zach Stevens, Navy, Fr., 1B
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.