CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Top seed Navy (38-15, 18-7 PL) will host No. 3 Army West Point (32-23, 15-10 PL) when the best two-of-three 2019 Patriot League Baseball Championship Series begins on Friday evening. This is the second-consecutive season that the Midshipmen and Black Knights meet for the League title and automatic bid to the NCAA DI Baseball Regionals.
First pitch at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Md. is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, May 17. Game two is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 and game three, if necessary, will be played at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.
Each game during the 2019 Patriot League Baseball Championship Series will be streamed live on the
Patriot League Network (PLN). For more information on the 2019 Patriot League Baseball Championships visit
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL.
2019 PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
NO 3 ARMY WEST POINT BLACK KNIGHTS (32-23, 15-10 PL) AT NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (38-15, 15-10 PL)
Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium/Annapolis, Md.
GAME 1: Friday, May 17, 7 p.m. | GAME 2: Saturday, May 18, 2 p.m. | GAME 3: Sunday, May 19, 2 p.m.
(if necessary)
BROADCAST:
PLN (PxP: Ben Gordon-Goldstein)
LIVE STATS:
CLICK HERE
*2019 SEASON SERIES (Army West Point won the season series, 3-2)
March 24 – Navy 5, at Army West Point 2
March 24 – At Army West Point 5, Navy 2
April 20 – At Navy 3, Army West Point 0
April 20 – Army West Point 11, at Navy 3
April 21 – Army West Point 7, at Navy 5
*POSTSEASON HISTORY: This will be the sixth time that Army West Point and Navy will meet in the Patriot League Baseball Tournament and the fifth time they meet in the championship series. The Black Knights swept the best two-of-three game series from the Midshipmen last season (8-5, 5-3) in Annapolis, with then-freshman third baseman Anthony Giachin claiming tournament MVP honors.
The Mids swept the first Patriot League postseason meeting between the two squads in Annapolis in 1994 (8-4, 7-6). The Black Knights took two games from Navy to earn the Patriot League Championship in 2000, winning the final game, 8-7, in 10 innings. In 2011, Navy took two-of-three games from Army West Point, clinching the title with a 5-3 victory in game three. Army defeated Navy in the semifinal round of the 2013 Patriot League Tournament, before going on to sweep Holy Cross to claim the title. In 11 previous games, Army West Point is 7-4 against the Mids in the Patriot League Tournament.
FAMILIAR FACES: Army West Point head coach Jim Foster starred as a catcher at Providence College under Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos from 1990-93. In 1992, Kostacopoulos guided the Friars to a BIG EAST Championship, while Foster was named the BIG EAST Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
ABOUT ARMY WEST POINT: Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-League centerfielder Jacob Hurtubise became the League’s career stolen base leader, recording his 100th stolen base against the Crusaders on Sunday. In the semifinals, Hurtubise batted .500 (6-for-12) with four runs, two RBIs. During the regular season, he hit .423 (33-for-78) and reached base at a .595 clip in 25 League games. Sophomore third baseman Anthony Giachin batted .320 (32-for-100) with two home runs and 21 RBIs while first-team all-League shortstop Trey Martin hit .289 (26-for-90) with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 25 League games. Senior RHP Daniel Burggraaf went 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA in seven League starts and clinched the Black Knights’ semifinal round victory with a game-three win, by allowing one run over 6.0 innings and striking out nine. Senior LHP Tyler Giovinco went 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA in seven League starts and earned a game one victory against Holy Cross allowing one run over 7.0 innings.
ABOUT NAVY: Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Noah Song (Sr., RHP) leads the Patriot League and NCAA DI in strikeouts (150), strikeouts per nine innings (15.52) and wins (11) while placing second in complete games (6) and ERA (1.03). Song allowed four hits and struck out nine batters in 8.0 scoreless innings to earn a victory for the Mids in game one of the semifinal series against Lafayette. Patriot League Player of the Year Christian Hodge (Sr., C) Hodge batted .307 (58-for-189) with a Patriot League-leading 12 home runs during the regular season. He also finished second in the League with 51 RBIs and fourth with a .534 slugging percentage. Junior second baseman Zach Biggers batted .320 (31-for-97) in 25 League games while sophomore reliever Trey Braithwaite posted a 2.92 ERA in 20 appearances spanning 24.2 innings, as both received first-team all-League recognition. Freshman first baseman Zach Stevens, a second-team pick, batted .350 (28-for-80) in 25 League games to go along with four home runs and 14 RBIs. Second-team all-League senior outfielder Liam Lowery batted .267 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in League play. Lowery batted .667 (6-for-9) with two doubles and three RBIs during the semifinals against the Leopards.
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.