BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Navy junior catcher/designated hitter Alex Smith and Bucknell senior right-handed pitcher Austin Odell received Patriot League Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, when the League office announced honors on Tuesday. Mids’ freshman RHP Landon Kruer earned rookie of the week.
 
Smith earned Patriot League Baseball Player of the Week for the first time after finishing with seven runs and seven RBIs to help the Midshipmen go 3-1 last week, including taking two of three games against Lehigh. Kruer was named Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Week after earning a save and a win in two appearances, spanning 2.2 innings last week.
 
Odell picked up Patriot League Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time after striking out five batters through 8.0 scoreless innings in Bucknell’s 8-0 win over Holy Cross on Sunday.
 
Army West Point senior CF Hunter Meade and sophomore RHP Steven Graver, Holy Cross junior RHP Jack DiLauro and sophomore SS Sam Kirkpatrick, Lehigh senior OF/RHP Casey Rother and junior RHP Ben Christian and Navy sophomore RHP Matthew Shirah received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Smith, Navy, Jr., C/DH, Laguna Hills, Calif./St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
*Smith batted .500 (10-for-20) with seven RBIs and seven runs to help Navy go 3-1 last week, including taking two of three games from Lehigh.
*The junior catcher posted four multi-hit games last week, including a 4-for-5 game with three RBIs and two runs in the Mids’ 11-4 win in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
*He also drove in the game-winning run in the 10th inning to lead the Mids to a 3-2 victory over Lehigh on Sunday.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Austin Odell, Bucknell, Sr., RHP, Chester Springs, Pa./Bishop Shanahan
*Odell threw 8.0 scoreless innings to lead Bucknell to a win in their series finale against Holy Cross on Sunday.
*The senior right-hander scattered four hits and struck out five batters to pick up his fifth win of the season.
*Odell did not allow a hit through his final four innings in the Bison’s 8-0 victory.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Landon Kruer, Navy, Fr., RHP, Sellersburg, Ind./Our Lady of Providence
*Kruer made two appearances spanning 2.2 scoreless, no-hit innings to earn a win and a save last week.
*He earned a save after throwing a scoreless ninth inning in the Mids’ 13-10 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday.
*The freshman right-hander did not allow a run or hit through 1.2 innings to earn the win in Navy’s 3-2 victory over Lehigh in 10 innings.
 
Honorable Mentions
Hunter Meade, Army West Point, Sr., CF, Bristow, Va./Patriot
*Meade batted .533 (8-for-15) with seven RBIs and four runs scored to help the Black Knights go 3-1 last week, including two wins against Lafayette. He slugged .667 and reached base at a .556 clip. 
 
Steven Graver, Army West Point, So., RHP, Yardley, Pa./Notre Dame
*Graver pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief while allowing one hit and striking out two in the Black Knights’ loss to Lafayette on Saturday. 
 
Jack DiLauro, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP, Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury
*DiLauro struck out a career-high 13 batters through 6.0 innings in the Crusaders’ 2-1 victory over Bucknell in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
 
Sam Kirkpatrick, Holy Cross, So., SS, Franklin, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy
*Kirkpatrick hit .421 (8-for-19) with three runs scored during a five-game week, where the Crusaders took two of three games against Bucknell. 
 
Dylan Minghini, Lafayette, Sr., C, Rock Springs, Ga./Gordon Lee Memorial
*Minghini hit .400 (4-for-10) with two runs and two RBIs in the Leopards’ three-game series against Army West Point. The senior catcher hit his fourth home run of the season in Lafayette’s 8-4 win over the Black Knights in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
 
Casey Rother, Lehigh, Sr., OF/RHP, Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area
*Rother batted .538 (7-for-13) while slugging .923 and posted a .563 on-base percentage. He went 4-for-6 with one home run, and three runs scored in a 13-12 win in nine innings on Saturday.  
 
Ben Christian, Lehigh, Jr, RHP, Audubon, Pa./Methacton
*Christian allowed two runs on eight hits through 6.0 innings while striking out three against Navy on Sunday. 
 
Matthew Shirah, Navy, So., RHP, Blue Ridge, Ga./Fannin County
*Shirah tossed 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four against Lehigh. The sophomore righty did not figure in the decision in the Mids 3-2 win against the Mountain Hawks.
 
Patriot League Player of the Week
2.22 – Logan Keller, Navy, So., 3B
3.1 – Casey Rother, Lehigh, Sr., 1B
3.8 – Pete Ciuffreda, Lafayette, Jr., OF
3.15 – Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, 2B
3.22 – Gerard Sweeney, Lehigh, Sr., 1B
3.29 – Sean Scanlon, Holy Cross, Fr., DH/RHP
4.5 – Ross Friedrick, Army West Point, 1B
4.12 – Colin Smith, Navy, Jr., OF/RHP
4.19 – Alex Smith, Navy, Jr., C/DH
 
Patriot League Pitcher of the Week
2.22 – Jack DiLauro, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP
3.1 – Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Sr., LHP
3.8 – Luke Benneche, Lafayette, So., RHP
3.15 – Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Sr., LHP
3.22 – Will Greer, Bucknell, Jr., RHP
3.29 – Patrick Melampy, Army West Point, Jr., RHP
4.5 – Jake Bloss, Lafayette, Jr., RHP
4.12 – Will Greer, Bucknell, Jr., RHP
4.19 – Austin Odell, Bucknell, Sr., RHP
 
Patriot League Rookie of the Week
2.22 – Jake Whitlinger, Lehigh, Fr., OF
3.1 – Nick Wang, Holy Cross, Fr., 3B
3.8 - Nick Wang, Holy Cross, Fr., 3B
3.15 – Nick Wang, Holy Cross, Fr., 3B
3.22 – Justin Butler, Lehigh, Fr., C/OF
3.29 – Nick Wang, Holy Cross, Fr., 3B
4.5 – Tyler Dunn, Bucknell, Fr., 1B
4.12 – Trevor Neff, Holy Cross, Fr., RHP
4.19 – Landon Kruer, Navy, Fr., RHP
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete 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.