WEST POINT, N.Y. – Top-seeded Army West Point (31-21, 16-8 PL) captured its sixth straight Patriot League Baseball title, sweeping No. 2 Navy (28-23, 15-10 PL) with a 3-0 victory in game two of the best two-of-three-game series at Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field.
Black Knights’ senior RHP Matthew Ronnebaum collected his sixth win of the season, tossing 8.0 innings of two-hit shutout ball to earn Patriot League Baseball Championship MVP honors. Sophomore 2B Chris Barr drove in two runs with a single and had both of Army West Point’s hits in the decisive game to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Sophomore LF William Parker and senior RHP Steven Graver were also All-Tournament selections for their role in Army West Point’s 13th Patriot League baseball crown.
Navy senior shortstop Eduardo Diaz went 1-for-3 with a double in the final game, batting .364 with two home runs and six RBIs during the two-weekend championship to earn All-Tournament honors. He was joined by teammates Brady Bendik (Fr., RHP) and Landon Kruer (Jr., RHP).
Bucknell’s Tyler O’Neill (Jr., RHP) and Grant Voytovich (Sr., OF), along with Holy Cross’s Van Coughlin (Fr., C) and Nick Harnisch (Fr., RHP) were also selected to the 11-member Patriot League All-Tournament Team.
2024 Patriot League Baseball All-Tournament Team
Matthew Ronnebaum, Army West Point, Sr., RHP - Most Valuable Player
Chris Barr, Army West Point, So., 2B
William Parker, Army West Point, So., LF
Steven Graver, Army West Point, Sr., RHP
Eduardo Diaz, Navy, Sr., SS
Brady Bendik, Navy, Fr., RHP
Landon Kruer, Navy, Jr., RHP
Nick Harnisch, Holy Cross, Fr., RHP
Van Coughlin, Holy Cross, Fr., C
Tyler O’Neill, Bucknell, Jr., RHP
Grant Voytovich, Bucknell, Sr., OF
The Black Knights will learn their postseason destination with the 64-team field is announced during the NCAA Division I Baseball Selection Show on Monday, May 27. Live coverage begins at noon ET on ESPN2. For more information on the 2024 Patriot League Baseball Championship, visit
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL.
No. 1 Army West Point def. No. 2 Navy 2-0 (Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field/West Point, N.Y.)
| Date |
Game |
Time/Results |
Coverage |
| Sunday, May 19 |
Championship – Navy at Army West Point |
Army, 11-8 |
ESPN+ |
| Monday, May 20 |
Championship – Navy at Army West Point |
Army, 3-0 |
ESPN+ |
GAME PROGRAM | CHAMPIONSHIP STATS
2024 Patriot League Baseball Championship – Championship Series
NO. 1 ARMY WEST POINT BLACK KNIGHTS (31-21, 16-8 PL) 3, NO. 2 NAVY MIDSHIPMEN (28-23, 15-10 PL) 0
Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field/West Point, N.Y. 1:05 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Senior RHP Matthew Ronnebaum tossed 8.0 shutout innings to earn the win in top-seeded Army West Point’s game-two victory to sweep No. 2 Navy, clinching their sixth straight Patriot League title.
*Ronnebaum picked up his sixth win of the season by matching career-highs with 8.0 innings pitched and nine strikeouts. The senior right-hander allowed just two hits and walked one.
*Senior RHP Tanner Gresham tossed a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save for Army.
*Army West Point sophomore second baseman Chris Barr lined a two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the third inning, part of the Black Knights’ three-run inning. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
*Navy senior CF Hudson Lehnertz and senior SS Eduardo Diaz each went 1-for-3 with a double in the series finale.
*Mids’ freshman RHP Brady Bendik tossed 4.0 innings of one-hit, shutout relief. Senior RHP Matthew Shirah took the loss, allowing three runs on one hit with six strikeouts and five walks in 3.2 innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
*The Black Knights opened their half of the third inning by drawing a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases before sophomore RF Addison Ainsworth crossed the plate on a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead.
*Army West Point sophomore second baseman Chris Barr followed with a single up the middle to drive in a pair of runs, giving the Black Knights a 3-0 lead.
*Ronnebaum worked out of a one-out jam with two runners in scoring position in the sixth inning, inducing a pair of ground outs to keep the Mids scoreless.
*The Mids threatened again in the top of the ninth inning, as Diaz and sophomore 2B Brock Murtha drew a pair of one-out walks. But Army’s Gresham got a strikeout and a fly out to the left fielder Parker to seal the Black Knights’ sixth straight League title.
RECAPS
: NAVY | ARMY WEST POINT
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth 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 who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.