10/11/2001 - Baseball
Navy Baseball Hosts Annual Alumni Game Friday Afternoon

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team will hold its annual Alumni Game, part of the homecoming weekend festivities, at Max Bishop Stadium Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.

"It should prove to be a great time and a lot of fun for the guys," Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer said. "The game this year will feature the even-year graduates against the odd-year graduates. I just hope no one gets hurt."

The even-year grads will wear blue and the odd-year grads will be in white. The teams will play somewhere between four and six innings depending on time. On Saturday, the baseball alumni will hold a tailgater outside of Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium before and after the football game. Directions to the tailgater will be handed out at the baseball game Friday.

Former Navy standout Todd Benke (Class of 1998), the organizer of this year's game, worked hard over the past year to unite former Navy baseball players.

"We are hoping that with our new website and increased participation, the annual alumni game and hopefully a golf tournament in future homecoming weekends will be filled with former Navy players."

Other former Navy players slated to compete include 1977 team captain Bill Buck, 1994 team captain Andy Payne, 2001 captain Scott Vane, along with 2001 graduates Dan Falkner, Andy Mild and Nick Sylvester.

"It is going to be a good opportunity to get back out on the field," Vane said. "This will the give the older guys the chance to come back and relive some old memories from their playing days at Navy. It should be fun seeing people come back and catch up on lost times."

"It is a great honor to be playing in this game and playing with all the graduates from past years that have done great things on the field and in their respective military careers," Falkner said. "We put a lot of work into the game and I hope it comes off without a hitch. Play will be a little rusty at first, but I think it will come around as the game wears on."