3/8/2002 - Baseball
Mids Head to Florida for Spring Break Trip
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After going to Fresno, Calif., last year for its spring break trip, the Navy baseball team will spend next week in the Sunshine State for a series of games beginning Sunday against Rhode Island at 8 p.m. in DeLand, Fla.
Navy will take on Division II powerhouse North Florida Monday on "Military Night" in Jacksonville at 7 p.m., followed by back-to-back games against 29th-ranked (Collegiate Baseball) Stetson on Tuesday and Wednesday in DeLand. The Mids close out the trip Thursday against Butler at 2 p.m. in Jacksonville.
"The trip is going to be a very challenging one for us from a baseball standpoint," Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer said. "We are going to play some very good teams, and we are very fortunate to get to play at a couple of really nice facilities in North Florida and Stetson. We are excited about playing five games in a row, but the games against North Florida and Stetson will be tough. I feel like we are starting to get better as a team, and hopefully that will carry over into next week."
Navy (4-6) has not played since winning the Service Academy Spring Classic Feb. 24 in Millington, Tenn. The Mids defeated Villanova, 4-0, in the championship game to capture their first Service Academy title since 1993. Catcher David Woolsey (Sr./Columbia, S.C.) was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a double in the title game. John Cocca (Sr./Whitehall, Pa.) scored two runs and added a double. Outfielder Craig Candeto (So./Orange City, Fla.) and pitcher Brian Pennell (Sr./Saratoga, N.Y.), along with Cocca and Froistad were named to the all-tournament team.
On the young season, Woolsey owns the highest batting average on the squad (.333) with shortstop Matt Lukevics (Fr./Tampa, Fla.) second (.304). Candeto leads the team in at-bats (41), hits (12) and total bases (19). The Navy pitching staff has an earned-run average of 3.39, with opponents batting .265 against the Mids.
URI (3-3) split a doubleheader against Norfolk State Wednesday in Kingston, R.I. The Rams dropped an 11-5 decision to the Spartans in the opener, but responded with a 6-2 come-from-behind victory in the nightcap. Catcher Mike Schiappa leads URI with a .364 batting average, while pitchers Pete Kehoe and Dan Pearce are both 1-1 in two starts this season.
Stetson won its sixth-straight game Thursday night, defeating Central Michigan, 11-3, to improve to 14-1 overall. Brian Snyder went 3-for-4 with a home run and drove in three runs for Stetson, while sophomores Ian Church and Bryan Zenchyk extended their hitting streaks to 15 games apiece. The Hatters' only loss this season came at the hands of Bethune Cookman, 10-2, last week in Daytona Beach, Fla. Catcher Chris Westervelt is batting a red-hot .585 with 24 hits, four doubles, six home runs and 13 RBIs. Left-handed hurler Mike Wiley is 3-0 in four starts for the Hatters with a team-high 26 strikeouts.
UNF overcame a 5-0 deficit in the eighth inning to defeat James Madison Thursday night at Harmon Stadium. Ranked fifth in the latest Division II top 25, the Ospreys pushed their record to 13-5 after consecutive losses to Ohio State and Campbell. UNF finished third in the Division II World Series each of the past two years, but was picked to win the championship this season by Baseball America in its 2002 College Preview. The Ospreys are hitting .309 overall led by first baseman Ryan McDonald, batting .359 with 23 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Butler (3-3) scored a 4-1 victory over in-state rival Indiana Wednesday, followed by a 10-5 win over Earlham College Thursday. The Bulldogs will play six games in Jacksonville prior to facing the Mids.
Both Navy-Stetson games can be heard live on the internet at www.stetson.edu/offices/athletics/(.)
