4/22/2002 - Baseball
Pair of Mid-Week Games Await Navy Baseball Team

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy baseball team will play host to UMBC at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Max Bishop Stadium and will travel to Fairfax, Va., to face George Mason at 3 p.m. Wednesday in a game that was rescheduled from March 26.

"Both mid-week games are going to be very important for us because each are big tests against good teams," Navy head coach Steve Whitmyer said. "UMBC is having a great year, and George Mason has really turned it on, both in league and non-league games. We will take the similar philosophy in pitching a lot of guys. If our pitchers come in and do their jobs, then we may be able to win a couple of games."

Navy (15-22) took a four-game series from host Lafayette last weekend in Easton, Pa. Behind strong outings on the mound from Rich McDevitt (Jr./Albany, N.Y.) and Andy Froistad (So./St. Paul, Minn.), Navy posted back-to-back shutouts against the Leopards Saturday, while splitting the doubleheader Sunday.

UMBC (23-13) scored two victories over Central Connecticut St. in New Britain, Conn., last week and has won 12 of its last 14 games. Infielder Jared Boyd is the Retrievers' top-offensive threat, leading the team with a .415 batting average and has amassed an incredible 22 doubles on the year. Boyd also leads the team in hits (49), slugging percentage (.712), on-base percentage (.504) and runs scored (34).

George Mason improved to 22-18 overall with a 14-7 victory over Delaware Saturday and has won 16 of its last 20 games. The Patriots will play host to Virginia and George Washington on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Left fielder Even Howard is having a standout season for the Patriots, posting a .359 batting average, while leading the team in hits (55), doubles (19), slugging percentage (.536) and on-base percentage (.440).