ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy baseball embarks on its 125th season in program history as it travels to Thomasville, N.C., to face Georgetown in a three-game series at Finch Field. The series begins on Friday afternoon and is slated to conclude on Sunday. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. with the games on Saturday and Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
The Midshipmen enter the 2020 season after posting a record 39-17 in 2019 en route to winning the Patriot League regular-season title for the fifth-straight season with a league mark of 18-7. Navy's 39 wins a year ago were second-most in program history just behind its 43 wins during the 2016 season. Along with winning the league regular-season title, the Midshipmen led the Patriot League in both batting average and ERA last year, which mark the fifth consecutive season Navy has led the league in both categories.
Navy brings back 17 letter winners from its 2019 squad and the Midshipmen are tied for most Preseason All-Patriot League honorees with three. After being selected as First Team All-Patriot Leaguers in 2019,
Zach Biggers and
Trey Braithwaite were placed on the 11-man preseason team and
Jared Leins rounded out Navy's preseason honorees earning his first season accolade from the Patriot League. Braithwaite also earned a national nod prior to the season after being named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. Heading into his junior campaign, Braithwaite posted 10 saves to tie the single-season program record and he finished with a 3.10 ERA for the Midshipmen. His 10 saves also guided Navy to set the single-season team record for saves with 17.
For the first time under 15th-year head coach
Paul Kostacopoulos, Navy will have a pitching staff without a senior. The Midshipmen will be spearheaded by seven junior pitchers with opening weekend rotation (Leins,
Charlie Connolly and
Tommy Goodridge) leading the charge along with Braithwaite out of the bullpen. A trio of sophomores look to increase their roles on the mound for Navy in their second year with the program.
Trent Topping had the top ERA among the Midshipmen relievers in 2019 after notching a 2.45 ERA during his freshman campaign.
Dalton Baker made 13 relief appearances as a freshman and
Colin Jones looks to join junior
Jack Ferguson as Navy's only two southpaws on the mound. To go along with the 10 returning pitchers, the Midshipmen bring six freshmen into their pitching staff for their 2020 season. In 2019, Navy posted a team ERA of 3.82 and racked up 527 strikeouts to set a new single-season record.
On the field, Navy has its senior quartet of Biggers,
Michael Coritz,
Evan Lowery and
Jacob Williamson geared up to pace the Navy offense and defense. The Midshipmen finished sixth in the country last year with a .981 fielding percentage with its infield trio of Biggers, Coritz and Williamson pacing the team. Biggers also led Navy with 65 hits a year ago and he posted a .295 batting average. Sophomore
Zach Stevens is back after earning Second Team All-Patriot League honors during his freshman campaign. Stevens led the team with a .319 average and his .519 slugging percentage not only led the team but was third in the Patriot League. As a team, Navy finished last season with a .272 batting average and launched 36 home runs, which were second-most in program history.
Georgetown enters 2020 following a 22-34 season a year ago and just missed the postseason after finishing 7-11 in the Big East. Eddie McCabe is back to lead the Georgetown offense after hitting .345 as a sophomore with 32 RBIs and a .453 slugging percentage. McCabe was the only player for Georgetown to hit over .300 in 2019 and he also finished second on the team with 32 RBIs and five home runs. The Hoya offense finished with a .259 team average and slugged .395.
The Georgetown pitching staff is tasked with replacing its top four pitchers from last season. The Hoyas had combined for a 5.20 ERA and 488 strikeouts, but 302 of their strikeouts came from their four pitchers who were drafted in 2019. The Hoyas have a similar makeup on the mound as the Midshipmen as Georgetown has just one senior in Noah Abdalla on its pitching staff. During the opening weekend, the Hoyas are slated to start three sophomores against Navy's three juniors. Carter Bosch is set to take over the No. 1 spot in the Georgetown rotation followed by Anthony Redfern and Owen Lamon.
Navy and Georgetown have met 106 times going to this weekend with the first meeting taking place in the Midshipmen's inaugural season back in 1893. Navy leads the all-time series 63-46 and won the last two contests after sweeping a home-and-home series last year. The Midshipmen rolled to a 12-3 victory on the road in Rockville, Md., at Shirley Povich Field. Then in Navy's first game under the lights at Max Bishop Stadium, a hot start for the Midshipmen drove them to a 17-3 win against the Hoyas to complete the season sweep.
The 2020 season marks the sixth-straight season that Navy has started its campaign in the Tar Heel State. First pitch on Friday afternoon is set for 1:30 p.m. from Finch Field -- home of the High Point-Thomasville HiToms of the Coastal Plain League.
