ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball program released its 51-game 2022 schedule on Tuesday that includes 26 non-conference contests in addition to a 25-game Patriot League slate.

"We are looking forward to our 2022 schedule," said head coach Paul Kostacopoulos. "Having our traditional schedule back, as well as being able to enjoy mid-week competition again, is something we are excited about."

Kostacopoulos begins his 17th season at the helm of the Navy baseball program in 2022, fresh off of leading the Mids to 17 wins in a truncated 2021 season. The 17th-year head coach enters 2022 as the second-winningest coach in program history with 481 victories in Annapolis. Additionally, Kostacopoulos has led the Midshipmen to at least 30 wins in 10 of his first 16 seasons along with being one of just 19 active NCAA Division I head coaches to eclipse the 900-win plateau. 

Navy begins its 2022 campaign in Annapolis with a four-game homestand, starting with two games against UMBC from Feb. 18-19. The Midshipmen return to action on Feb. 22 for a matchup against Georgetown before rounding out their season-opening slate against Coppin State on Feb. 23.

The Mids hit the road for the first time in 2022 for the Freedom Classic hosted at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C. The event will pit a pair of service academies head-to-head as Navy takes on rival Air Force from Feb. 25-27 in a three-game set.

In a series that dates back to the 1990 season, the two service academies have played to an even 28-28 record over 56 all-time matchups. The two programs last met in Annapolis during the 2020 season with the Midshipmen picking up a sweep of the three-game series.

March begins with Navy traveling to take on George Mason on March 2 before embarking on a season-long, nine-game homestand beginning with a three-game series against Central Connecticut State on March 4-6 before welcoming Mount St. Mary's for a mid-week contest on March 9.

The homestand continues with an additional three-game series against Marist on March 11-13 before the Mids welcome Massachusetts and St. Mary's on March 15-16, respectively, as a final tune-up before starting Patriot League play.

Patriot League competition gets underway as Navy travels to Lewisburg, Pa. to begin a four-game series against Bucknell. The league-opening series, spanning March 18-20, features two single games on Friday and Sunday bookending a doubleheader on Saturday.

A break in league play comes on March 23 for the Mids as they travel to take on Maryland Eastern Shore prior to embarking on a four-game weekend homestand that begins with a Patriot League doubleheader against Holy Cross on March 26 followed by a two-game set against rival Army on March 27 at a location to be determined.

The Mids wrap up March by completing a home-and-home series with UMBC in Baltimore on March 29.

To start the month of April, Navy returns to Patriot League action as it travels to take on Lehigh in a doubleheader on April 2 before heading to Easton, Pa. for two games against Lafayette on April 3.

Following their four-game Patriot League slate, the Midshipmen are set to travel to College Park on April 6 for a single game against Maryland, who won 30 games and reached the NCAA Greenville Regional last season. The matchup will mark the first meeting between the Terps and Mids since the 2014 season. 

Next up for Navy will be a three-game Patriot League road series against Holy Cross, beginning with a doubleheader on April 9 followed by a single game on April 10. Following its three-game set against the Crusaders, the Mids hits the road to complete a home-and-home series with Mount St. Mary's on April 13.

After completing their season-long, 10-game road swing the Midshipmen return home for a three-game series against Lehigh on April 16-17 before welcoming Bucknell for a single game in Annapolis on April 20.

The weekend Star Series between Army and Navy is set to be played at West Point on April 23-24 with a doubleheader on Saturday followed by a single game on Sunday. In a storied rivalry that dates back to the 1901 season, the Midshipmen have a 128-119 edge over the Black Knights that includes winning the Star in two of the last three iterations of the series.

Following the Star Series, the Midshipmen will return home to complete a home-and-home series with Maryland Eastern Shore on April 27 before welcoming Lafayette to Annapolis for their final Patriot League action of the 2022 regular season. The series against Leopards is set to begin with a doubleheader on April 30 followed by a single game on May 1.

Navy concludes its 2022 regular season with a four-game, non-conference slate beginning with a road game against Georgetown on May 4 followed by a three-game set against Radford that will span May 7-8.

The Patriot League Tournament semifinals are scheduled to begin the weekend of May 14-15. The conference's top-four teams qualify for the tournament, with the top-two seeds hosting the lower-two seeds in a best-of-three semifinal series. The two advancing teams will meet at the higher remaining seed on May 21-22 in a best-of-three championship series.