ANNAPOLIS, Md. – After opening the season on Sunday with the 7-2 win over Coppin State, Navy baseball (1-0) continues a set of back-to-back games against the Eagles (0-1) on Wednesday afternoon from Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Following the guidelines set by state and local government officials, Navy will allow spectators at its home baseball games this spring. The current protocol allows for 25 percent of capacity at outdoor venues. Spectators will be required to wear a mask throughout the contest and maintain social distancing.
Along with starting the season on the right foot with a win on Sunday, the Midshipmen extended their winning streak to 15 games after finishing 2020 with 14-straight wins. Navy's 15-game winning streak is the second-longest in the nation only behind top-ranked Ole Miss who has won 19-straight games following 16-straight wins to end last season.
Against the Eagles in the first go around this year, Navy surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the first inning but countered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the inning and never looked back. The Midshipmen scored seven unanswered runs to close out the game and grab a 7-2 win over Coppin State. Navy's trio of
Joe Simourian,
Alex Smith and
Zach Stevens each recorded two hits of the Midshipmen while Simourian and Stevens both led the way with two RBIs apiece. Simourian ended the game with a 1.500 slugging mark behind a pair of triples en route to being named Patriot League Player of the Week. As a team, Navy finished with nine hits to post a .290 batting average for the game while five of the Midshipmen's hits went for extra bases.
Navy's pitching staff only gave up five hits for the game and after allowing two runs in the first inning, it did not allow a run over the final eight frames. The quartet of
Charlie Connolly,
Tommy Goodridge,
Reece Early and
Trey Braithwaite combined for 11 strikeouts with Goodridge posting a team-high four strikeouts in his three innings of work where he did not allow a hit.
Conner Walker and Eddie Javier, Jr. each recorded an RBI for the Eagles in the loss on Sunday, while Jordan Hamberg notched two of the team's five hits for the game. Coppin State hit .156 during the season opener where they left 10 runners on base. Like the Midshipmen, the Eagles also used four pitchers on Saturday where Aaron Rea suffered the loss after allowing four runs – two earned – on three hits in three innings. Coppin State combined for nine strikeouts while walking three and hitting three batters.
Navy has now won the last 10 meetings against Coppin State and now leads the all-time series 23-6-1. The Midshipmen and Eagles are scheduled to close out a four-game season series on April 21 and April 28 in Annapolis.
Following the back-to-back home games against Coppin State, Navy is slated to play a three-game series against George Mason. The Midshipmen are set to host a doubleheader on Saturday with the Patriots hosting the series finale on Sunday in Fairfax, Va.
