ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball team (18-16, 10-5 PL) will try to extend a four-game winning streak when it heads to Lafayette (10-23, 6-5 PL) on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game Patriot League set in Easton, Pa., that will close out the regular-season series between the teams.
 
Sitting second and third in the Patriot League standings, respectively, the Midshipmen and Leopards are set for a noon doubleheader on Saturday at Hilton Rahn '51 Field at Kamine Stadium, while Sunday's season-series finale is also set for first pitch at noon.
 
Series History
Navy holds a 98-49-2 advantage over Lafayette in an all-time series that dates back to 1900 … The Mids have gone 16-9 in their last 25 games at Lafayette, including splitting an April 4 doubleheader with the Leopards last season … The first game of last year's doubleheader saw Lafayette pull out a 3-2 win despite two-hit contests from Colin Smith and Eduardo Diaz, while Smith and Logan Keller both tallied multi-hit performances in the nightcap, as Landon Kruer closed out a 5-2 Navy win … The two teams have faced off twice this season already, splitting a twin-bill on March 26 in Annapolis … A three-hit shutout from starter Alex Walsh propelled the Leopards to an 8-0 win in the first part of the March 26 doubleheader, but a career-high six innings and eight strikeouts from Thomas Russell to go with two-hit games from Brock Murtha, Kyle Rausch and Colin Smith helped the Mids earn a 6-4 victory in the back-half of the twin-bill.
 
Navy Notables vs. Lafayette
Colin Smith holds a .400 career average against Lafayette pitching through 11 starts, going 16-for-40 while racking up nine RBI and six runs scored to go with seven walks … Despite just five appearances against the Leopards, Kyle Rausch is hitting .357 lifetime against Lafayette pitchers, tallying a pair of doubles and five runs scored … Logan Keller has a .333 average when facing Lafayette in 11 career games, totaling six extra-base hits and 10 RBI while scoring six times … Keller has hit a home run against Lafayette in each of his three seasons at Navy … Landon Kruer is a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities for his career against Leopards, registering a 0.00 ERA over 2.2 innings and striking out two while walking none.
 
Last Time Out
Down 7-1 entering the seventh inning, Navy used a 12-run in the top of the seventh to come back and post an 18-11 win at Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday afternoon, as six different Mids tallied multi-hit performances … The trio of seniors Nick Burch and Kyle Rausch and junior Logan Keller all finished the day with four-hit, four-RBI contests, establishing new career high in both categories for Burch while setting a new career best in hits for Rausch … Junior Zane Raba also broke through with three hits in the No. 2 spot, while freshman Brock Murtha and senior Kiel Brenczewski both notched two-hit days and senior Alex Smith drew three walks and scored four times to go with a single … After a Keller single in the third inning gave Navy its first run, Navy exploded for 12 runs in the seventh that included Rausch smacking a double and homer in just that frame alone while Burch's two-run single in the inning handed the Mids a lead they never relinquished … Navy then tacked on five more runs in the eighth while Tyler Grenn pitched three innings of relief and struck out a career-best three batters to pick up his first collegiate win … The midweek victory gave Navy its fourth-straight win after sweeping Holy Cross last weekend, and handed the Mids their 12th-consecutive win over the Hawks in the all-time series.
 
Scorching-Hot Smitty
Leading the team with a .322 batting average, senior catcher Alex Smith has hit the cover off the ball since the calendar hit March 1, batting .391 in 27 games during the months of March and April … In those 27 games since February ended, Smith has gotten over the slow start by recording 20 runs scored, eight doubles, two homers and 17 RBI while walking 12 times compared to 14 strikeouts … He has also started 21 of those 27 games behind the plate since March 1, making just one error during that span and throwing out seven runners … In league play alone, Smith is hitting .415 while starting all 15 games behind the plate, racking up 11 RBI, nine runs scored and four doubles while not committing an error and throwing out five would-be base stealers.
 
Big Nate Doing Big Things
Senior captain Nate Mitchell has been the unquestioned ace for Navy this season, as his 48.1 innings pitched, six wins, and three complete games all lead the Patriot League … The righty also ranks No. 1 in the league with 1.68 walks allowed per nine innings and second in the PL with a 4.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio … Additionally, he ranks second in the PL with a 2.42 ERA and third league-wide with 41 strikeouts … The senior has also been establishing career highs as of late, as he registered a career-best 10 strikeouts against Lehigh on March 25 in a seven-inning complete game,while he followed that by tossing a career-high eight innings at Holy Cross in his last start to earn his league-leading fifth win of the year … A seven-inning, one-run outing against Holy Cross in Annapolis last weekend gave him his sixth win and third complete game of the season, also notching Mitchell his fifth win in his last five starts … Mitchell has gone seven-or-more innings in three straight starts and has done the same in four of his last five starts.
 
Kruer Closing in on the Record Books
Sophomore closer Landon Kruer picked up right where he left off in 2022, as his seven saves lead the Patriot League and brings him to 14 career saves … Kruer's seven saves this season match his freshman-year total, which sit tied for fifth in single-season program history … With 14 career saves, Kruer is now tied with Jett Meenach (2014-17) and Sam Sorenson (2013-16) for fourth in the program's career record books. … With three more saves, Kruer would match the single-season program record of 10 (Trey Braithwaite in 2019; Ryan Hefner in 2006) as well as the career program record of 17 set by Braithwaite (2018-21) and JD Melton (2007-09) … Kruer has a 3.45 ERA this season in 12 appearances, notching 14 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched.
 
Scouting Lafayette
The Leopards are coming off a series win at home against Bucknell, as Lafayette bounced back after a 8-5 loss in the opening game to pull out an 8-7, 12-inning victory in the second game last Saturday and outslugged the Bison in a 17-11 win on Sunday in the finale … Michael Zarrillo went off for six hits and six RBI over the course of the series, smashing three homers, while Pete Ciuffreda tallied three-straight two-hit contests for the Leopards and Seif Ingram added four hits in the series finale alone … Zarrillo's team-leading .359 batting average ranks second in the Patriot League, while his .472 on-base percentage also paces the team and sits second in the league … Driving in a team-leading 24 RBI, Ingram is second on the Leopards with a .270 average among qualified hitters, while Ciuffreda's 10 homers are tied for the most in the PL and his 26 runs scored pace Lafayette's hitters … Maintaining a 3.66 ERA, Alex Walsh leads the Leopards with 39.1 innings pitched and 37 strikeouts, while Chase Barley's three wins pace the squad from Easton.
 
Up Next
Navy goes to Lewisburg, Pa., on Wednesday, April 19 for a midweek league contest against Bucknell. The Mids and Bison are slated for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch at Depew Field.