ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy baseball team matched a program record by having five players named to the 2023 All-Patriot League Second Team, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
A pair of starting pitchers, senior captain Nate Mitchell and junior Matthew Shirah, along with sophomore reliever Landon Kruer, senior catcher Alex Smith and senior outfielder Nick Burch were the five Midshipmen selected for second-team all-league honors, with each of the five garnering all-league recognition for the first time. The 2023 season marks the fourth time there have been a program-record five Mids earn second-team selections (2021, 2000, 1996).
 
Mitchell picked up honors after tossing a league-leading four complete games across 12 starts while ending the regular season second in the league with six victories and 67.1 innings pitched. Posting a 3.21 earned-run average that ranks fourth among qualified PL pitchers, the right-hander from Parker, Colo., has held opponents to a .270 batting average that sits seventh in the league and has recorded the eighth-most strikeouts at 49. The national leader last season in walks allowed per nine innings, Mitchell currently ranks 18th in the country at 1.47 walks per nine innings this season while his four complete games puts him second in the NCAA. Mitchell's 1.083 career walks allowed per nine innings also currently stands as the best in program history.
 
Joining Mitchell in the weekend rotation for the second consecutive season, Shirah has struck out 56 batters to rank third in the circuit while tallying the fifth-lowest opposing batting average (.225) and sixth-best ERA (3.44) among Patriot League hurlers over 52.1 innings. Notching a 5-4 record, the righty racked up a career-high eight strikeouts in back-to-back outings on March 26 and April 3, also limiting the opposition to one earned run-or-less in six of his 11 starts. The Blue Ridge, Ga., native was especially dominant in league action, striking out the second-most hitters (41) in 35.2 innings of work while holding opponents to a .220 batting average against.
 
The league saves leader for the past two seasons, the right-handed Kruer has picked up nine saves in 2023 while compiling a 3.70 ERA in a team-high 18 appearances, striking out 20 in 24.1 innings pitched. Holding a 2.79 ERA with six saves in PL action, the converted catcher has made eight league appearances and totaled seven strikeouts in 9.2 innings while limiting opposing batters to eight hits. A midseason addition to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, Kruer is second in program history for both single-season saves (9) and career saves (16), needing just one more to match both the season and career school records. The Sellersburg, Ind., native was named a Freshman All-American closer last season by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball after walking on to the team.
 
Smith enters the postseason as Navy's top hitter, hitting .337 to rank sixth in the Patriot League while also leading the team with a .472 slugging percentage and reaching base at a .405 clip. Additionally, Smith paces the Mids with 15 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI contests, while his 12-game hit streak (March 11-March 26) and 22-game on-base streak (March 11-April 12) are both season highs for Navy. The backstop from Laguna Hills, Calif., is also among the league's best fielders with 36 of his 48 starts coming behind the plate, as Smith leads the PL with 17 runners caught stealing while only allowing three passed balls and committing just one error all season. The 2020 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American holds a .306 career batting average and was named to the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Watch List earlier this season.
 
After having a breakout year in 2022, Burch has continued his success into this season, legging out a league-best five triples while leading the team with 33 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. Generating a .253 batting average, the Hollywood, Md., native also ranks third on the team with 11 doubles, 27 RBI and 21 walks while hitting three home runs for a total of 71 total bases. Batting .272 in league action, Burch has tallied all of his triples and homers off Patriot League pitching while slugging .580 in addition to 21 runs scored and five steals in 25 PL games.
 
Army took four of the five major awards, as Kevin Debrule was named both the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, while his teammate Tanner Gresham was selected as the PL Pitcher of the Year and their first-year skipper Chris Tracz earned the Gene Depew Coach of the Year award. Holy Cross's Jack Toomey captured Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors. The Black Knights also led the way with nine all-league selections, including eight First Teamers, while Bucknell was second with six all-league nods.
 
Navy opens the Patriot League Championship with a best-of-three semifinal series at Bucknell on May 13 and 15. Saturday's doubleheader is set for noon from Depew Field, while the third game (if necessary) is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Monday.
 
2023 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Player of the Year – Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr., SS
Pitcher of the Year – Tanner Gresham, Army West Point, Jr., RHP
Defensive Player of the Year – Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr., SS
Rookie of the Year – Jack Toomey, Holy Cross, Fr., OF
Gene Depew Coach of the Year – Chris Tracz, Army West Point
 
2023 First Team All-Patriot League*
SP: Tanner Gresham, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Mike Ruggieri, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Matthew Ronnebaum, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Alex Walsh, Lafayette, Sr.
RP: Robbie Buecker, Army West Point, Sr.
C: Derek Berg, Army West Point, Jr.
1B: Ross Friedrick, Army West Point, Sr.
2B: Billy Kender, Bucknell, So.
3B: Sean Keys, Bucknell, So.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Braden Golinski, Army West Point, Jr.
OF: Grant Voytovich, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Peter Ciuffreda, Lafayette, Sr.
OF: Casey Rother, Lehigh, 5th
At-Large: Michael Zarrillo, Lafayette, So
 
2023 Second Team All-Patriot League*
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, 5th
SP: Nate Mitchell, Navy, Sr.
SP: Matthew Shirah, Navy, Jr.
RP: Landon Kruer, Navy, So.
C: Alex Smith, Navy, Sr.
1B: Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th
2B: Dom Patrizi, Lehigh, Fr.
3B: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Jr.
SS: Anthony Sherwin, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Jack Toomey, Holy Cross, Fr.
OF: Jacob Corson, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Kyle Lyons, Bucknell, So.
OF: Nick Burch, Navy, Sr.
At-Large: Sean Scanlon, Holy Cross, So.
 
*Additional players added to the first and second teams due to ties in the voting