ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A pair of Navy baseball players, senior outfielder Colin Smith and junior pitcher Matthew Shirah, were selected to the 2023 Academic All-Patriot League Team, the league office announced Thursday morning.
 
This marks the second-straight season that Smith has received academic all-league honors, while Shirah garnered the honor for the first time in his career. Additionally, Thursday's accolades give the Midshipmen multiple Academic All-Patriot League honorees for the third consecutive season and the fifth time in the last seven years.
 
After earning Second Team All-Patriot League recognition with a breakout 2022 season, Smith overcame a slow start this year to end the regular season with 43 starts, tallying 17 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs, 23 RBI and five stolen bases. The Wilmington, Del., native especially picked up his play in time for the league schedule, hitting .278 and racking up 10 runs, five doubles, four homers and 12 RBI across 23 league games played. His four homers in league play ranks ninth in the PL, sharing the overall team lead as well.
 
Set to commission as a surface warfare officer, Smith holds a 3.29 GPA in the classroom while majoring in naval architecture and marine engineering. The outfielder has also been named to the 2021 and 2022 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll lists in addition to making the Dean's List twice and the Commandant's List once.
 
Putting together his own breakout campaign after earning a spot in the weekend rotation for the second-straight 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. The right-hander 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.
 
Academically, Shirah is a quantitative economics major with a 3.86 GPA, earning Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recognition in both 2021 and 2022. A native of Blue Ridge, Ga., Shirah has also been named to the academy's Superintendent's List five times and to the Commandant's List five times as well.
 
To be eligible for the Academic All-Patriot League Team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player for his/her sport. Freshmen or student-athletes in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
 
2023 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th, 1B
 
2023 Academic All-Patriot League Baseball Team
Brett Copeland, Army, Sr., INF
Sean Keys, Bucknell, So., 3B
Anthony Sherwin, Bucknell, Jr., SS
Ben Talbot, Holy Cross, Sr., RHP
Easton Brenner, Lafayette, So., OF
Alex Walsh, Lafayette, Sr., RHP
Michael Zarrillo, Lafayette, So., INF
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th, 1B
Ryan Deom, Lehigh, Sr., RHP
Ben Christian, Lehigh, Sr., RHP
Matthew Shirah, Navy, Jr., RHP
Colin Smith, Navy, Sr., OF