ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Rising senior right-hander Matthew Shirah has been voted by his teammates to serve as the team captain for the 2024 season, Navy head baseball coach Chuck Ristano announced this week.
 
"It is an absolute honor to represent this amazing group of guys," said Shirah. "My teammates are a blessing to be around, and they push me to be the best version of myself each and every day. Their relentless work ethic and continuous effort is inspiring. I can't wait see everyone in August and get back to playing Navy Baseball!"
 
Putting together a breakout campaign in 2023, Shirah earned himself All-Patriot League Second Team honors in his second season as part of the weekend rotation. His team-leading 58 strikeouts ranked fourth in the league compared to just 19 walks, while his .242 batting average against was fifth in the PL and his 3.83 ERA put the righty seventh among the league's leaders. Racking up five wins on the season, Shirah also sported a team-best 1.24 WHIP that ranked third in the league while tallying a career-high 56.1 innings pitched over 12 starts.
 
Shirah was especially dominant in Patriot League regular season action, registering a 3.79 ERA while punching out 41 batters in 35.2 innings and going 3-2 in seven league starts. This included a stretch of three straight starts with seven-or-more strikeouts to open league play.
 
The Blue Ridge, Ga., native also earned 2023 Academic All-Patriot League and CSC Academic All-District accolades for his performance on the mound balanced with a 3.86 GPA in the classroom as a quantitative economics major. Earning Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recognition both 2021, 2022 and 2023, Shirah has also been named to the academy's Superintendent's List five times and to the Commandant's List five times as well.
 
Shirah takes over the captain duties from graduated senior and former rotation-mate, Nate Mitchell.