ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Three members of the Navy baseball team were named to the 2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Team on Wednesday, with junior pitcher Brady Bendik, junior infielder Evan Brown and sophomore catcher Ty DePerno nabbing preseason honors from the league office.
 
The three Midshipmen were among the 14 players to earn a spot on the preseason all-league team, while the Midshipmen were picked to finish third in the league's preseason coaches poll.
 
A two-year weekend starter for the Mids, Bendik picked up Second-Team All-Patriot League honors last season while finishing with a team-best 13 starts and 73 innings pitched. Ranking second in the Patriot League with a .226 opposing batting average and fourth in the league with a 3.95 ERA, the right-hander tallied a 4-4 record while tossing three complete games and a pair of shutouts, also tallying 62 strikeouts to just 26 walks. Bendik was particularly dominant in conference action, leading the Patriot League with a 2.08 in-conference ERA and racking up the third-most league innings pitched (43.1).
 
Starting all 51 games for the Mids last season, Brown posted a team-best 54 hits to rank ninth in the Patriot League and notching all-league second-team selection. The infielder also finished second on the team with a .292 average, 10 doubles, 77 total bases and 30 RBI. Additionally, Brown racked up 27 runs scored alongside two triples and three home runs, notching a .416 slugging percentage. Brown was on another level in March, rattling off an 11-game hitting streak from March 2-21 and then followed that span by tallying five-straight multi-hit games from March 22-28.
 
The 2025 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Patriot League honoree, DePerno hit the ground running in his first season with the Mids by playing in 50 games and making 35 starts behind the plate. Leading Navy with a .307 batting average and a .439 on-base percentage (10th in the Patriot League), DePerno also paced the team with 32 RBI and 31 walks while finishing second in homers (5) and runs scored (33). A force against Patriot League competition, the young catcher batted .329 in conference play to rank ninth in the PL, scoring 14 times and driving in 14 more runs across 25 league games.
 
Holy Cross was picked to win the league, receiving four first-place votes and 24 total points in the preseason poll, while Army was slated to finish second with 22 points (two first-place votes) and Navy came in third at 16 points. Lehigh tallied 14 points to land fourth, while Bucknell and Lafayette rounded out the poll tied for fifth with seven points each.
 
Navy and head coach Chuck Ristano open the 2026 season on Feb. 13 at Queens in Charlotte, N.C. The Mids' home opener is set for Feb. 17 against Delaware State at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.
 
2026 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross, 24 points (4 first-place votes)
2. Army, 22 (2)
3. Navy, 16
4. Lehigh, 14
T5. Bucknell, 7
T5. Lafayette, 7
 
2026 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Preseason Player of the Year – CJ Egrie, Holy Cross, Sr., OF
Preseason Pitcher of the Year – Jaden Wywoda, Holy Cross, Sr., RHP
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Thomas Schreck, Army West Point, Sr., IF
 
2026 Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Starting Pitcher: Andrew Berg, Army West Point, Sr.
Starting Pitcher: Jaden Wywoda, Holy Cross, Sr.
Starting Pitcher: Brady Bendik, Navy, Jr.
Relief Pitcher: Cole Kochanowicz, Lehigh, So.
Catcher: Jack Quinlan, Army West Point, Sr.
Catcher: Ty DePerno, Navy, So.
Infielder: Chris Barr, Army West Point, Sr.
Infielder: Thomas Schreck, Army West Point, Sr.
Infielder: Aidan Quinn, Lehigh, Sr.
Infielder: Evan Brown, Navy, Jr.
Outfielder: Billy Parker, Army West Point, Sr.
Outfielder: CJ Egrie, Holy Cross, Sr.
Outfielder: Gianni Royer, Holy Cross, Jr.
At-Large: Ryan Facinelli, Bucknell, Sr.