Navy Sports

GreatAmerican · February 20, 2007, 6:32pm

Mids to make 16th straight appearance in NCAA Championships.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy rifle team was one of eight teams selected for the NCAA Championships being held at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks on March 9-10, the NCAA office announced on Tuesday. By qualifying, Navy will compete in the NCAA Championships for the 16th straight year. Navy is coming off a fourth-place finish at last year's event and has finished in the top six in 14 of the 15 years since 1992.

A total of 48 competitors were selected for the championships. The top eight teams in both the smallbore three-position and air rifle events were selected based on the average of the three highest regular-season aggregate scores with no more than one match at any given site. The average of the three highest scores was added to the aggregate scores from the designated qualifiers to determine the top eight teams.

Team Qualifiers (Smallbore Three-Position and Air Rifle)

<ul>
<li>University of Alaska Fairbanks</li>
<li>Jacksonville State University</li>
<li>University of Kentucky</li>
<li>Murray State University</li>
<li>University of Nebraska</li>
<li>Texas Christian University</li>
<li>United States Military Academy</li>
<li>United States Naval Academy</li>
</ul>

Individual and team competitions in smallbore three-position (60 shots) will be held Friday, March 9. Individual and team competitions in air rifle (60 shots) will be held Saturday, March 10. The overall team champion will be determined by combining the smallbore and air rifle team totals into one aggregate score for each institution.

In 2006, Alaska Fairbanks claimed its seventh NCAA national title. The Nanooks scored 2353 in air rifle and 2329 in smallbore for a first-place total of 4682. Nebraska Husker Kristina Fehlings shot a final score of 100 to finish with a 692 to win the 2006 air rifle national title. Nebraska finished second with a 4666 total followed by Army at 4650.

Four Navy shooters earned All-America status last year and all four will be competing at this year's championships. Seniors Sarah Bergman and Chris Schneider will be attempting to become four-time All-Americans. Navy's last four-time All-American was William Suggs in 1987-90.

The Mids will have one final tune-up before heading to the Great Frontier, competing in the MAC Championships on Feb. 25, in Annapolis, Md.

For more information about the 2007 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Rifle Championships, go to <a href="http://www.ncaasports.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.ncaasports.com/</a>.

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 10:37am

Published in the Washington Compost:

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001735.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/20/AR2007022001735.html</a>

[quote]
For the first 10 minutes last night, the Navy and American basketball teams refused to let the other take much of a lead. It was fitting considering what was at stake at Alumni Hall -- the fourth seed and a guaranteed home game to open the Patriot League tournament.

But for the second straight time, American wore down the Midshipmen and went on to a 71-60 victory to clinch a first-round home game in the league tournament....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 12:48pm

This Week's Action
Game 8 - Feb. 23 - Navy (6-1) vs. Air Force (4-4)
Site: Millington, Tenn.
Time: 11 a.m.
Stadium (Capacity): USA Stadium (5,000)
Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Mitch Harris (2-0, 0.00) vs. Air Force - RHP Gary Whiteman (1-1, 11.30)
All-Time Series: Air Force leads, 11-6
Last Season: Navy 11, Air Force 6 (Feb. 25; Millington, Tenn.)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>

Game 9 - Feb. 24 - Navy vs. Air Force
Site: Millington, Tenn.
Time: 2 p.m.
Stadium (Capacity): USA Stadium (5,000)
Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Matt White (2-0, 1.50) vs. Air Force - RHP Mitch Brown (1-1, 2.25)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>

Game 10 - Feb. 25 - Navy (6-1) vs. Missouri (5-2)
Site: Memphis, Tenn.
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Stadium (Capacity): Nat Buring Stadium (2,000)
Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Oliver Drake (0-0, 2.08) or RHP Mark McCoy (1-1, 6.48) vs. Missouri - TBD
All-Time Series: Missouri leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Missouri 25, Navy 2 (Feb. 25, 2005; Millington, Tenn.)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>

Game 11 - Feb. 28 - Georgetown (0-3) at Navy (6-1)
Site: Annapolis, Md.
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Stadium (Capacity): Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium (1,500)
Probable Starters: Georgetown - TBD vs. Navy - RHP Oliver Drake (0-0, 2.08) or RHP Mark McCoy (1-1, 6.48)
All-Time Series: Navy leads, 54-36
Last Season: Georgetown won both meetings (8-5 on Feb. 28; 11-7 on March 22)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>

Navy at the Service Academy Spring Classic
Navy will be making its 16th-consecutive appearance at the Service Academy Spring Classic this weekend when it takes on Air Force on Friday and Saturday at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn., before playing Missouri on Sunday at Memphis' Nat Buring Stadium.
Last year, the Midshipmen posted their first perfect record at the annual spring classic by defeating Indiana State, Air Force and Memphis to claim the title. Navy has won three titles during its 15 previous trips to Millington (1993, <code>02 and</code>06) and owns an all-time record of 23-27 (.460) at the Service Academy Spring Classic.

Scouting Air Force
Air Force arrives to Millington with a 4-4 record after a three-game sweep of Kentucky Wesleyan this past weekend. The Falcons are hitting .343 as team and have combined for a .533 slugging percentage. Six starters boast an average above .300, highlighted by Jason Griggs' .583 (14-for-24) clip with seven stolen bases. Team captain Karl Bolt, older brother of Navy freshman infielder Kendall Bolt (Stockton, Calif.), leads the team with three round trippers and 11 RBIs.
The Falcons pitching staff owns a 6.97 team ERA and have allowed opponents to hit .313 on the year. Mitch Brown has enjoyed a successful to start to the 2007 slate, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings of work.

Last Year Against Air Force
Navy defeated Air Force at the Service Academy Spring Classic last year by a score of 11-6. Right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) got the win for the Mids, as he scattered six hits over seven innings with 11 strikeouts. Jared Munde went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs to lead the Midshipmen 12-hit attack.

Navy All-Time Against the Mountain West Conference
The Midshipmen own an all-time mark of 6-13-1 (.325) against teams affiliated with the Mountain West Conference. Navy has played Air Force (6-11) and New Mexico (0-2-1) during its 112-year program history. The Midshipmen have not met BYU, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV and Utah on the baseball diamond.

Navy All-Time vs. Colorado Teams
Air Force is the only team that Navy has played from the state of Colorado, with the Falcons holding an 11-6 advantage in the all-time series.

Scouting Missouri
Missouri will make its second appearance at the Service Academy Spring Classic in program history this weekend after opening the 2007 schedule with a 5-2 mark. The Tigers opened the year with a three-game sweep of Florida International down in Miami, and are coming off a 2-1 record at the Coca Cola Classic in Surprise, Ariz. Missouri downed Arizona State and Gonzaga before falling to defending national champion Oregon State in the classic finale.
The Tigers come into the weekend hitting at a .294 clip as a team. Leading the Missouri offensive attack is Ryan Lollis, who has opened the year with a .393 (11-for-28) batting average with a home run and 12 RBIs. Seven of Missouri's starters boast an average above .300 this year.
Missouri has had significant success on the mound in 2007, holding opponents to a .249 batting average and registering a 3.37 team ERA. Aaron Crow leads the team with a 2.61 ERA while going 1-0 in 10.1 innings of work on the young season.

Last Time Against Missouri
Navy and Missouri met each other for the first time during the 2005 Service Academy Spring Classic, as the Tigers cruised to a 25-2 win. The 23-run defeat was the second worst in program history, with Navy's 32-1 loss to Georgetown in 1895 as the most-lopsided loss in the all-time annals. Navy was able to get on the board in the eighth inning on a two-run double from D.J. Faldowski to score Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) and Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.).

Navy All-Time Against the Big 12 Conference
The Midshipmen own an all-time mark of 0-2 against teams currently affiliated with the Big 12 Conference. Prior to Navy's meeting with Missouri two years ago, its only other action against a Big 12 team came against Nebraska at the 1979 NCAA Northeast Regional in Annapolis, Md. The Cornhuskers defeated the Midshipmen 13-4 to end Navy's season in the elimination game.

Navy All-Time vs. Missouri Teams
Missouri is the only team that Navy has played from the Show Me State in its 112-year program history, as the Tigers won the first meeting between the two teams in 2005.

Scouting Georgetown
Georgetown opened its 2007 campaign with an 0-3 mark at Davidson last weekend. The Hoyas bats did their part, hitting .339 as a team, scoring 32 runs and swiping 17 bases. Matt Harrigan batted .600 (9-for-15) with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. Sean Baumann hit at a .417 (5-for12) clip with three round trippers and seven RBIs. However, the Hoyas pitching staff registered a 10.88 ERA and gave up 42 runs, while allowing the opposition to hit .374 on the weekend.

Last Year Against Georgetown
Georgetown won both meetings against Navy last year, opening with an 8-5 win at Shirley Povich Field before an 11-7 victory in Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Jonathan Johnston went 6-for-10 against the Hoyas with a double and two stolen bases, while Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas) belted a double, a home run and drove in three while walking three times against the Hoyas in 2006.

Navy All-Time Against the Big East Conference
The Midshipmen own an all-time mark of 137-87-4 (.610) against teams currently affiliated with the Big East Conference. Navy has played Connecticut (1-6), Georgetown (54-36), Louisville (1-1), Notre Dame (3-8-1), Pittsburgh (17-5), Rutgers (8-3), St. John's (0-1-1), Seton Hall (6-4), Villanova (29-9-2) and West Virginia (18-14) during its 112-year program history. The Mids have not met Cincinnati and South Florida on the baseball diamond.

Navy All-Time vs. District of Columbia Teams
Navy owns an all-time record of 94-45-2 (.674) against teams from the District of Columbia. The Midshipmen have played American (11-2-1), Catholic (29-7-1) and Georgetown (54-36).

Navy's 6-1 Start Best in 18 Years
The Midshipmen are off to their best start since the 1989 season with their 6-1 record to open the 2007 schedule. The 1989 team went 8-1 to start its season, prior to which the 1981 squad posted a 9-1 in its first-10 games of the year.

Midshipmen on Five-Game Winning Streak
Navy makes the trip to Millington on a five-game winning streak, the longest since last year's seven-game winning streak between March 26 and April 9. The Midshipmen posted a pair of five-game or better winning streaks last year in finishing the season with a 32-21-1 record. The last time Navy won eight straight came during the 2000 season, when the Mids took four from Columbia, three from Lehigh and one from Georgetown. Navy's last nine-game winning streak happened 21 years ago, as the Midshipmen rattled off 14-consecutive wins between April 12 and May 10 of the 1986 season.

February Success Under Kosty
The Midshipmen have enjoyed significant success under head coach Paul Kostacopoulos in the month of February over his first-two seasons at the helm. Kostacopoulos and the Mids own a 14-3-1 (.806) mark in the month of February. Navy's six wins in the month of February this year ranks second in school history. The Midshipmen established the program record for wins in the second calendar month last season, posting an 8-2-1 (.773) record.

Don't Leave Me Hanging
Navy has left 67 runners on base over its first-seven games in 2007. Of those runners stranded, 41 were in scoring position. The Midshipmen have left the bases loaded on five occasions this year.

Hollins Moving Up Stolen Base List
Junior center fielder Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) moved into sole possession of eighth place on the career stolen bases list during the seventh inning of Tuesday's game against Delaware State. His 35 career stolen bases are only two shy of tying Mike Schultz (1986-88) for seventh on the all-time list.

Second-Youngest Team in Patriot League
The 2007 Navy baseball team ranks as the second-youngest team in the Patriot League this season, highlighted by its 16 freshmen and only five seniors. Only Lehigh, last year's league champion, welcomes more new faces this year, as nearly half (17-of-35) of its team is comprised of freshmen.

Freshmen Making Immediate Impact
With 16 freshmen on the 2007 roster, Navy is counting on its freshman class to make an immediate impact. Freshmen have accounted for more than 40 percent of the starting lineup this season, while a freshman has been on the mound in 33 percent of Navy's action this year.

Home Games a Plenty in 2007
This weekend's action at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium will mark the start of a 32-game home slate for the Midshipmen in 2007. Weather permitting, the 32 home games would break the school record of 28 home contests set last season.

Home Sweet Home
Since the 1946 season, Navy has posted a record of 739-280-15 (.722) at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. This season, the Midshipmen are off to a 4-0 start on their home field.

Turning the Ship Around
In just his first season as a head coach with Navy, Paul Kostacopoulos helped direct the baseball team to a 20-win improvement over its 2005 win-total. The 2006 squad finished the year with a 32-21-1 mark compared to its 12-33-1 record the year before. The 20-win jump over the previous year's total is the highest in school history and tied the Patriot League record with the 2004 Army Black Knights.
Those changes also reflected in the statistics, as Navy was the only Division I team in the nation (289 teams) to drop more than two runs in its ERA and raise its batting average more than 40 points. The Midshipmen trimmed their ERA by 2.18 runs (4.20 in '06 vs. 6.38 in '05), representing the fifth-largest drop in the nation and the best improvement in school history. The Mids upped their batting average 46 points (.293 in '06 vs. .247 in '05), ranking fifth in the country for the largest increase and fourth in school history.

Non-League Success in `06
Navy set a school record for the most non-league wins in program during the 2006 season, recording a 24-9-1 (.721) mark away from Patriot League action. The 2006 Midshipmen smashed the previous record of 18 non-league wins during the 1983 campaign.
The Midshipmen made the most of their games prior to Patriot League play last year, registering a 19-8-1 (.696) record before their league-opening series against Holy Cross. The 19 pre-league wins also set a program record and were nearly double the previous mark of 10 wins before league action during the 1994 slate.

Navy's History of Success in the Patriot League
Despite joining the Patriot League two years after it began competing in baseball, Navy has won more league postseason and regular season titles than any other team in league history. The Midshipmen, who joined the league in 1993, have won five Patriot League titles and been crowned regular season champions on eight occasions. Navy's all-time winning percentage of .596 (168-114) in Patriot League action ranks second among teams currently affiliated with the league.

Navy Tabbed Second in Patriot League Preseason Poll
The Navy baseball team has been picked to tie for second place in the 2007 Patriot League Preseason Poll, voted on by each school's head coach and sports information contact. Five of the six teams in the Patriot League received a first-place vote in the poll.
For the third-consecutive year, Army (30-20-1, 10-10 PL/fourth) has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the league with seven first-place ballots and 46 points.
Lafayette (27-24, 11-9 PL/third) and Navy (32-21-1, 8-12 PL/fifth) each accumulated 34 points to tie for second, as the Leopards received two first-place votes and the Midshipmen collected one.
Bucknell (24-24, 13-7 PL/tied-first) tallied 30 points and a first-place vote, while defending Patriot League champion Lehigh (28-28, 13-7 PL/tied-first) came in fifth with 24 points and one first-place ballot and Holy Cross (16-26-1, 5-15 PL/sixth) rounds out the league with 12 points.
In his first season at Annapolis last year, head coach Paul Kostacopoulos guided the Mids to a 20-win improvement over their 2005 win-total, marking the largest increase in school history. Navy returns 13 letterwinners from a 2006 squad that was the only team in Division I baseball to boost its team batting average more than 40 points and trim its ERA by more than two runs.

Jonathan Maggart
Assistant Sports Information Director
United States Naval Academy
Office: (410) 293-8771

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 2:01pm

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy to Compete in EISL Swimming Championship

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League, which consists of Navy and the eight Ivy League schools, will hold its annual men's championship meet this weekend in Princeton, N.J. The three-day championship begins Thursday at the DeNunzio Pool on the Princeton campus.

Trial heats will start each morning at 11 a.m., with the finals held nightly starting at 6 p.m.

One of the oldest swimming leagues in the country, the EISL was founded in 1936 and has held an annual championship meet since 1962. The Mids have been members of the league since its founding.

Last year, eight athletes from the league competed at the NCAA Championship in a total of 20 events.

"The EISL Championship is an incredibly competitive meet," said Navy men's swimming head coach Bill Roberts. "All nine teams will be
doing their best to have as many athletes qualify for the finals each night. We expect to be one of the reasons this meet is so competitive."

Navy posted a 4-4 record during this year's regular season against EISL foes, the most wins for the program since winning an identical number five years ago during a nine-meet campaign. The Mids, who won their fourth Patriot League title in as many years this past weekend, are looking to improve upon their sixth-place showing at the 2006 EISL Championship.

Kevin Teague (Sr., Lexington, Ky.) is the returning Mid who has enjoyed the most success at past EISL meets. He has totaled a trio of diving titles at the championship and was tabbed as the 2005 Diver of the Meet.

Additionally, Navy returns a pair of Mids who competed in the championship final of an event last year. Kevin Mukri (Sr., Silver Spring, Md.) placed third in the 200 backstroke and seventh in the 100 back at the 2006 meet, while Kevin Kysiak (Jr., Western Springs, Ill.) finished in fourth place in the 100 breaststroke a year ago.

Mukri, the Navy record holder in both backstroke events, posted the league's second-fastest time in the 200 backstroke this season (1:49.69), as well as the third-best clocking in the 100 back (50.71). Kysiak, meanwhile, recorded the league's third-best time in the 100 breast this year (56.15).

Additionally, Adam Meyer (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) is seeded second in the 200 breast (2:02.81) and third in the 200 individual medley (1:51.55) events, while Cody Reeb (Fr., St. Louis, Mo.) was the second-fastest swimmer in the league this year in the 1000 freestyle (9:20.90).

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 2:11pm

Pride of Attica nears goal to fly for Navy

Published in the Lafayette Journal and Courier:

<a href="http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702190309%5B/url%5D">http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702190309</a>

[quote]
After starring on the football field for three seasons at the U.S. Naval Academy, Attica native Josh Smith is currently flying high during flight training.

Now an ensign, the first rank as a Navy officer -- the equivalent of a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army -- Smith just completed his initial flight training session at Pensacola, Fla....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 4:28pm

For: Immediate Release
Sent: February 21, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775

Northern Illinois Replaces Kent State On 2007 Football Schedule

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Northern Illinois Huskies, coming off a 7-6 season and a
berth in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, has replaced
Kent State on the 2007 Navy football schedule. Navy will make a return trip
to DeKalb in 2008.

Navy will face a challenging schedule in 2007 with five teams from BCS
conferences and four programs that earned bowl bids in 2006 highlighting the
slate. Two of the three bowl teams played in BCS games, while a third
narrowly missed out on playing in a BCS game. The Mids return 11 starters
(seven on offense, two on defense and both kickers) off a squad that posted
a 9-4 record, won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a school-record
fourth-straight year and participated in a fourth-straight bowl game.

Navy's Sept. 29 showdown against Service Academy rival Air Force, the Oct.
20 Homecoming contest against defending ACC champion and Orange Bowl
participant Wake Forest and the annual Army-Navy game on Dec. 1 at
Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium highlight the seven-game home and neutral site
schedule.

Game times for all Navy home games will be set in the spring due to
television considerations, while game times for the road games will be
announced by the host institution when available.

Navy has already locked in nine nationally-televised games with the Ball
State, Duke, Air Force, Wake Forest, Delaware and Northern Illinois games
being televised by CSTV: College Sports Television, the Rutgers game will be
on ESPN, the Notre Dame game will be televised by NBC and the Army-Navy game
by CBS.

Season tickets for the 2007 season are on sale now at <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>.
Season tickets are $190, which includes all six games at Navy-Marine Corps
Memorial Stadium. Each season ticket holder will also have the opportunity
to purchase a like number of tickets for the Army-Navy game. Single game
tickets are $30, except for the Air Force ($38) and Wake Forest ($32) games.
A season parking pass will cost $90.

2007 Navy Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time TV
Sept. 1 at Temple Philadelphia, Pa. TBA TBA
Sept. 7 at Rutgers Piscataway, N.J. 7 p.m. ESPN
Sept. 15 Ball State Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Sept. 22 Duke Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Sept. 29 Air Force Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Oct. 13 at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. TBA TBA
Oct. 20 Wake Forest (HC) Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Oct. 27 Delaware Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Nov. 3 at Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. 2:30 p.m. NBC
Nov. 10 at North Texas Denton, Texas TBA TBA
Nov. 17 Northern Illinois Annapolis, Md. TBA CSTV
Dec. 1 Army Baltimore, Md. TBA CBS

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 4:30pm

Published in the Annapolis Capital:

<a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_21-06/NAS%5B/url%5D">http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_21-06/NAS</a>

[quote]
Carly Meyer admits she was clueless about the Naval Academy when she received the recruiting call at her home in Orlando, Fla. Former Navy women’s basketball coach Joe Sanchez contacted Meyer during the summer prior to her senior season and was probably stunned by the reaction he received. “Coach Sanchez called me up out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in playing basketball for Navy,” Meyer recalled. “I was like, ‘Sorry mister, I am not playing basketball out on a boat.’ I had never heard of the Naval Academy and didn’t know what it was all about.”...

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 4:33pm

Published in the Annapolis Capital:

<a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_21-04/NAS%5B/url%5D">http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_21-04/NAS</a>

[quote]
It was the final home game of the season, the lone senior on the squad was honored in an emotional ceremony and seeding in the Patriot League Tournament was at stake.

Despite all those motivating factors, the Navy basketball team came out and laid an egg....

[/quote]

GreatAmerican · February 21, 2007, 4:35pm

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771

Harris and Berkowitz Earn Patriot League Honors

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Navy baseball junior Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) and freshman Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.) earned Patriot League Pitcher-of-the-Week and Freshman-of-the-Week honors, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.

Harris was recognized by the league for the fourth time in his career following two strong performances to open his 2007 campaign. The right-hander opened his season with a two-hit, seven-strikeout performance over five innings to get the win at Florida A&M on Feb. 9. Eight days later back in Annapolis, Harris earned his second win of the year by tossing six innings of three-hit baseball with no walks and nine strikeouts. On the year, he has not allowed an earned run in 11.0 innings of work and owns a 0.61 earned run average over his last-seven starts (44.0 innings), dating back to last season.

At the plate, Harris hit .273 (6-for-22) with team highs in home runs (two) and RBIs (seven). He hit a 410-foot blast to left-center in the series finale at Florida A&M on Feb. 11 and smacked an opposite field shot to right against Iona last Sunday.

Berkowitz enjoyed a solid start to his freshman season, recording a hit in each of his first-five games, four of which were multi-hit efforts. During the first-two weekends, the product of Parkland, Fla., hit .500 (9-for-18) with four RBIs. In the series finale against Iona on Sunday, he delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning. In his first action at the plate during his collegiate career against Florida A&M on Feb. 10, he went 2-for-4 with a walk and a RBI.

The Navy freshman made his first-career appearance with the Midshipmen out of the bullpen in the season opener against the Rattlers on Feb. 9. He worked a hitless, scoreless ninth inning in that contest.

The Midshipmen are off to their best start in 18 years with a 6-1 mark this season. Navy returns to action this weekend when it heads to Tennessee for the Service Academy Spring Classic. The Mids will take on Air Force on Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch against Missouri on Sunday to wrap up the classic. Each of the weekend’s contests will have live stats available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.navysports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · February 22, 2007, 4:13am

For Immediate Release
Sent Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772

Navy Seniors Carry Mids to Basketball Victory

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy senior class celebrated its final regular season home game by combining for 41 points in a 65-48 victory over American, Wednesday night in Alumni Hall.

The victory moves Navy into a fourth-place tie in the standings with the Eagles and Lafayette, with all three teams having posted a 5-8 record in the league with one game remaining. Navy's overall record also improved to 11-16 on the year, while American's fell to 10-18.

"I'm very happy for our seniors," said Navy head coach Tom Marryott of Betsy Burnett (New Holstein, Wis.), Margaret Knap (Chicago, Ill.), Carly Meyer (Orlando, Fla.) and team captain Kate Hobbs (Wexford, Pa.). "I'm happy they all played well in front of their families and I'm happy they contributed a great deal to our victory.

"We had an emotional game Sunday against Army, and this was another emotional night for our seniors. It was good to see us play better tonight under those circumstances."

Navy shot 42 percent from the field and held American to a 23-percent effort in the first half as the Mids slowly built a 36-21 lead at intermission. After holding a slim lead for most of the first half, the Mids closed the half with a 14-4 run to take the 15-point advantage at halftime.

The Mids soon took their largest lead of the game at 47-31 with just under 14 minutes left in the contest. The Eagles promptly sliced the margin in half over the next four minutes, then made it just a six-point game at 53-47 with 4:31 remaining when Nicole Ryan drilled a three-point field goal.

Navy's next possession saw Meyer respond by connecting on one of her four three-point field goals on the night to give the Mids a nine-point cushion. From there, the Navy advantage hovered between eight and 13 points until American's Nicole Ryan made a trio of free throws with 32 seconds remaining for what proved to be the final points of the night.

"Carly's three-pointer was the basket of the game," said Marryott. "You could see she really wanted the ball at that time, so we gave it to her and she buried a huge triple for us."

Both teams made 21 free throws in the game, with the Mids attempting 29 foul shots and the Eagles 28. The Mids attempted nearly half of their free throws over the final 3:12 of the game as Navy converted 9-of-14 attempts from the line during that span to seal the victory.

Navy shot 37.3 percent from the field in the game and made six three-pointers, while American connected on 29.6 percent of its shots and finished with five three-point field goals. The Navy defense finished the night with six blocked shots, with Meyer contributing three and Hobbs a pair.

Neither team took very good care of the basketball, with Navy committing 20 turnovers and American 18 in the game. The Mids tallied 10 steals to seven for the Eagles, and also held a 42-36 advantage on the glass.

Navy tied a season high by having four players -- including three seniors -- score in double figures. Meyer's 14 points paced the team, with Hobbs adding 13 and both Knap and Kalen Kropa (So., Reidsville, N.C.) finishing with 10 points. Meyer narrowly missed a double-double as she finished with nine rebounds, while Hobbs hauled in seven boards and Burnett five.

Navy will close its regular season Saturday at Colgate, a team Navy dropped a 55-44 decision to a few weeks ago in Annapolis. A victory by the Mids would move Navy into a fourth-place tie in the final league standings with the winner of the Lafayette at American game, while a loss could drop Navy to as low as seventh place.

"Saturday is a huge game for us," said Marryott. "We have talked all year about being able to play back-to-back solid games, and we need to do that and carry some momentum with us into the tournament."

While he was looking ahead to the end of the regular season and the impending league tournament, Marryott's final thoughts on the night were of his four-member senior class.

"A lot of people come to the games or follow the team and say how proud they are of the seniors for how they play on the court, and I am too. But I'm around them every day and because of that I am able to see so many more reasons to be proud of them for what they do and accomplish off the court, as well."

GreatAmerican · February 22, 2007, 5:54am

Mitch Harris - Patriot League Pitcher of the Week; Jonathan Berkowitz - Patriot League Freshman of the Week

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Navy baseball junior Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) and freshman Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.) earned Patriot League Pitcher-of-the-Week and Freshman-of-the-Week honors, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.

Harris was recognized by the league for the fourth time in his career following two strong performances to open his 2007 campaign. The right-hander opened his season with a two-hit, seven-strikeout performance over five innings to get the win at Florida A&M on Feb. 9. Eight days later back in Annapolis, Harris earned his second win of the year by tossing six innings of three-hit baseball with no walks and nine strikeouts. On the year, he has not allowed an earned run in 11.0 innings of work and owns a 0.61 earned run average over his last-seven starts (44.0 innings), dating back to last season.

At the plate, Harris hit .273 (6-for-22) with team highs in home runs (two) and RBIs (seven). He hit a 410-foot blast to left-center in the series finale at Florida A&M on Feb. 11 and smacked an opposite field shot to right against Iona last Sunday.

Berkowitz enjoyed a solid start to his freshman season, recording a hit in each of his first-five games, four of which were multi-hit efforts. During the first-two weekends, the product of Parkland, Fla., hit .500 (9-for-18) with four RBIs. In the series finale against Iona on Sunday, he delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning. In his first action at the plate during his collegiate career against Florida A&M on Feb. 10, he went 2-for-4 with a walk and a RBI.

The Navy freshman made his first-career appearance with the Midshipmen out of the bullpen in the season opener against the Rattlers on Feb. 9. He worked a hitless, scoreless ninth inning in that contest.

The Midshipmen are off to their best start in 18 years with a 6-1 mark this season. Navy returns to action this weekend when it heads to Tennessee for the Service Academy Spring Classic. The Mids will take on Air Force on Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch against Missouri on Sunday to wrap up the classic. Each of the weekend's contests will have live stats available via GameTracker on <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)">www.navysports.com(.)</a>

GreatAmerican · February 22, 2007, 5:55am

Mids suffer loss against first D-I opponent of the year.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell scored the final four goals of the first half to help the Bison to a 14-10 victory in women's lacrosse action on Tuesday night in Lewisburg, Pa. The Mids fell behind 9-5 at halftime, and could get no closer than two goals in the second half. The loss dropped Navy to 4-1 on the year.

Careless play cost the Mids dearly, as Navy committed 25 turnovers and went just 6-of-17 on clearing attempts. However, Navy still had chances to win the game in the second half. Bucknell led 11-7 with 22:46 to play in the contest, before Navy scored back-to-back goals to trim the lead to 11-9 on a pair of tallies by Amanda Towey. After Bucknell scored to make it 12-9, Erin Rawlick scored with 13:32 to play to bring Navy back to within two at 12-10. However, Bucknell would hold Navy scoreless the rest of the way for the 14-10 decision.

Bucknell outshot the Mids, 37-29 and picked up 16 ground balls to Navy's 12. Navy did record 17 draw controls to Bucknell's nine. The Mids were also hurt on free-position shots, as the Bison converted 2-of-5 opportunities, while Navy was 0-for-1.

Elise Chapdelaine paced Navy with four points (2 g, 2 a) and Towey and Rawlick scored three goals each. Kaylene Klingenstein and Mary Ruttum scored a goal each. Natalie Blandon stopped 14 shots in the cage.

Navy will host the James Madison club team on Saturday, beginning at 4:00 pm, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

GreatAmerican · February 22, 2007, 5:56am

Navy will play Brown at the CSA Championship for the sixth-consecutive year.

Feb. 21, 2007

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The 12th-ranked Navy squash team (21-7) will face No. 13 Brown (3-9) (Friday at 12:45 pm) in the opening round of the College Squash Association (CSA) Team Championship held Friday through Sunday on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn. The Mids are competing in the Hoehn Division which features Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Brown, Cornell, Franklin & Marshall and Rochester all vying for the No. 9-16 positions.

The Mids enter this weekend's team championship having won nine of the last 10 matches, including four in a row. On the year, Navy has produced a 21-7 record, just the fourth time in program history it has reached 20 wins and the second time in the last three years. Meanwhile, the Mids are 4-2 against members of the Hoehn Division this year, defeating Amherst, Bowdoin, Franklin & Marshall and Rochester.

"Our team is healthy and eager to play well on Friday," said seventh-year Navy head coach Craig Dawson. "If we stick to the basics and keep our focus without getting too psyched up, we will play good squash. It is a three-day tournament and we need to prepare one day at a time."

Junior captain Tucker George (West Hartford, Conn.), who owns a 3-3 record against Hoehn Division competitors, is atop Navy's ladder with a 13-6 record and a No. 38 national ranking. George, who has won three in a row, turned in his biggest win of the season in November when he cruised past 25th-ranked Todd Wood of Dartmouth, 3-1.

Another standout junior is 75th-ranked Jeff Sawin (Haverford, Pa.) who has played most of the season at No. 4 for the Midshipmen. Sawin is one of three players on the Navy roster to reach 20 wins, while he has suffered a team-low three losses. He is 6-0 against Hoehn opponents this year and features a 6-9, 9-7, 9-8, 6-9, 9-0 victory over 89th-ranked Kush Mahan from Bates.

No. 6 player Ben Mantica (Binghamton, N.Y.) has had a sensational rookie campaign, turning in a 20-7 record. He is the first Navy freshman to earn 20-plus wins since Brian Ko (Class of '01) produced a 20-10 record during the 1997-98 season. Mantica heads into the tournament having won nine of his last 10, including four straight.

Sophomore Christopher Zipf (Gladwyne, Pa.) is one of the most improved players on the Navy roster this season. Navy's No. 7 player, Zipf has turned in a 22-6 record after posting a 12-11 mark just a year ago. His 22 wins tops the team and are the most wins by a Navy player since Mike Brennan finished his career in 2004-05 with 26 victories.

Heading into the weekend No. 9 player Brian Hamilton (Lake Forest, Ill.) owns the team's longest winning streak of 10 matches. Hamilton's last loss was against Yale's Bill Hatch on Jan. 27. Since then, he has mowed down three potential CSA Championship foes, including Cornell's Alex Wolff, whom he defeated in three games.

Brown, who leads the all-time series with the Midshipmen, 7-4, is the only team in the Hoehn Division that Navy did not face this season. The Bears have won seven in a row against Navy, six of those in postseason competition. The last time the Mids picked off the Bears was in 1993 when Navy earned a 6-3 neutral site win during the regular season. Brown defeated Navy in last year's CSA Team Championship opener, 6-3.

Hoehn Division (No. 9-16)
vs. Navy vs. Navy
Rk School 06-07 All-Time
9 Bates Bates, 5-4 10-5
10 Amherst Navy, 5-4 30-7
11 Cornell Cornell, 5-4 16-10
12 Navy ---
13 Brown NA 4-7
14 Franklin & Marshall Navy, 6-3 32-13
15 Bowdoin Navy, 8-1 27-8
16 Rochester Navy, 7-2 25-1
Navy's Projected Lineup
Rk Player Record Streak
38 Tucker George 13-6 Won-1
78 Nils Mattsson 18-8 Won-3
97 Alastair Smith 19-6 Won-8
75 Jeff Sawin 21-3 Won-9
191 Michael Beautyman Jr 15-11 Won-1
156 Ben Mantica 20-7 Won-4
185 Christopher Zipf 22-6 Won-1
265 Dan Hellier 19-9 Won-1
224 Brian Hamilton 19-6 Won-10
298 Allen Hartley 9-1 Won-8

GreatAmerican · February 22, 2007, 5:59am

The Midshipmen won the classic last year, will face Air Force and Missouri

Feb. 21, 2007

This Week's Action

Game 8 - Feb. 23 - Navy (6-1) vs. Air Force (4-4)
Site: Millington, Tenn.
Time: 11 a.m.
Stadium (Capacity): USA Stadium (5,000)
Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Mitch Harris (2-0, 0.00) vs. Air Force - RHP Gary Whiteman (1-1, 11.30)
All-Time Series: Air Force leads, 11-6
Last Season: Navy 11, Air Force 6 (Feb. 25; Millington, Tenn.)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a>