<p>A Look Ahead...</p>
<p>Game 52 - May 5 - Maryland-Eastern Shore (9-37) at Navy (32-19)
Time: 1 p.m.
Stadium: Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium (1,500); Annapolis, Md.
Probable Starters: UMES - RHP Dustin Longchamps (3-9, 4.60 ERA) vs. Navy - RHP Mark McCoy (7-4, 4.77 ERA)
All-Time Series: Navy leads, 8-2
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a>
Last Year: Navy took all three games (March 11-12; Princess Anne, Md.)
Events: Senior Day Ceremony prior to first pitch</p>
<p>Game 53 - May 5 - Maryland-Eastern Shore at Navy
Time: 30 minutes after game one
Probable Starters: UMES - LHP Mike Roberts (2-9, 8.00 ERA) vs. Navy - RHP Mitch Harris (7-4, 2.51 ERA)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a></p>
<p>Game 54 - May 6 - Maryland-Eastern Shore at Navy
Time: 12 p.m.
Probable Starters: UMES - RHP Ken Richardson (1-5, 7.30 ERA) vs. Navy - RHP Oliver Drake (2-3, 3.48 ERA)
Live Stats: GameTracker available on <a href="http://www.NavySports.com%5B/url%5D">www.NavySports.com</a></p>
<p>Scouting Maryland-Eastern Shore
Maryland-Eastern Shore will make the trip to Annapolis with a 9-37 record and are looking to snap a four-game skid. The Hawks bats have been held in check during that time, scoring only five runs. Maryland-Eastern Shore has struggled on the road in 2007, posting a 1-21 record away from Princess Anne, Md., heading into the weekend.
Leading the charge at the plate for the Hawks is junior utility player Joel Gonzalez, who leads the team with a .414 batting average, 31 runs scored, 60 hits and a .511 on-base percentage. Freshman Josh Dean joins Gonzalez above the .300 mark hitting this year, batting .301 with a team-high three triples.
Pitching and defense have been lacking at times for the Hawks, evidenced by an 8.28 team ERA and a .939 team fielding percentage. One bright spot from their pitching staff has come from senior right-hander Dustin Longchamps, who has thrown 92.0 innings in 16 appearances, 13 of which are starts. Longchamps owns a 3-9 record and 4.60 ERA with 52 walks and 84 strikeouts on the year.</p>
<p>Last Year Against the Hawks
The Midshipmen took all three games at Hawks Stadium last season, sweeping Maryland-Eastern Shore by a combined score of 36-10. In the opener, Navy right-hander Mitch Harris needed only 77 pitches to strike out 11 batters in seven innings, as he scattered two hits and did not allow a run or a walk. The Midshipmen pitching staff combined for a 1.08 team ERA over the three-game set last year, walking only three and striking out 28 batters. Meanwhile, Navys offense exploded to the tune of .395 team batting average, 10 doubles, three triples, 17 walks and 13 stolen bases. Thomas Hamilton highlighted the offensive production for the Mids, batting .636 (7-for-11) with a double, seven RBIs and two walks with no strikeouts.</p>
<p>All-Time Series vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore
Navy owns an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series against Maryland-Eastern Shore. The two teams first met during the 1995 season in Annapolis, with the Midshipmen coming away with the win. The Mids are a perfect 4-0 against the Hawks at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.</p>
<p>Navy Earns Spot in Patriot League Tournament
The Navy baseball team captured a spot in this years Patriot League Tournament for the 12th time since joining the league in 1993. The Midshipmen will head to Lafayettes Class of 1978 Stadium in Easton, Pa., to take on second-seeded Army in an elimination game, with the winner taking on host Lafayette in a best-of-three series. The winner of the Patriot League Tournament will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament regionals, which will take place from June 1-4.
Navy owns a 3-1 all-time record in the opening round elimination game heading into next weekend. During the three occasions that the Mids have advanced to the championship best-of-three series through the opening elimination game, they have played the full three-game series each time, winning the Patriot League Tournament in 1999. </p>
<p>Mids Come in as the No. 3 Seed
The Midshipmen will head to Easton, Pa., for the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 3 seed for the second time in school history. In 1996, Navy came in as the third seed and blanked Lehigh, 10-0, before advancing to take on top-seeded Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa.</p>
<p>Back-to-Back 30-Win Seasons
With their 6-4 win over Army in West Point on April 21, the Midshipmen posted back-to-back 30 wins seasons for the first time in the programs storied 112-year history. In fact, Navys 32 wins in 2007 are tied for the second-highest total in school history, only two shy of tying the record of 34 victories held by the 1995 squad.</p>
<p>Navys 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 entered the league in 1993, have won five Patriot League titles and been crowned regular season champions on eight occasions. Navys all-time winning percentage of .596 (180-122) in Patriot League action ranks second among teams currently affiliated with the league.</p>
<p>Record-Setting Crowd Last Saturday
Last Saturday, 1,267 fans poured into Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis for Navys Patriot League doubleheader against Bucknell, breaking the stadiums attendance record since the crowds started being kept in 1980. Prior to the game, there was a field dedication ceremony to the Terwilliger Brothers and the first 1,000 fans in attendance received a free Navy baseball hat.
The attendance on that day was the largest for a Patriot League game this season and the most to watch a league doubleheader since Army and navy played in front of 2,550 fans in Oriole Park at Camden Yards last season.</p>
<p>Two Patriot League Sweeps
With Navys series sweep of Lehigh on April 14-16, the 2007 Mids became just the second team in program history to record two Patriot League, four-game series sweeps in one season. The only other Midshipmen baseball squad to do so came in 1995, as they went on to win the league and advanced to the NCAA regional. </p>
<p>Starting Hot in the Patriot League
Navy owns an all-time record of 42-12 (.778) following its Patriot League season-opening weekend, including an 12-3 (.800) mark in its first league game of the year. The Midshipmen have started the league slate with a 4-0 record in back-to-back years for the second time in school history (other time being the 1994 and 95 seasons).</p>
<p>Busting Out the Road Brooms
Navy recorded a four-game sweep of Patriot League foe Holy Cross up in Worcester, Mass., to open the league slate this year. The four-game sweep of a league opponent on the road is Navys first since it took four from the Crusaders in the Bay State on April 28-29, 1995.</p>
<p>Navy Tabbed Second in Patriot League Preseason Poll
The Navy baseball team was picked to tie for second place in the 2007 Patriot League Preseason Poll, voted on by each schools 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.</p>
<p>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 years league champion, welcomes more new faces this year, as nearly half (17-of-35) of its team is comprised of freshmen.</p>
<p>Freshmen Making Immediate Impact
Navy has relied heavily upon its freshman class during its successful start to the 2007 season. The Midshipmen have started no fewer than two freshmen in all-51 games this season. On eight occasions, the Mids have slotted six freshmen in the starting lineup, going 6-2 in those contests.</p>
<p>Seven Patriot League Rookie of the Week Awards
Navy claimed Patriot League Rookie-of-the-Week honors for the seventh time this year on April 17, establishing a Patriot League record for the most league awards won by one team in any of the three weekly honors (player of the week, pitcher of the week, rookie of the week).
Steven Soares (Parkland, Fla.) is the first Navy player to earn rookie-of-the-week honors twice, while Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.), Oliver Drake (Gardner, Mass.), Michael Speciale (Pearland, Texas), Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) and Yale Eckert (La Selva Beach, Calif.) have each won the award once.</p>
<p>Patriot League Rookie of the Week: Five-for-Five
Navy won the Patriot League Rookie of the Week Award for five-consecutive weeks to open the year. The 2007 Midshipmen became the first team in Patriot League history to win one award for five-straight weeks, topping Navys four-consecutive pitcher-of-the-week accolades during the 1999 season.</p>
<p>Navy in the National Rankings
As a team, the Midshipmen rank among the top-60 programs in the nation in three categories entering play this week. Navys 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 25th nationally, its .627 winning percentage places the squad 54th in the country and its 4.14 team ERA is 58th among all Division I institutions.</p>
<p>Hes Going the Distance
Navy junior right-handed pitcher Mark McCoy (Parkland, Fla.) threw back-to-back nine-inning complete games against Army (April 21) and Bucknell (April 28) for the first time in his career. McCoy is the first pitcher since Scott Kozink in 1999 to go the distance in two-straight nine-inning contests. If McCoy were to fire a complete game performance against Maryland-Eastern Shore this weekend, he would become the first pitcher since Rich McDevitt in 2003 to throw three-consecutive complete games.</p>
<p>A Pitchers Best Friend...Navys Home Field
In 30 games played at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Navy and its opposition have combined for six home runs. Navys lone round-tripper this season at home came off the bat of Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) against Iona on Feb. 18.
Over the last-six seasons at home, a span of 133 games, the Midshipmen and their guests have totaled just 43 home runs. The most combined home runs during the stretch is 10, which came in 24 home games in 2004.</p>
<p>How Bizarre?
The Midshipmen went through one of the strangest stretches in recent memory between April 7-16, as games were postponed, cancelled, delayed and/or moved for rather uncommon reasons.
Navys scheduled doubleheader with Lafayette on Saturday, April 7, was postponed due to snowfall that fell during the overnight hours. Over the past 30 years, Annapolis has averaged a trace of snow in the month of April.
On Tuesday, April 10, Navys night game at UMBC was cancelled, as the lights failed to turn on. One day later at Joe Cannon Stadium, Navy waited an hour and half past the 6 p.m. start time against Coppin State for emergency umpires to arrive from games called an hour-plus away from the stadium earlier in the day.
The final days doubleheader between Navy and Lehigh on April 16 was moved to Annapolis after a powerful Noreaster rendered Lehighs home field unplayable. With the storm still swirling just off the coast, the two teams played a twinbill with winds gusting over 50 mph for much of the afternoon, causing several delays as particles kept flying onto the field.</p>
<p>20 Non-League Wins
Navys 20 non-league wins this season ranks as the second-highest total in school history, only five behind last years 24-win output during out-of-league games. Navys 18 wins prior to the start of Patriot League play also ranks second in program history, only one win shy of the record set by the 2006 squad.</p>
<p>Navy Reaches 1,600 All-Time Wins
Navy registered its 1,600th victory during its 112-year program history with a 2-1 win over Monmouth on March 11 in Annapolis. The Midshipmen entered the 2007 campaign as the 48th-winningest team in the nation, having won 60-percent of their all-time contests.</p>
<p>Kosty Second-Quickest to 50 Wins with Navy
With Navys 16-3 win over Mount St. Marys on March 27, second-year Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos became the second-fastest Navy skipper to get to 50 wins during his tenure with the Mids. Kostacopoulos 50th-career win with Navy came in his 81st game at the helm for the Mids (50-30-1), only four games behind legendary head coach Joe Duff, who won his 50th game in his 77th contest on May 1, 1965 (50-25-2).</p>
<p>Kosty Gets Career Win No. 550
Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos picked up his 550th career victory with a 9-7 victory over Buffalo on March 15 in Annapolis. The 18-year veteran head coach reached the 550-win mark after spending his first-seven years at Providence in 1990-96, and nine seasons at Maine from 1997-05, before taking over the reigns of the Midshipmen baseball program in 2006.</p>
<p>Mids Use the Long Ball
After hitting four home runs during its first-26 games of the season, Navy pounded eight home runs over a five-game stretch from March 27 to April 1. Six different Midshipmen had a hand in on the act during this run, highlighted by Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) home runs in back-to-back-to-back games at Holy Cross. Thomas Hamilton (Houston, Texas), Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.), Kendall Bolt (Stockton, Calif.), Jonathan Berkowitz (Parkland, Fla.) and Jack Ferrick (Stafford, Va.) each went deep in Navys 16-3 win at Mount St. Marys on March 27.</p>
<p>Harris Homered in Back-to-Back-to-Back Games
Navy junior Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) became just the second player in school history to belt a home run in three-consecutive games when he performed the feat at Holy Cross on March 31-April 1. The only other player to hit a round-tripper in back-to-back-to-back games was Mark Zematis at East Carolina on March 4-5, 2000.
Harris is the first player in program history to hit a four-bagger in three-straight Patriot League games.</p>
<p>Harris Ranking in Several Strikeout Categories
Junior right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) ranks among Navys top-five pitchers in career strikeouts, career strikeouts per nine innings and career strikeouts before his senior year, as well as third in Patriot League career strikeouts. Harris ranks third on the career strikeouts list with 237, which is also the second-highest total in school history before his senior campaign. His 12.31 career strikeouts per nine innings ranks first all-time, more than two strikeouts per game better than the second-best mark.
Already this year, Harris has struck out 102 batters in only 75.1 innings, placing him second on the program and leagues single-season strikeouts per nine innings list with 12.19. His 102 strikeouts in 2007 ranks fifth in school history and third in Patriot League history.</p>
<p>Navys Melton on NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
For his impressive performance coming out of the bullpen this year, Navy baseball freshman closer JD Melton (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) is one of 40 pitchers selected for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. The third annual award is presented to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.
Melton has come in relief 18 times during his first season in Annapolis, owning a 3-2 record with a Patriot League-best nine saves and 2.54 ERA in 28.1 innings of work. The Navy right-hander has limited the opposition to a .227 batting average and has struck out 17 batters while walking only eight.</p>
<p>Melton: Saving the Game
Navy freshman reliever JD Melton (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) owns the Navy freshman saves record with nine saves this season, five more than the previous record held by Todd Bizba in 1985. Meltons nine saves also places him second on the all-time single-season saves list, only behind Ryan Hefners 10 saves last year. The Navy freshmans nine saves also places him for third on the career saves list and matches the seventh-highest single-season mark in Patriot League history.</p>
<p>Hollins Moving Up Stolen Base List
Junior center fielder Renaldo Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va.) ranks fourth on the career stolen bases list with 49 during his first two-plus seasons. Hollins is just the second player in school history to steal 10 or more bases in a year for three-consecutive seasons. Craig Candeto is the only other player to achieve this feat, swiping 10-plus bases during each of his four seasons from 2001-04.</p>
<p>Terwilliger Brothers Field Dedicated</p>
<p>Prior to the start of the April 28 doubleheader against Bucknell at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, the field was officially dedicated to the Terwilliger Brothers for their generous contributions to the Navy baseball program.</p>
<p>Ron Terwilliger was a three-year starter at second base from 1961-63 and hit .383 during his junior year in Annapolis. After graduating from the Academy with honors, he served in the Navy before getting his MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. In 1986, he became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trammell Crow Residential, a national real estate company that is the largest developer of multi-family housing in the United States. </p>
<p>Bruce Terwilliger was a star pitcher on the mound for the Midshipmen during his three years with the varsity baseball team from 1962-64. As a sophomore in 1962, he went 8-0 with a miniscule 2.29 ERA in 59.0 innings. He currently is only one of five pitchers in school history to post an undefeated record with five-plus decisions in a year. After he was commissioned into the Navy in 1964, he served and achieved the rank of Commander (O-5) prior to his retirement after 20 years of service.
With the support of the Terwilliger brothers, Navys home field went under massive renovations, starting in the fall of 2005, highlighted by the installation of FieldTurf, 1,000 chair-back seats and a state-of-the-art hitting facility with several other amenities.</p>