Navy Sports

Colleges and Universities A-Z Naval Academy - Annapolis
121

<p>For complete game notes in a pdf file, please visit the following link:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.fansonly.com/photos/schools/navy/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/Navywbb23GameNotes.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.fansonly.com/photos/schools/navy/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/Navywbb23GameNotes.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>The first of two games for the Navy women's basketball team in the Lehigh Valley in a span of five days will take place Tuesday night when the Mids play at Lehigh in a 7 p.m. game in Bethlehem, Pa. </p>

<p>The game will be carried live locally by WNAV-AM 1430 and over the internet at <a href="http://www.wnav.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.wnav.com&lt;/a>, with an audio and video broadcast of the game also available to subscribers of the Navy All-Access feature found on <a href="http://www.navysports.com(%5B/url%5D.)"&gt;www.navysports.com(.)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

122

<p>For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Midshipmen Picked Second in Patriot League Preseason Poll</p>

<p>CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Navy baseball team has been picked to tie for second place in the 2007 Patriot League Preseason Poll, it was released on Tuesday. The poll was voted on each school's head coach and sports information contact.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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>The top-three teams in the league standings advance to the Patriot League Championship on May 12-13 at the highest seed. The winner of the league tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, starting on June 1.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen open their 2007 slate when they travel down to Tallahassee, Fla., for a three-game series against Florida A&M, starting on Friday night at 6 p.m.</p>

<p>2007 Patriot League Preseason Poll</p>

<p>Rank Team Points (1st) 2006 Record
1. Army 46 (7) 30-20-1, 10-10 PL
2. Lafayette 34 (2) 27-24, 11-9 PL
Navy 34 (1) 32-21-1, 8-12 PL
4. Bucknell 30 (1) 24-24, 13-7 PL
5. Lehigh 24 (1) 28-28, 13-7 PL
6. Holy Cross 12 16-26-1, 5-15 PL</p>

123

<p>Admit it GA this is a much better methodology for your posts... :D</p>

124

<p>^^^^^
I take the 5th. :D</p>

125

<p>GAME-DAY DATA
NAVY (11-12 / 1-7) at LEHIGH (10-14 / 5-3)
February 7, 2007 • 7:00 pm (EST)
Stabler Arena (5,600) • Bethlehem, Pa.
TELEVISION: Service Electric 2 (local in Pa.) with Mike Zambelli and Rich Baska calling the action.
RADIO: WNAV (1430 AM) with Bob Socci handling the duties.
INTERNET: <a href="http://www.wnav.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.wnav.com&lt;/a>, <a href="http://www.yahoosports.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.yahoosports.com&lt;/a>
VIDEO STREAMING: <a href="http://www.patriotleague.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.patriotleague.com&lt;/a> (All-Access users only)
GAMETRACKER / LIVE STATS: No live stats will be provided for this game.</p>

<p>Navy Hits The Road Looking To Snap Losing Streak</p>

<p>The Navy men's basketball team takes to the road again for a Wednesday night battle at Lehigh, beginning at 7:00 pm from Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. The Mids enter the contest on a five-game losing streak and with an 11-12 overall record. The Mids recently concluded a brief two-game homestand with an 0-2 record and dropped to 1-7 in the Patriot League. However, Navy is still just two games out of fifth place.</p>

<p>Lehigh enters the contest with a 10-14 overall record and currently sit in third place in league play with a 5-3 record. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 56-54 win at American on Saturday and boast a stellar 8-1 record at Stabler Arena. Their lone loss at home was a 55-54 loss to Columbia on Jan. 2. The Mountain Hawks are led by guards Jose Olivero (16.0 ppg) and Marquis Hall (10.5 ppg, 4.2 apg). Hall has won the Patriot League Rookie of the Week award six straight weeks. Lehigh may also get a big boost from big man Jason Mgebroff. The 6-10, 270-pound senior has missed the last 11 games with a broken wrist, but is now practicing and may see time on Wednesday. Mgebroff averages 10.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg.</p>

<p>Navy is led by junior guard Greg Sprink, who become the 17th member of Navy's 1,000-point club when he reached the milestone on Friday night against Bucknell. Sprink averages 16.6 ppg, but no other player averages double figures and sophomore guard Kaleo Kina is next in line at 8.7 ppg.</p>

<p>Navy scored a season-high 63 points in PL play last Friday night, but it wasn't enough as Bucknell outscored the Mids, 78-63, at Alumni Hall.</p>

126

<p>Sprink Named a San Diego Hall of Champions Star of the Month</p>

<p>For: Immediate Release
Date: Tuesday,February 6, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman - 410-293-8774</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The San Diego (Calif.) Hall of Champions has named Navy men's basketball player Greg Sprink a Star of the Month for January, it was announced late last week. Sprink, a junior guard for the Mids, is a Cardiff, Calif., native and played his high school basketball at El Camino High School. The January Stars of the Month included a golfer that earned his first career victory, two NFL stars and five collegiate basketball players. The Hall of Champions has been presenting Star of the Month awards since 1946. Every athlete named a Star of the Month will receive an invitation to the 62nd annual Viejas Salute to Champions dinner on a date to be announced in February, 2008. </p>

<p>Sprink recently became just the 17th player in school history, and only the fifth junior, to surpass the 1,000-point barrier. He currently ranks 17th on the list with 1,007 career points and is second all-time in three-pointers made at Navy (148). He ranks in the Navy top ten in career three-pointers attempted (3rd; 410), career three-point percentage (6th; .361), three-pointers in a year (9th; 53), three-pointers attempted in a season (9th; 149) and his .895 free throw percentage this year is tops in school history and 14th in the country. He is on pace to become the first Navy player to ever score 1,500 points with 500 rebounds and 250 assists and is the only player in the Patriot League this year to rank in the top 10 in points, rebounds and assists. He has scored in double-figures in 19-of-23 games and owns 16 career 20-point games. He has led Navy in scoring 16 times this year.</p>

<p>For the season, Sprink is averaging 16.6 ppg (3rd in the Patriot League), 5.0 rpg and 2.57 apg. </p>

<p>Sprink and the Mids will travel to Lehigh for a Wednesday night battle with the Mountain Hawks, beginning at 7:00 pm.</p>

127

<p>Overall Navy Sports Record, 181-95-3 (.656)</p>

<p>Baseball (0-0)</p>

<p>Last Week: Idle</p>

<p>This Week: at Florida A&M (Friday, 6 p.m., Tallahassee, Fla.); at Florida A&M (Saturday, 1 p.m., Tallahassee, Fla.); at Florida A&M (Sunday, 11 a.m., Tallahassee, Fla.)</p>

<p>Men's Basketball (11-12, 1-7 in the Patriot League)</p>

<p>Last Week: Lost to Bucknell, 78-63</p>

<p>This Week: at Lehigh (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Bethlehem, Pa., 1430 WNAV, live video on navysports.com and patriotleague.com): at Lafayette (Saturday, 4 p.m., Easton, Pa., 1430 WNAV, CSTV, navysport.com)</p>

<p>Women's Basketball (9-13, 3-5 in the Patriot League)</p>

<p>Last Week: Defeated Winston-Salem State, 58-39; lost to Bucknell, 76-66 This Week: at Lehigh (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Bethlehem, Pa., 1430 WNAV, live video at navysports.com and patriotleague.com); at Lafayette (Saturday, 1 p.m., Easton, Pa., 1430 WNAV, live video at navysports.com and patriotleague.com)</p>

<p>Gymnastics (7-5)</p>

<p>Last Week: Defeated James Madison, 188.8-158.7; defeated Springfield, 188.8-179.75; lost to William & Mary, 189.4-188.8); lost to UIC, 193.3-188.8 This Week: at Army (Saturday, 1 p.m., West Point, N.Y.)</p>

<h1>9 Men's Lacrosse (0-0)</h1>

<p>Last Week: Played No. 1 Virginia in a scrimmage</p>

<p>This Week: No. 3 Syracuse (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Women's Lacrosse (0-0)</p>

<p>Last Week: Idle</p>

<p>This Week: Heroes-Scrimmage (Saturday, 7 p.m., Annapolis, Md.); La Salle (Sunday, 11 a.m., Annapolis, Md.); American (Sunday, 1 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Rifle (7-3)</p>

<p>Last Week: Idle</p>

<p>This Week: John Jay-NCAA Qualifier (Saturday, 8 a.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<h1>10 Squash (17-6)</h1>

<p>Last Week: Defeated Colgate, 9-0; defeated Lafayette, 5-0; defeated Georgetown, 9-0; defeated Rochester, 7-2</p>

<p>This Week: at Cornell (Saturday, 9 a.m., Ithaca, N.Y.); vs. Tufts (Saturday, 2 p.m., Ithaca, N.Y.); at Hamilton College (Sunday, 10 a.m., Hamilton, N.Y.)</p>

<p>Men's Swimming & Diving (12-4)</p>

<p>Last Week: Lost to Columbia, 172-128; Competed at the Bison Invitational
No team scoring</p>

<p>This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Women's Swimming & Diving (11-2)</p>

<p>Last Week: Competed at the Bison Invitational</p>

<p>This Week: Idle</p>

<p>Tennis (3-2)</p>

<p>Last Week: Lost to Georgetown, 5-2; defeated Villanova, 4-2</p>

<p>This Week: Maryland (Saturday, 12 noon, Annapolis, Md.)</p>

<p>Men's Track & Field (6-1)</p>

<p>Last Week: Defeated Army, 95-86</p>

<p>This Week: at Iowa State Classic (Friday-Saturday, All Day, Ames, Iowa) </p>

<p>Women's Track & Field (7-0)</p>

<p>Last Week: Defeated Army, 107-73</p>

<p>This Week: Idle</p>

<p>No. 22 Wrestling (9-4)</p>

<p>Last Week: Finished first out of eight teams at the All-Academy Championship</p>

<p>This Week: Bucknell (Saturday, 7 p.m., Annapolis, Md.)</p>

128

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Mids Hold Off Mountain Hawks for Road Win</p>

<p>BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A 52-percent field goal percentage in the first half and just three turnovers in the second half helped the Navy women's basketball team post a 59-46 victory over Lehigh, Tuesday night at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.</p>

<p>The victory improves Navy's record to 10-13 on the year and 4-5 in the Patriot League, while Lehigh fell to 8-15 on the season and 3-6 in the league with the loss.</p>

<p>"We did a very nice job on both ends of the floor and during both halves," said Navy head coach Tom Marryott. "It might be as well as we have played in both halves all year. We had some very nice individual defensive performances against some good Lehigh shooters."</p>

<p>The Navy offense started the game strong, jumping out to an 8-2 lead less than three minutes into the game. The Mountain Hawks would respond with a run of their own and soon took a 15-14 lead just four minutes later.</p>

<p>A key stretch of the game took place over the final minutes of the first half. A Kalen Kropa (So., Reidsville, N.C.) three-pointer tied the game at 23-23 with 5:41 remaining in the half, a trey which started an 8-0 run for the Mids. After a Sara Ellis triple for Lehigh pulled the Mountain Hawks to within 28-26 with 28 seconds left in the half, the Mids worked the clock down and Betsy Burnett (Sr., New Holstein, Wis.) made a twisting baseline jumper just before the half expired to give Navy a 30-26 lead at intermission.</p>

<p>The bucket was Burnett's sixth field goal on seven attempts of the half.</p>

<p>Navy held a slim lead through the early portion of the second half, but soon took a 44-36 advantage with just under 12 minutes left in the game on a three-pointer by Carly Meyer (Sr., Orlando, Fla.). Another Meyer triple with 5:36 left to play gave the Mids their first double-digit lead of the game at 53-43, and from there the Navy advantage never dipped below eight points.</p>

<p>The Mids shot 43 percent from the field and made 6-of-13 three-point field goal attempts on the night, while holding Lehigh to 34 percent shooting from the field and to 3-of-15 shooting from behind the three-point arc.</p>

<p>Navy forced Lehigh into 14 turnovers in the game, while committing 13 of its own. Navy also outrebounded Lehigh by a 38-31 advantage.</p>

<p>Lehigh was called for zero fouls in the first half and forjust four fouls in the entire game to Navy's 13 on the night. The Mids did not attempt a free throw until 6:45 left in the game when Margaret Knap (Sr., Chicago, Ill.) was fouled while making a field goal. </p>

<p>Burnett scored 16 points in the game, while Meyer made four triples on the night in totaling 14 points. Joining the duo in double figures was Knap with 11. Also playing well was Kropa, who finished with a career-high eight assists, six rebounds and just three turnovers.</p>

<p>Navy returns to the Lehigh Valley this weekend for its next game when the Mids play at Lafayette Saturday at 1 p.m.</p>

129

<p>Posted on PNTOnline.com:</p>

<p><a href="http://pntonline.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=fnmStoryFull.html&id=9849%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://pntonline.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=fnmStoryFull.html&id=9849&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Former Portales Lady Ram Morgan Hill still studies and shoots hoops, but everything else in her world has dramatically changed. </p>

<p>Morgan is a freshman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. — and like any new arrival, she’s still trying to adjust....

[/quote]
</p>

130

<p>Published in today's Baltimore Examiner:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/a-551411%7EMids_dealing_with_growing_pains.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.examiner.com/a-551411~Mids_dealing_with_growing_pains.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Ever the optimist, Navy men’s basketball coach Billy Lange is confident his young squad has the talent to be a serious contender for the Patriot League title ... in two years.</p>

<p>This season, the Midshipmen are relying heavily on five plebes, and the inconsistency that comes with fielding a young team is evident by their recent play. After starting the season 11-7, Navy has lost five straight games and is now 11-12 overall and 1-7 in the Patriot League....

[/quote]
</p>

131

<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Midshipmen Travel to Iowa State Classic This Weekend</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After defeating Army to capture the N-Star last weekend, the Navy men's track & field team will round its indoor regular season with the non-team scoring Iowa State Classic on Friday and Saturday at the Lied Recreational Center in Ames, Iowa.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen (6-1) captured their sixth-consecutive N-Star over the Black Knights with a 95-86 win in West Point last Saturday. Navy held a 62-53 advantage on the track, including victories in each individual race between the 500-meter and 3,000-meter run events. </p>

<p>For the season, Navy has 18 entries to the IC4A Championship with 15 individual qualifiers covering 13 events.</p>

<p>Competing in the 800-meter run, 4x400-meter relay and distance medley relay this weekend will be junior Paul Harris (Woodbury, Minn.). Harris owns the school in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:50.71, which he set in the Navy Invitational to open this season. Last weekend, he won the 500-meter run with a 1:02.93 showing and has claimed first in every individual race he has competed in this year.</p>

<p>Junior Craig Meekins (Baldwin, N.Y.) will join Harris in the 800-meter run and will serve on Navy’s 4x400-meter relay. Meekins posted the seventh-fastest time in school history in the 800-meter run two weeks ago, clocking in with a time of 1:51.84. Last Saturday at Army, he won the race with a 1:54.36 showing.</p>

<p>Looking to see action in two events this weekend is junior middle distance runner Jeff Sarchione (Alliance, Ohio). An IC4A qualifier in both the 1,000-meter run and mile run this season, Sarchione will race in the mile after winning the event with a time of 4:10.49 at Army last Saturday. At the Penn State National Open one week prior, he completed the 1,000-meter run in a season-best time of 2:25.93. Sarchione is also slated to run a leg in the distance medley relay this weekend.</p>

<p>Junior Dante Marshall (Hermitage, Pa.) holds the team’s top-six distances in the triple jump this year, five of which surpassed the IC4A mark. Marshall soared 48’6” (14.78 meters) at the Penn State National Open two weeks ago and won the event at Army last Saturday with a 47’10-1/2” (14.59 meters) effort.</p>

<p>Classmate Ron Belany (Haiku, Hawai’i) will see dual action this weekend, competing in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump. Belany’s season-best 60-meter hurdles time of 8.28 seconds during the semifinals of the Penn State National Open tied the 10th-fastest time in program history. Last weekend, he qualified for the IC4A Championship in the long jump with a distance of 23’7-1/2” (7.20 meters).</p>

<p>Juniors John Olsen (Staten Island, N.Y.) and John Kress (Colorado Springs, Colo.) went 1-2 in the 3,000-meter run at Army last weekend. Olsen, who will run in the 3,000-meter race this weekend, won the event with an IC4A time of 8:25.61. Kress followed with an IC4A-qualifying clocking of 8:28.16 and will compete in the 5,000-meter run during this weekend’s meet. He qualified for the IC4A Championship in the 5,000-meter race with a 14:37.61 showing two weeks ago.</p>

<p>Following this weekend's meet, Navy will head back to West Point to compete in the Patriot League Championship on Feb. 16-18. The Midshipmen, who were picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll, placed second at last year's indoor league championship in Annapolis.</p>

132

<p>For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>Navy to Compete for N-Star at Army on Saturday</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy gymnastics team will look to earn its second-consecutive N-Star when it heads up to West Point to take on Army in the annual Star Meet on Saturday at 1 p.m., in the Lou Gross Sports Center.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights, 201.3-198.825, in last year’s Star Meet at Macdonough Hall in Annapolis. Navy won three of the six events and claimed individual titles in four disciplines to record its first N-Star victory since the 2002 season. However, Army holds a 40-30-2 advantage in the all-time series and the Midshipmen last won the N-Star at West Point in 1997.</p>

<p>Navy (7-5) heads to West Point this weekend after placing third among five schools at the James Madison Invitational last Saturday. The Midshipmen tallied 188.8 points in finishing less than five points off of Illinois-Chicago’s first-place total of 193.3 points.</p>

<p>The Mids are currently ranked 14th in the country with its average team score of 190.0 points, while the Black Knights enter with a 12th-place ranking score of 197.937 points.</p>

<p>One of the intriguing match-ups on Saturday looks to be in the all-around between Navy junior Christopher Tam (Draper, Utah) and Army junior Mike Assenmacher. Tam, who is ranked 20th nationally in the all-around, has scored above 49.0 points twice this season. Assenmacher ranks 17th in the country with an average score of 48.962 points, but Tam outscored the Army junior by more than two points in their previous meeting this season at the West Point Open.</p>

<p>Tam’s best event this season has been on the high bar, where he ranks 19th in the country with an average score of 8.767 points. He earned an 8.85 from the judges last weekend to win the high bar for the second time in 2007. Tam will be tested against a pair of ranked gymnasts from Army, No. 12 George Rhynedance and No. 17 Joseph Baumann. He also owns an 8.1 scoring average on the pommel horse, where he ranks 39th nationally, and won the event during the Navy Open. Tam will be competing against Army’s Brandon Whitten, who holds an 8.35-point scoring average in the discipline to rank 23rd in the nation.</p>

<p>Navy junior Brandon Cook (Longmont, Colo.) scored above an 8.0 in three events last Saturday and will look for similar results this Saturday. Cook, ranked 48th in the floor exercise, owns an average score of 8.733 points this season, earning an 8.5 or higher in all three meets this year. He holds an 8.45 average on the vault and posted an 8.2-point performance on the high bar last weekend. He also received a 7.6 from the judges in only his third-career performance on the still rings at the James Madison Invitational. </p>

<p>Following this weekend’s Star Meet, the Midshipmen will head to San Francisco to compete against Army and Air Force in the All-Academy Championship on Feb. 17.</p>

133

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_07-07/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_07-07/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Head coach Billy Lange knows that in order for Navy to win more games in the Patriot League the team will need to get better production out of its starting backcourt.</p>

<p>Guards Corey Johnson and Kaleo Kina have not provided much in the terms of scoring or playmaking the last few games and the entire offense has suffered....

[/quote]
</p>

134

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: February 7, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Mids Hang On To Upset Lehigh, 70-65</p>

<p>BETHLEHEM, Pa.— Trey Stanton poured in 16 points, while Kaleo Kina added 15 points and Greg Sprink chipped in with 10 points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out five assists to lead Navy (12-12, 2-7 in the Patriot League) to a 70-65 upset of Lehigh (10-15, 5-4) in front of 962 fans at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem. The win broke a five-game losing streak for the Mids and it was Lehigh’s first conference loss at home.</p>

<p>“I’m happy for our kids to get a quality win against a great team,” said Navy head basketball coach Billy Lange. “I really like the fact we won without Greg Sprink as our leading scorer. I think Greg had a great floor game for us tonight. Overall our offensive balance was good and it’s something we hope to build on.” </p>

<p>The Mids got the win thanks to red-hot shooting from the field. Navy shot .561 (23-41) from the floor, including a .571 mark (12-21) from behind the three-point arc, as the Mids scored 70 points against a Division I opponent for the first time since a Dec. 4 victory over Howard (79-75). </p>

<p>Navy led 39-28 at the half thanks to seven three-point field goals and 58 percent shooting from the field. The Mids committed just seven first half turnovers and held Lehigh to 30 percent shooting (8-27).</p>

<p>Navy led by as many as 17 points on two different occasions in the second half, the last on a three-point field goal by Kaleo Kina with 13:14 left in the contest. </p>

<p>The Mountain Hawks, however, refused to go away quietly going on a 19-6 run over the next three minutes to cut Navy’s lead to 61-57. Jose Olivero scored 10 of his game-high 24 points during that span to get Lehigh back into the game. </p>

<p>The two teams then went stone cold over the next three minutes as Lehigh missed four field goals and a free throw and Navy missed five-straight free throws, including three by Greg Sprink who entered the contest shooting .895 from the free throw line.</p>

<p>After a Bryan White free throw cut Navy’s lead to 61-58 with 5:05 left, the Mids settled down and made seven of nine free throws down the stretch. Navy was able to hang on despite making just one field goal over the final 9:27.</p>

<p>Bobby Fenske contributed a career-high nine points for the Mids, making all three of his three-point field goal attempts as eight different Navy players made three-point field goals. Corey Johnson added six points and handed out three assists.</p>

<p>White added 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks, while Marquis Hall scored 13 points and handed out five assists. Lehigh dominated Navy on the boards, outrebounding the Mids 37-26, including a 17-4 margin on the offensive glass.</p>

<p>With the win and Lafayette’s loss to Colgate, Navy moved into a seventh-place tie with the Leopards and are now just one game out of fifth place behind American and Army. The Mids travel to Lafayette on Saturday to take on the Leopards in a game that will be televised nationally by CSTV starting at 4 p.m.</p>

135

<p>For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Maggart (410) 293-8771</p>

<p>This Week's Action
Feb. 9 Navy (0-0) at Florida A&M (0-4) Tallahassee, Fla. 6 p.m.
Stadium (Capacity): Moore-Kittles Field (500)
Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Mitch Harris (0-0, 0.00) vs.
Florida A&M - RHP Cirilo Manego (0-1, 5.91) or
RHP Chad Smith (0-1, 12.00)
All-Time Series: Navy leads, 3-0
Last Season: Navy swept the three-game series
(Feb. 11-12; Tallahassee, Fla.)</p>

<p>Feb. 10 Navy at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 1 p.m. Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Mark McCoy (0-0, 0.00) vs. Florida A&M - RHP Cirilo Manego (0-1, 5.91) or RHP Chad Smith (0-1, 12.00)</p>

<p>Feb. 11 Navy at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 11 a.m. Probable Starters: Navy - RHP Matt White (0-0, 0.00) vs. Florida A&M - TBA</p>

<p>Navy Opens '07 Season at Florida A&M</p>

<p>The Navy baseball team will begin its 2007 season with a three-game set down in Tallahassee, Fla., against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Feb. 9-11. The Midshipmen, who will commence their 112th baseball season on Friday night, return 13 letterwinners from a 2006 team that posted a 32-21-1 record, 8-12 in the Patriot League.</p>

<p>Navy's 32 wins in 2006 were the second-most in school history and the team's 20-win improvement over the 2005 season was the best in program history. The Midshipmen hit .293 as a team in '06 and posted a 4.20 ERA on the mound.</p>

<p>The Rattlers enter the weekend with a 0-4 record despite hitting .303 as a team and scoring 5.75 runs per game. Florida A&M has been victimized by poor fielding to start the year, evidenced by 18 errors (.888 fielding percentage) leading to 16 unearned runs.</p>

<p>Leading the way at plate for Florida A&M is freshman outfielder Darryl Evans, who is hitting .474 with two home runs and four RBIs in his first-four collegiate games. Senior utility player Stanley Gnat is batting .412 with five RBIs and three of senior outfielder Anthony Mazzeo's six hits have gone for doubles in 2007.</p>

<p>Last Year at Florida A&M</p>

<p>Navy and Florida A&M met each other for the first time last season, as the visiting Mids left Tallahassee with a three-game sweep. In the opener on Feb. 11, Navy's Mitch Harris and Matt White combined for 16 strikeouts, matching the third-highest single-game mark in school history. Jared Munde produced a 4-for-4 effort in the second game of the series and finished the weekend with a .545 (6-for-11) batting average with four RBIs.</p>

<p>Last Year vs. Florida A&M</p>

<p>Navy 7, Florida A&M 2 (Feb. 11, 2006; Tallahassee, Fla.)
Navy 003 001 102 --- 7 10 0 W-Harris SV-White
Florida A&M 000 010 001 --- 2 8 2 L-Baylor
Navy 7, Florida A&M 3 (Feb. 12, 2006; Tallahassee, Fla.)
Navy 200 004 1 --- 7 12 2 W-McCoy SV-Koessler
Florida A&M 101 000 1 --- 3 7 3 L-Snyder
Navy 4, Florida A&M 3 (Feb. 12, 2006; Tallahassee, Fla.)
Navy 001 020 1 --- 4 6 2 W-Hefner
Florida A&M 000 000 3 --- 3 10 0 L-Smith</p>

<p>Navy All-Time Against the MEAC</p>

<p>The Midshipmen own an all-time mark of 23-6-1 against teams affiliated with the MEAC, good for a .783 winning percentage. Navy has played Coppin State (6-3-1), Delaware State (6-1), Florida A&M (3-0) and UMES (8-2) during its 112-year history. The Midshipmen have not met Bethune-Cookman, Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T on the baseball diamond.</p>

<p>Navy All-Time vs. Florida Teams</p>

<p>The Navy baseball team owns an all-time record of 4-11 (.267) against Division I baseball teams from the state of Florida. The Midshipmen have played Florida A&M (3-0), Florida Atlantic (0-2), Florida International (1-1), Jacksonville (0-5), Miami (0-1) and North Florida (0-2). Prior to last year's three-game sweep of Florida A&M, Navy's only other victory against a team from Florida came on March 6, 1984, with a 15-14 win over Florida International.</p>

<p>Turning the Ship Around</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Non-League Success in '06</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>Preseason All-American Mitch Harris</p>

<p>Navy junior right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) earned ABCA/Rawlings Third-Team All-American honors following a breakout 2006 season on the mound. Harris finished his sophomore season with a 10-3 record, 1.74 ERA, 113 strikeouts in 82.2 innings with an opponents batting average of .189. At the plate, he hit .333 (50-for-150) with nine doubles, two triples, one home run and 27 RBIs.</p>

<p>In anticipation of a repeat performance this season, Harris has earned a variety of preseason accolades, including NCBWA Preseason Third-Team All-American distinction. The product of Mt. Holly, N.C., has also been named to the Brooks Wallace Award (National Player of the Year) and Roger Clemens Award (National Pitcher of the Year) Watch Lists. The Navy junior was tabbed as the 15th-best player in the nation, according to the CSTV.com Preseason Player of the Year Poll, and a Baseball America Player to Watch.</p>

<p>Navy's History of Success in the Patriot League</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>All-Time Patriot League Records</p>

<p>(current teams only) W L Pct. Champs/Reg. Season
Army 172 110 .610 4/4
Navy 168 114 .596 5/8
Bucknell 171 141 .548 3/5
Lehigh 145 169 .462 1/2
Lafayette 131 176 .427 0/0
Holy Cross 115 194 .372 0/0</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p>2007 Patriot League Preseason Poll</p>

<p>Rank Team Points (1st) 2006 Record
1. Army 46 (7) 30-20-1, 10-10 PL
2. Lafayette 34 (2) 27-24, 11-9 PL
Navy 34 (1) 32-21-1, 8-12 PL
4. Bucknell 30 (1) 24-24, 13-7 PL
5. Lehigh 24 (1) 28-28, 13-7 PL
6. Holy Cross 12 16-26-1, 5-15 PL</p>

<p>Navy's '07 Schedule: A Closer Look</p>

<p>The Navy baseball team has a 56-game schedule slated for the 2007 season, 32 of which take place at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Of Navy's 32 home games, 21 are scheduled to take place before the month of April.</p>

<p>Navy's non-league schedule will feature Big 12 power Missouri, who advanced the NCAA Super Regionals last year finished the season ranked 18th in Baseball America, at the Service Academy Spring Classic and a three-game set against Northeast Conference regular season champion Central Connecticut State in Annapolis.</p>

<p>Navy will open its season with a three-game series at Florida A&M on Feb. 9-11, before hosting Iona in its home-opening three-game set on Feb. 17-18. One week later, the Mids travel to the Service Academy Spring Classic for the 18th-consecutive year. Navy takes on Air Force on Feb. 23-24, and will wrap up the weekend with a contest against Missouri on Feb. 25. Last season, the Midshipmen defeated Indiana State, Air Force and Memphis to claim the title.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen return to Annapolis to play 17 of their next 19 games on their home field prior to the start of league play. During that stretch, Navy will host three-game weekend series against Central Connecticut State (March 3-4), Monmouth (March 10-11), Duquesne (March 17-18) and Yale (March 23-25).</p>

<p>The Patriot League season gets underway on the weekend of March 31-April 1, as Navy travels to Holy Cross for a four-game set. Last season, the Mids recorded a series sweep of the Crusaders in Annapolis during their league-opening weekend.</p>

<p>Navy returns home to host Lafayette in the first of its two league home weekends on April 7-8. The Midshipmen then head back on the road for 12 of the next 13 games, taking on defending league-champion Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., on April 14-15 before traveling up to West Point for the Star series against Army on April 21-22.</p>

<p>The Midshipmen close out their regular season with six home games, four of which come in their final Patriot League series against Bucknell on April 28-29. One week later, Navy takes on Maryland-Eastern Shore for a two-game series on May 5-6.</p>

<p>Buddy Custer Added to Coaching Staff</p>

<p>Navy baseball head coach Paul Kostacopoulos and the coaching staff announced the addition of Buddy Custer as a volunteer assistant coach during the past summer.</p>

<p>"The Naval Academy offers such great tradition and prestige - it is truly an honor to be given the privilege to work with the Midshipmen on the baseball team," stated Custer. "Coach Kostacopoulos has been a winner everywhere he has been, which has been accomplished through hard work and having players that compete. I am looking forward to adding whatever ingredient I can provide to give our players the opportunity to be successful - on the field and off."</p>

<p>"Buddy brings a great deal of experience to our staff," stated Kostacopoulos. "Having served as an assistant and head coach, worked in summer leagues and skills assessment, we feel very fortunate to have him."
A native of Hatfield, Pa., Custer began his coaching career in the collegiate ranks as an assistant at Villanova for one season in 1992, after which he coached at C.W. Post in the fall of 1992 and assisted at Fordham from 1993-94.</p>

<p>From 1995-99, Custer served as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee State, where he worked with the pitching staff and outfielders while also helping as a recruiting assistant. Then in the fall of 1999, he took over the head coaching reigns for one season at Barton College (N.C.).</p>

<p>Custer also carries extensive coaching experience within collegiate summer baseball leagues. He has fulfilled the role of head coach for the Austin Minny Stars of the Northwoods League in 1994, the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League from 2000-02 and the Baltimore Pride of the Clark Griffith League in 2003. Custer also served as an assistant coach in the Cape Cod League for the Bourne Braves in 1994 and the Wareham Gatemen in 2003.</p>

<p>Complementing his coaching background since 1993, Custer co-founded Diamond Stars, Inc., in which he operated instructional youth baseball camps in Pennsylvania and consulted players on the college recruiting process. He also worked for the Baseball Factory in Columbia, Md., from 2001-05, where he served as a personal recruiting and international director, as well as organizing camps, tournaments and teams. Custer also instructed the game of baseball to both players and coaches in the Czech Republic as part of Major League Baseball International in 1999.</p>

<p>Also a solid collegiate pitcher, Custer spent two seasons with Eastern Kentucky in 1988-89, before transferring to Villanova. As a sophomore, he helped the Colonels to an Ohio Valley Conference Championship and pitched in the NCAA West Regional against Arizona.</p>

136

<p>For: Immediate Release
Date: Thursday,February 8, 2007
Contact: Chris Forman — 410-293-8774</p>

<p>Navy Women's Lacrosse Game Postponed</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy women's lacrosse exhibition game against Heroes has been postponed until a later date. The game, which was scheduled at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, will most likely be re-scheduled for a later date within the next few weeks. Navy will now open its season on Sunday, Feb. 11, with a pair of games against American and La Salle, beginning at 11:00 a.m., and played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.</p>

137

<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: Feb. 8, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>

<p>Navy Sports Magazine Show Airs Tonight On 1430 WNAV</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-The Comcast Navy Sports Magazine Show airs tonight at 6 p.m. on 1430 WNAV in Annapolis. The 30-minute show, hosted by Bob Socci, will feature interviews with Alex Usztics of the wrestling team, Bruce Nechanicky of the men's lacrosse team and head baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos.</p>

<p>The Navy Sports Magazine Show will also air on WLRT (1490 AM, <a href="http://www.1490theoutlaw.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.1490theoutlaw.com&lt;/a&gt;) on Friday at 5 p.m. and on 1050 WFED (<a href="http://www.federalnewsradio.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.federalnewsradio.com&lt;/a&gt;) in Washington, D.C. on Saturday morning at 7 a.m. </p>

<p>Navy All-Access will also archive the show and it will be available for subscribers every Friday (<a href="http://navysports.cstv.com/)%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://navysports.cstv.com/)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p>

138

<p>For Immediate Release
Sent Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007
Contact Justin Kischefsky (410) 293-8772</p>

<p>Mids to Face Terps Saturday in Tennis</p>

<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy tennis team will face its first nationally-ranked team of the season Saturday when the Midshipmen play host to Maryland in a 1 p.m. match at the nearby Severn Valley Tennis & Fitness Club.</p>

<p>The Terrapins enter the match with a 2-0 record on the young season and ranked No. 70 in the country following its victory over last week's 51st-ranked team Penn. Navy, conversely, has posted a 3-2 record on the season.</p>

<p>"Maryland has just come off a big win over Penn," said Navy head coach John Officer. "They are
playing very well. We will need to play our best tennis this weekend. Andy Orban, their No. 1 singles player, is very fast and is a tough competitor. Additionally, David Kwon is very talented at the No. 3 flight and Scott Fink is a scrappy player at No. 4. </p>

<p>"We hope for a good crowd."</p>

<p>The Terrapins posted a 6-1 victory over the Mids last year in College Park. The lone Navy victory came at No. 2 singles where Jason Hill (So., Atlanta, Ga.) recorded a 6-2, 6-3 win over Andreas Vaage Nilsen. Nilsen is no longer on the Maryland squad, but the remaining five players who comprised the singles lineup for the Terps that day do return this year. </p>

<p>Both the Mids and the Terrapins have faced Georgetown this season, with Maryland posting a 5-2 victory over the Hoyas and the Mids their match losing by an identical score.</p>

<p>After the Mids suffered their setback to the Hoyas, Feb. 3 at Severn Valley, Navy rebounded later in the day by recording a 4-2 victory over Villanova. </p>

<p>Hill was the lone Mid to go undefeated on the day against both the Hoyas and the Wildcats, teaming with Nate Nelms (So., St. Mary's, Ga.) to post a victory over Georgetown at No. 1 doubles, then winning No. 2 singles matches against both schools.</p>

<p>Maryland is one of four teams on the Navy schedule who appear in this week's national rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. North Carolina is the highest-ranked opponent on the Navy schedule at No. 22, while North Carolina State is No. 38 and Brown is ranked 61st.</p>

139

<p>NAVY 70, LEHIGH 65. Defeat spoils good feeling after posting big road victory over American</p>

<p>Published in the Easton Express-Times:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nj.com/sports/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1170911357190500.xml&coll=2&thispage=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nj.com/sports/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1170911357190500.xml&coll=2&thispage=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Billy Taylor, Jose Olivero and Bryan White each entered the interview room inside Stabler Arena with the same look etched on their faces. </p>

<p>It was a look of regret and disappointment....

[/quote]
</p>

140

<p>Harris raises Midshipmen's prospects on diamond</p>

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-20/NAS%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/02_08-20/NAS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
In past years, a typical home game for the Navy baseball team would attract a smattering of fans, mostly close friends, family or academy personnel.</p>

<p>Second-year coach Paul Kostacopoulos thinks that should change this season, at least on the days when the Mids send ace right-hander Mitch Harris to the mound....

[/quote]
</p>