PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – The road grind continues for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team with a quick trip to Annapolis for midweek action against Navy on Wednesday, April 25.
It's the back end of a home-and-home for the squads, with the Midshipmen storming back late on April 12 in an 11-18 loss for the Hawks.
Honing on the Hawks
The Hawks enter the meeting at 12-26 (9-9 NEC) after taking a 5-4 win at Mount St. Mary's on Sunday (April 23).
Evan Nibblett picked up the win against the Mountaineers and
Caden Parker the save, his seventh of the season – good for the top spot in the Hawk record books since 1992.
At the heart of the lineup has been
Brantley Cutler for the Hawks, hitting a team leading .350/.391/.571 with 49 hits, 40 RBIs, seven home runs and ten doubles. His 40 RBIs rank him 145
th in the country and second in the conference.
Alex McCoy and
Luke Myers have been a steady on-base presence for the Hawks, each reaching at over a .360 clip. McCoy is fourth in the conference with 15 stolen bases.
Heating up has been
Brian Cordell with an eight-game on-base streak with two home runs against Mount St. Mary's in the past weekend series. He was named an NEC Prime Performer after going .462/.588/.1077 during the four-game stretch of week ten.
With the weekend starters – Nibblett,
Noah Covington and
Kyle Speas – on the shelf for the midweek, expect to see many of the younger arms against the Midshipmen.
Joe Kelly,
Noland Genies,
Raymond Smith are all freshmen who could take the mound in the start for the Hawks.
The bullpen in tight games has been held together by the combination of
Nick Gatton and Parker. Gatton has been vital in the two-inning stopper role, striking out a batter an inning on average; Parker leads the conference in saves.
Defensively the Hawks have been one of the top teams in the nation up the middle with field general
Kyle Cincinnati behind the plate keeping runners honest with 16 thrown out this season. Myers and
Dillon Oxyer have combined to be one of the best in the country with turning two – the Hawks are third in Division 1 with 41 double plays turned, good for 1.08 a game which is second overall.
Derrick Mayes II continues to turn highlight reel plays in centerfield.
Navigating Navy
The Midshipmen have a 20-21 (12-10 Patriot) record late into the 2023 season, working a few hot streaks but are currently on a four-game skid after a loss to Bucknell on April 19 and dropping all three to Army in the Star Series.
It's a well-rounded offense for Navy, as six regulars hold an average of .270 or better and as a team are reaching base at a .353 rate.
Alex Smith and Eduardo Diaz have been impossible to remove from the lineup for Navy, with an OBP over .400 and .800 or better OPS. Logan Keller and Kyle Rausch have been major run producers, each with five sacrifice flies, tying them at 38
th in the nation.
A starter for Navy has yet to be announced, but Liam Golden has picked up most of the midweek starts so far. He would enter the game with a 6.88 ERA over 35.1 innings and eleven appearances.
In the pen, Early Reece has been the main man, followed by Jackson Beattie and Nolan Jorgenson.
Much like the Hawks, Navy has an affinity to making the double play to help the pitching staff stay afloat with 35, which is 19
th in the nation.
How to Follow
First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Live Stats will be provided by Navy with a link available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletic department website.
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksBase.
