Baseball Hosts Navy for Star Games

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Baseball Star is back up for grabs.

Army West Point Baseball hosts Navy for three games at Doubleday Field, to conclude the 2023-24 Star Series presented by USAA.

Postseason ramifications are also on the line, with the squads each seeking a Patriot League regular season title, and home field advantage throughout the conference tournament.

First pitch in the series opener is set for 4:30 p.m. Friday. Game 2 of the set is at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, with either a series win or a sweep on the line for at least one team in Sunday's 1:00 p.m. finale.

ESPN+ will broadcast each contest.

Notes and Storylines

» The Black Knights (23-17, 12-6 Patriot League) lead the Midshipman (24-17, 14-8 Patriot League) in the Patriot League standings by winning percentage.

» Army secured a doubleheader split March 24 at Navy, taking Game 2 8-1 behind 6.1 innings pitched from Justin Lehman. The RHP also recorded an RBI in the eighth inning as a replacement first baseman.

Army secured a season series sweep last year against Navy, defeating the Midshipman twice at West Point (April 3) and three times in Annapolis (April 22-23) to secure the Star. Dating back to 2022, Army has won 10 of the past 12 over Navy. The all-time series, which dates to 1901, remains a virtual stalemate, with Navy holding a 130-129 razor-thin edge.

» The 2023-24 Star Series presented by USAA concludes with the baseball series, with the Star going to the three-game series winner. Army has won each of the past two baseball Stars.

» Each of Lehman's last six starts have been five frames or longer. Against Bucknell in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader, Lehman had a complete seven-inning game, doing so without a strikeout. Having pitched in eight games and started in seven, Lehman's 1.69 ERA and 1.01 WHIP are team-bests among qualifying pitchers, with his ERA also leading the Patriot League.

» Army faced its Hudson Valley foe Tuesday, renewing the series against Marist. The Black Knights turned six double plays against skipper Chris Tracz's old program and alma mater, to take down the Red Foxes 6-1 at Doubleday Field.

» The Black Knights secured a weekend series win over Bucknell April 20-21. After splitting a doubleheader behind a complete Game 1 from Lehman, Army won Sunday's rubber matchup by run rule, 14-4, tying a season-high five home runs. William Parker went yard twice, Coleson Titus had his first home run this season and Derek Berg had two home runs, including the run-rule walk-off in the 7th inning.

» Army plays each Patriot League foe five times in 2024, spread out among a variety of series lengths. The Black Knights have yet to lose a series or season series in 2024.

» Sam Ruta made history April 7 against Holy Cross, tying a program single-game record with eight RBIs, and hitting two home runs (including a grand slam) to break the program record for career home runs. The senior currently stands at 38 home runs across his career with a team-leading 13 this year (tied with Derek Berg).

In Saturday's doubleheader against Bucknell, the Yardley, Pa. native also broke the program career total bases record, eclipsing the 415 career total bases milestone previously set by Kevin McKague from 2008-12. And Ruta also is closing in on both the program and Patriot League record for career RBIs, needing just eight more RBIs to stand alone at 186. In addition to leading the league in homers with Derek Berg (13), Ruta's 38 walks are tied for second-most in the league.

D1 Baseball slotted Ruta as the No. 19 third baseman nationally in its Midseason Player Position Rankings.

» Army has won six games, including five in the Patriot League, by the 10-run rule.

» 18 games into Patriot League play, Army has:
- Allowed six or fewer runs in all but two league matchups, and three or fewer runs in 10 games across that stretch.
- A league-leading team ERA of 4.74, and 3.66 across conference games.
- A conference-best .250 opponent batting average, and have allowed fewer runs (203) than any other league foe.
- Had its starting pitcher go five innings or longer in all but four league contests.

Army leads the Patriot League in home runs (51) and batting average (.286).

» Sophomore outfielder William Parker has reached base in 38 consecutive games, and 39 of 40 matchups this season.

» Army features the Berg brothers in RHP Andrew Berg and C/INF Derek Berg. The brothers have been batterymates nine times this season, most recently vs. Bucknell April 21.

Derek Berg was a combined 7-for-13 in Army's weekend series win over Bucknell. The senior from Conroe, Texas hit five home runs in the three-game set, including two multi-homer games. The senior has been named Patriot League Player of the Week two weeks in a row.

» D1 Baseball released it's latest NCAA Tournament projection April 24, with Army heading to the Clemson Regional to face Clemson, Mississippi State and Utah.

Baseball America's NCAA Tournament projected field of 64 also released April 24 has the Black Knights going to East Carolina's bracket, to be paired with host ECU, NC State and James Madison.

Behind Enemy Lines

» Navy stands at 24-17 overall and is second in the Patriot League behind Army with a 14-8 conference record. The Mids have played in four more league contests than Army, wrapping up conference regular season play one week early.

» The Annapolis club swept Lehigh in a weekend series at home April 20-21. Sophomore Tyler Grenn was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week while freshman Andrew Manning was awarded the league's Rookie of the Week accolade. Grenn tossed a complete seven-inning game with six strikeouts Saturday, while Manning has batted a combined 5-for-12 in the squad's last four league games.

» Brock Murtha (.338) and Victor Izquierdo (.302) lead the team in batting average, while Logan Keller's five home runs are a team-high.

» The Mids suffered a setback Tuesday at non-conference opponent Mount St. Mary's (MD), 10-6.

» Navy enters the weekend 1-4 on the year against service academies, having been swept by Air Force at the Freedom Classic February 23-25 in Kinston, N.C.

Next Up

Army remains home the rest of the regular season, with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch Tuesday against LIU. The club then faces Lehigh next Saturday and Lafayette next Sunday in doubleheaders before the opening of postseason play.

Follow the Black Knights

Follow Army Baseball on X @ArmyWP_Baseball and on Instagram @armywp_baseball. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about baseball and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.

Baseball Hosts Navy for Star Games

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Players Mentioned

Andrew Berg

Derek Berg

Justin Lehman

William Parker

Sam Ruta

Coleson Titus

Army West Point Athletics