Navy Baseball Roster: Players to Watch This Season

Navy Baseball is back for another season and there are plenty of players to watch out for. Here’s a look at some of the top performers on the roster.

Catchers

The Navy baseball team is looking strong this season with a solid lineup of experienced players. Among the team’s strengths is its catching corps, which features three talented players who are sure to make an impact on the diamond this year.

Senior Dante Baldelli is a three-year starter who has been a key contributor to the Navy Baseball Team over his career. A two-time All-American, Baldelli is a top-notch defender with a strong arm andExceptional game-calling ability. At the plate, he is a patient hitter who uses all parts of the field and has a good eye for the strike zone Baldelli will be looked to as a leader on and off the field this season, and he will be a key player for the Navy baseball team as it looks to make a run at the conference title

Junior Austin Barber is another talented catcher who will be starting for Navy this season. A transfer from Appalachian State Barber brings an impressive skill set to the table. He is an outstanding defender with good pop time and has shown the ability to handle pitchers well. Barberis also a threat at the plate, as he showed last season when he hit .333 with four home runs in just 50 at-bats. Look for him to be a key member of the Navy Baseball team’s offensive attack this season.

Rounding out the catching corps is sophomore Alec Johnston, who will be seeing significant playing time this season after serving as a backup last year. Johnston is an excellent defensive catcher with Good footwork and quickness behind the plate. He also has a strong arm and does a great job of controlling runners on base. Offensively, Johnstonis still developing but has shown flashes of potential with his bat. He will look to build on that this season as he sees increased playing time for the Navy baseball team

Infielders

The infield will be a strong point for the Navy baseball team this season. The Midshipmen return all four starters from last year, led by junior captain Zack White. White was named First Team All-Patriot League last season after leading the team in batting average (.377), hits (66), and runs batted in (39). He will anchor the Navy lineup from the shortstop position

Joining White in the infield will be junior second baseman Brad Borosak, junior third baseman Leland Williamson, and senior first baseman Kendall Paul. Borosak is a two-time All-Patriot League selection who hit .360 with four home runs last season. Williamson is a former Freshman of the Year who batted .273 with a team-high 10 home runs in 2018. Paul is a three-year starter who has hit over .300 in each of the last two seasons.

The Mids also have several talented young infielders who will be looking to make an impact this season. Freshmen second baseman Luke Gillingham and shortstop Josh Dunne both had outstanding High School careers and are expected to compete for starting roles. Sophomore third baseman Tyler Houchins was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year two seasons ago and is one of the team’s top power hitters junior college transfer Jack Labosky should also see significant time at third base.

Outfielders

The Navy Baseball Team is loaded with talent in the outfield this season. Here are three players to keep an eye on:

1. Landon Ackerley – Ackerley is a senior who has been a key player for the Navy Baseball team for the past three seasons. He is a talented hitter with a great arm, and he will be counted on to provide leadership for the team this year.

2. Zachary Ziegler – Ziegler is a junior who has emerged as one of the top power hitters on the team. He has a strong arm and is a solid defender, and he should be one of the top run producers in the lineup this season.

3. Brandon Lopez – Lopez is a sophomore who has already made a name for himself as one of the best all-around players on the team. He is a dangerous hitter with speed and power, and he is also an excellent defender in center field.

Starting Pitchers

The Navy baseball team is set to have a great season, and a big reason why is their starting pitching staff. Headlined by seniors Will Kruszka and Nelson Smith, the Midshipmen have a deep and experienced group of starting pitchers that should be able to carry them far this season.

Kruszka, who was named a preseason All-American by several publications, is the ace of the staff and will likely be pitching on Fridays. He had a great junior year, going 8-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 starts. He struck out 103 batters in 92 innings pitched and was named first-team All-Patriot League

Smith, who will likely be pitching on Saturdays, had an even better year than Kruszka, going 9-1 with a 2.48 ERA in 15 starts. He was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-Patriot League after leading the league in wins and ERA.

Sophomore Luke Gillingham will likely round out the weekend rotation, after going 6-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 15 starts as a freshman. He was named second-team All-Patriot League and should only get better as he gains more experience.

Behind those three are a number of other talented pitchers that will play key roles this season. Senior Kevin Stephen started eight games last year and had a 3.86 ERA in 50 innings pitched. He will likely be the first pitcher out of the bullpen on weekends. Junior Sam Gagliano was also solid last year, going 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 19 relief appearances. Sophomore Gabe Sherman wasn’t used much last year, but he has shown glimpses of potential and could be called upon to pitch important innings this season

Relief Pitchers

Navy baseball roster Players to Watch This Season – Relief Pitchers

Navy will have a very strong bullpen this season, as they return most of their key relievers from last year. They will be led by senior closer Luke Gillingham, who was lights-out for the Midshipmen last season, recording nine saves and posting a minuscule ERA of 0.93. Another player to watch is junior right-hander Stephen Moore, who has excellent stuff and should be one of Navy’s top setup men.

Manager and Coaching Staff

Navy will have a new Head Coach this season in Paul Kostacopoulos, who comes to the Midshipmen from the Wolverines of the Coast Guard Academy He will be joined by assistant coaches Joe Rosati and Ryan Finan. Coach Kostacopoulos will also serve as the team’s pitching coach, while Rosati will focus on hitters and Finan will work with the defense.

Key Stats

As the Navy Midshipmen baseball team approaches the start of their 2019 season, there are a few key stats to keep in mind when watching them play.

One player to keep an eye on is junior right-handed pitcher Noah Song. He is coming off of a strong sophomore season in which he had a 2.56 ERA and struck out 109 batters in just over 89 innings pitched. Another player to watch is first baseman Jared Gallagher, who led the team in Home Runs (12) and RBIs (37) last season.

Keep an eye on these key stats as Navy looks to improve upon their 32-22 record from last season and make a run at the NCAA tournament

Record Predictions

The Navy baseball team is coming off a strong 2018 campaign in which the Midshipmen went 33-16 overall and won the Patriot League regular season title with a 15-3 mark. Navy also reached the Championship game of the conference tournament for the second straight year, but lost to Holy Cross 7-6.

Game Schedule

Navy will open its 2019 campaign on Feb. 15 with a three-game series against Central Connecticut at Max Bishop Stadium. The Midshipmen will then play a four-game set at home against Maryland Eastern Shore (Feb. 22-24) before hitting the road for a three-game series at George Mason (March 1-3). Navy will play its first eight games of the season at home, as the Midshipmen will also host UMES (March 5), Towson (March 8-10) and VMI (March 12).

Roster Notes

As the baseball season approaches, fans of the Navy baseball team are eager to see how the team will perform. The roster is filled with talented players who are looking to make a name for themselves this season. Here are some of the players to keep an eye on this year:

Pitcher Billy McBride is one of the team’s most promising players. He has a strong arm and is able to throw strikes with consistent accuracy. McBride is expected to be a key player in the Navy rotation this season.

Outfielder Adam Warner is another player who is expected to make an impact this season. Warner has a high batting average and is a danger on the basepaths. He is also a solid defender in the outfield.

catcher Joe Duffy is another player to watch this season Duffy is a strong hitter with power potential. He is also considered to be an excellent defensive catcher. Duffy will be one of the leaders on and off the field for the Navy Baseball Team this season.