Army West Point Athletics
Wednesday, May 12 - Championship Week
May 12, 2010 | General
While the first three days of the week have been quiet with the cadets in the midst of term-ending exams, things are about to pick up around West Point. By virtue of winning their respective regular-season championships, the Black Knights' baseball and softball teams will host the Patriot League postseason this week.
Brian Gunning coming at you today on a very wet and dismal looking day on the banks of the Hudson. No worries, though. All weather reports are looking good as a busy weekend on the diamond gets underway at the softball complex tomorrow.
Patriot League Coach of the Year Michelle DePolo's squad won its first regular-season title since 1992 to earn the right to host the league's double-elimination tournament. The action gets underway Thursday at 2 p.m. when No. 2 seed Lehigh takes on No. 3 seed Bucknell. The top-seeded Black Knights take on No. 4 Colgate at 4:30 p.m. For a complete schedule of events and all the latest information on the tournament, visit our Tournament Central page.
Fans attending the weekend's event will have a chance to win either Army Football season tickets or tickets to this year's Army-Notre Dame football match up at Yankee Stadium. Admission is free the tournament but to be eligible to win the tickets, fan must register during the first four games of the tournament and be present to win. Winners will be announced during the fifth inning of Friday's second game and will have a half of an inning to claim their prize before a new winner is selected.
Meanwhile, on the large diamond, Joe Sottolano's baseball team will open their defense of the Patriot League Tournament title on Saturday. The best-of-three semifinal series gets underway at noon at Doubleday Field. Army will host fourth-seeded Bucknell. There are two nine-inning games scheduled for Saturday and an if-necessary contest slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday. The winner will advance to the Patriot League Championship Series next weekend. If the Black Knights advance, the best-of-three set will begin on Sunday, May 23 due to graduation at West Point on Saturday, May 22. The decisive third game would be played on Monday if needed.
The baseball and softball teams will be trying to match the example of the women's tennis and men's lacrosse teams, both of which have already captured Patriot League titles and earned the right to play in the NCAA postseason. The Black Knights' lacrosse squad is headed to Syracuse for its first round game on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., while the tennis team will be at seventh-ranked UCLA on Friday.
Army has a chance to make history this weeeknd. No Patriot Leauge school has ever won the men's lacrosse, baseball and softball championship in the same season. The last time the Black Knights pulled off the baseball-softball sweep was in 2000.
It's been a great spring for our teams here at West Point, and I have no doubt the teams in action this weekend will keep it going. We hope to see you all out supporting one of the squads as they go for greatness.
GO ARMY!
