Army West Point Athletics
Friday, February 19
Cary, NC
3 PM
Army West Point
vs
Bryant
Baseball Begins 2015 Season in North Carolina
February 18, 2016 | Baseball
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Under the direction of third-year head coach Matt Reid, the Army West Point baseball team opens its 2016 season with four games this weekend in Cary, N.C. The Black Knights will play Bryant, Penn State and Monmouth at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
Army's season opens with a 3 p.m. first pitch against Bryant on Field 2 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Bryant enters the game following a 29-25 2015 campaign that ended in the Northeast Conference championship game. Bryant, the preseason favorite, returns eight starting position players and 10 pitchers, including projected starter James Karinchak. The reigning NEC Rookie of the Year, Karinchak, went 8-5 with a 3.24 ERA and 74 strikeouts in his first season with the Bulldogs.
A doubleheader against Penn State begins on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Both games against the Nittany Lions are nine-inning affairs on Field 3.
Penn State returns junior Jim Haley and senior Greg Guers, who each had success in 2015. Haley led Penn State with a .333 batting average in conference games, while Guers enjoyed a career season with eight home runs 38 RBI, 13 doubles, 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts, and a .495 slugging percentage to lead team in all categories.
The Black Knights close the weekend on Field 2 against Monmouth in an 11 a.m. start. The Hawks were chosen to finish fourth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's preseason poll following a 22-22 season in 2015. Monmouth returns redshirt sophomore Shaine Hughes, who posted a .389 batting average with 34 runs batted in last season. Mike Brambilla is scheduled to oppose Army's Garrison Franklin in the final game of the weekend.
Army, which was picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League's preseason poll, will be led offensively by junior shortstop Kris Lindner. Lindner hit .343 in 18 games as a sophomore, with three doubles and two triples and posted a .403 on-base percentage. Centerfielder Jacob Page is back for his senior season after starting every game in the outfield for Army (21-26) and is second amongst returning players with a .269 batting average.
Left hander Jeremy Mortensen will start Friday's game against Bryant. Mortensen is coming off a freshman season in which he compiled a 4.58 ERA in 57 innings of work. Classmate Matt Ball (4-3, 3.92 ERA) is scheduled to start game one against Penn State, while senior Garrison Franklin (2-1, 3.06 ERA) is set to toe the rubber against Monmouth on Sunday.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, February 19
2 p.m. - Game 1 - Field 3
Monmouth vs. Penn State
Frank Trimarco vs. LHP Taylor Lehman
Gametracker
3 p.m. - Game 2 - Field 2
Bryant vs. Army West Point
James Karinchak vs. LHP Jeremy Mortensen
Gametracker
Saturday, February 20
1:30 p.m. - Game 3 - Field 4
Monmouth vs. Bryant
LHP Anthony Ciavarella vs. RHP Jimmy Davitt
Gametracker
Bryant vs. Monmouth
LHP Steve Theetge vs. RHP Ricky Dennis
Gametracker
1:30 p.m. - Game 4 - Field 2
Army West Point vs. Penn State
RHP Matt Ball vs. RHP Sal Biasi
Gametracker
Penn State vs. Army West Point
RHP Justin Hagenman vs. TBA
Gametracker
Sunday, February 21
10 a.m. - Game 7 - Field 3
Bryant vs. Penn State
RHP Brandon Bingel vs. LHP Nick Hedge
Gametracker
11 a.m. - Game 8 - Field 2
Monmouth vs. Army West Point
LHP Mike Brambilla vs. RHP Garrison Franklin
Gametracker
USA Baseball National Training Center
The USA Baseball National Training Complex is located within the 221 acre Thomas Brooks Park and includes four baseball fields -- a stadium field and three training fields -- all with dimensions of 330 feet down the lines and 400 feet in centerfield. All fields are maintained at Major League Baseball (MLB) standards. The Stadium field has a press box that includes two suites, an official scorer's room, a sound room and a press row. Spectator seating is for 1,754 people, including handicapped accessible seating, and additional grass seating for approximately 250 people. All fields have access to restroom facilities and a concession building.
Army's season opens with a 3 p.m. first pitch against Bryant on Field 2 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Bryant enters the game following a 29-25 2015 campaign that ended in the Northeast Conference championship game. Bryant, the preseason favorite, returns eight starting position players and 10 pitchers, including projected starter James Karinchak. The reigning NEC Rookie of the Year, Karinchak, went 8-5 with a 3.24 ERA and 74 strikeouts in his first season with the Bulldogs.
A doubleheader against Penn State begins on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Both games against the Nittany Lions are nine-inning affairs on Field 3.
Penn State returns junior Jim Haley and senior Greg Guers, who each had success in 2015. Haley led Penn State with a .333 batting average in conference games, while Guers enjoyed a career season with eight home runs 38 RBI, 13 doubles, 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts, and a .495 slugging percentage to lead team in all categories.
The Black Knights close the weekend on Field 2 against Monmouth in an 11 a.m. start. The Hawks were chosen to finish fourth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's preseason poll following a 22-22 season in 2015. Monmouth returns redshirt sophomore Shaine Hughes, who posted a .389 batting average with 34 runs batted in last season. Mike Brambilla is scheduled to oppose Army's Garrison Franklin in the final game of the weekend.
Army, which was picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League's preseason poll, will be led offensively by junior shortstop Kris Lindner. Lindner hit .343 in 18 games as a sophomore, with three doubles and two triples and posted a .403 on-base percentage. Centerfielder Jacob Page is back for his senior season after starting every game in the outfield for Army (21-26) and is second amongst returning players with a .269 batting average.
Left hander Jeremy Mortensen will start Friday's game against Bryant. Mortensen is coming off a freshman season in which he compiled a 4.58 ERA in 57 innings of work. Classmate Matt Ball (4-3, 3.92 ERA) is scheduled to start game one against Penn State, while senior Garrison Franklin (2-1, 3.06 ERA) is set to toe the rubber against Monmouth on Sunday.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, February 19
2 p.m. - Game 1 - Field 3
Monmouth vs. Penn State
Frank Trimarco vs. LHP Taylor Lehman
Gametracker
3 p.m. - Game 2 - Field 2
Bryant vs. Army West Point
James Karinchak vs. LHP Jeremy Mortensen
Gametracker
Saturday, February 20
1:30 p.m. - Game 3 - Field 4
Monmouth vs. Bryant
LHP Anthony Ciavarella vs. RHP Jimmy Davitt
Gametracker
Bryant vs. Monmouth
LHP Steve Theetge vs. RHP Ricky Dennis
Gametracker
1:30 p.m. - Game 4 - Field 2
Army West Point vs. Penn State
RHP Matt Ball vs. RHP Sal Biasi
Gametracker
Penn State vs. Army West Point
RHP Justin Hagenman vs. TBA
Gametracker
Sunday, February 21
10 a.m. - Game 7 - Field 3
Bryant vs. Penn State
RHP Brandon Bingel vs. LHP Nick Hedge
Gametracker
11 a.m. - Game 8 - Field 2
Monmouth vs. Army West Point
LHP Mike Brambilla vs. RHP Garrison Franklin
Gametracker
USA Baseball National Training Center
The USA Baseball National Training Complex is located within the 221 acre Thomas Brooks Park and includes four baseball fields -- a stadium field and three training fields -- all with dimensions of 330 feet down the lines and 400 feet in centerfield. All fields are maintained at Major League Baseball (MLB) standards. The Stadium field has a press box that includes two suites, an official scorer's room, a sound room and a press row. Spectator seating is for 1,754 people, including handicapped accessible seating, and additional grass seating for approximately 250 people. All fields have access to restroom facilities and a concession building.
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