Baseball Ready for Lubbock Regional

STORY LINES
• The Black Knights are making their ninth NCAA Regional appearance and third in the last four years when they visit Lubbock for the 2021 Lubbock Regional.
• This is also the second-straight visit to the Lubbock Regional after also being the No. 4 seed in the 2019 Lubbock Regional. The Black Knights are 4-16 overall in NCAA Regional play.

2000 Regional - Montclair, N.J. (0-2)
2004 Regional - Baton Rouge, La. (0-2)
2005 Regional - Tallahassee, Fla. (1-2)
2009 Regional - Austin, Texas (2-2)
2012 Regional - Charlottesville, Va.(0-2)
2013 Regional - Charlottesville, Va. (0-2)
2018 Regional - Raleigh, N.C.(1-2)
2019 Regional - Lubbock, Texas (0-2)
2021 Regional - Lubbock, Texas

The Black Knights won their first NCAA Regional game in 2005, an elimination game vs. South Alabama that they won 8-3. In 2009 the Black Knights made some noise, winning back-to-back elimination games, first a 7-4 victory over Texas State and then a 4-3 victory over Boston College before falling to Texas 14-10 in the regional final. In the 2018 Regional, the first one under head coach Jim Foster, the Black Knights knocked off host N.C. State, 5-1, in the regional opener before dropping the next two.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
ARMY Jr. RHP Anthony LoRicco (4.68 ERA, 4-1, 50.0 IP, 59 Ks, 20 BB) vs. Texas Tech Fr. RHP Chase Upton (3.63 ERA, 3-0, 34.2 IP, 25 Ks, 14 BB)

TEAM QUICK NOTES
ON THE VERGE
• Seven of Army's 16 NCAA Regional losses have been decided by two runs or less. Another was decided in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Black Knights have dropped five one-run verdicts in NCAA Regional play.

BACK-TO-BACK LUBBOCK REGIONALS
• 16 Black Knights are making the return trip to Lubbock after being here in the 2019 Regional.
• In the 2019 Regional at Texas Tech, returners Andre Walden was 1-for-4, Anthony Giachin 0-4, Jeremiah Adams 1-for-3, 1 run scored, 1 walk, Cam Cerruto was 0-for-3, 1 BB, Tim Simoes was 0-for-1. Starting pitcher on Friday is Anthony LoRicco, who tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, scattering 2 hits, with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.

LEAD FROM THE FRONT
• At the preeminent leadership academy in the world, being a team captain just means a little bit more. The Black Knights are led in 2021 with four captains - INF Anthony Giachin, INF Jeremiah Adams, RHP Ray Bartoli and RHP Harry Flannery.

QUITE THE CAREER FOR GIACHIN
• Senior infielder Anthony Giachin has had a stellar career as he has racked up the honors and finds his name throughout the record book.
• 2021 All-Patriot League First Team, Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, 2020 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American, 2019 ABCA First Team All-Region, 2019 and 2018 All-Patriot League First Team honors, 2018 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and 2018 Patriot L;eague MVP among countless other honors.
• In the classroom, Giachin was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2021 and holds nearly a 4.0 GPA as a mechanical engineering major and will head to Cambrige University in England next year to work on a master's in biomedical engineering. He has a special interest in working to create an artificial heart after his grandfather died of heart disease. It has been something he's interested in since high school.

IN THE RECORD BOOK FOR GIACHIN
• Entering postseason play, Giachin has 48 career doubles, good for third-most in program history, just three off of second place.
• He also has 209 career hits, tying him for seventh-most in program history.
• His 137 career RBI rank sixth-most in program history, one away from tying for fourth.
• Nine triples in his career tie him for seventh in program history.

PATRIOT LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
• Freshman Sam Ruta was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2021, becoming the seventh Black Knight to earn the Rookie of the Year honor and the first since teammate Anthony Giachin in 2018.
• In the regular season Ruta led the Patriot League in RBIs (32) and finished fourth in home runs (4) while batting .281 (41-for-146) in 42 regular-season games.
• In League play, Ruta led all Patriot League rookies with a .337 (30-for-89) batting average while tying for the League lead with 24 RBIs and finishing third in slugging percentage (.528), helping the Black Knights' offense lead the League in batting (.304) and runs scored (174).
• In the field, Ruta had 69 putouts and seven assists on 77 chances with a fielding percentage of .987. He made starts in left field and at first base this season.

PATRIOT LEAGUE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior infielder Tim Simoes became the second Black Knight to be named Defensive Player of the Year in the Patriot League, following in the footsteps of past teammate Jacob Hurtubise, the only other Black Knight to earn the honor. The award was first given in 2017 and two of the five honorees to date have called West Point home in Hurtubise and Simoes.
In the 2021 regular season, Simoes had 132 chances, 49 putouts, 81 assists, two errors, .985 fielding pct. and was a part of turning 22 double plays.
• Simoes finished the regular season with 81 assists and 49 putouts in 132 chances at second base, ranking among the League leaders with a .985 fielding percentage and 22 double plays.
• He showed his range by leading all Patriot League second baseman with 132 chances. Simoes made just two errors to help the Black Knights' hold opposing offenses to a League-low .243 batting average.
• The Hopkinton, Mass. native had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on 83 chances with 54 assists and 29 putouts in League play. His 16 double plays in League games tied for second in the Patriot League.
• Simoes was also named to the Academic All-Patriot League team.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CAREER HONORS
• In addition to the two major awards for Ruta and Simoes, the following Black Knights earned All-Patriot League honors -
First Team All-Patriot League - 3B Anthony Giachin, OF Sam Ruta
Second Team All-Patriot League - SP Anthony LoRicco, RP Connelly Early, SS Kevin Dubrule, At-large, DH Nick Manesis, At-Large Ross Friedrick

BROTHERLY CONNECTION
• Sophomore shortstop Kevin Dubrule is the younger brother of Mississippi State starting infielder Scotty Dubrule, a graduate transfer from Jacksonville. Scotty currently ranks in the top three in multiple career categories nationally such as at-bats, games played and runs scored.
• Both Kevin and Scotty are graduates of Venice HS in Venice, Fla.

PLAYING AS SECOND LIEUTENANTS
• On Saturday, May 22, 2021, seven Firstie (seniors) on our baseball team graduated from the United States Military Academy and commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army. After the completion of the baseball season, each second lieutenant will go to Basic Officer Leadership Training for their specific branch and then will begin leading a platoon as a second lieutenant at their first duty station.
- OF/1B Jax Luzinski - Branch: Field Artillery, First Duty Station: Fort Stewart, Georgia
- OF/INF Rob Regine - Branch: Air Defense Artillery, First Duty Station: Baumholder, Germany
- INF Tim Simoes - Branch: Air Defense Artillery, First Duty Station: Camp Carroll, South Korea
- C Brendan Siriani - Branch: Infantry, First Duty Station: Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington
- RHP Ray Bartoli - Branch: Infantry, First Duty Station: Fort Drum, New York
- RHP Harry Flannery - Branch: Infantry, First Duty Station: Fort Hood, Texas
- 3B Anthony Giachin - Branch: Aviation, First Duty Station: Fort Rucker, Alabama (flight school)
• You will notice these seniors rocking mustaches, which they are allowed to do for the first time as second lieutenants in the big Army. At West Point they are not allowed to have facial hair of any kind.

SENIOR CAPTAIN JEREMIAH ADAMS
• Infielder Jeremiah Adams is playing his final games as a Black Knight and was celebrated at Senior Day, but did not officially graduate and commission in May due to transferring into West Point after a freshman year at Oklahoma and a sophomore season at Broward Junior College. He has one more year of education and military training at West Point to complete his 47-month experience.
• In his three seasons at West Point Adams has played in 118 games, making 110 starts. He has a career batting average of .267, with 62 RBI, five home runs, 23 doubles and six triples. He is in the midst of his best season in 2021, batting .297 with 21 RBI, 12 doubles and a slugging percentage of .439. Also boasts a .991 fielding percentage in 2021.
•As a freshman at Oklahoma in 2017, Adams batted .294 in 15 games, making two starts. Overall, he finished with five hits, six runs, one double, two home runs, one walk and seven RBIs in 17 at bats. Adams received the Jay Myers Outstanding Freshman Award.

ABOUT WEST POINT
• You must serve a minimum of eight years after you graduate in a combination of Active Duty (5 years) and Reserve Component Service (3 years). This mandatory service obligation is the nation's return on a West Point graduate's fully funded, four-year college education that is valued in excess of $225,000.
• Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams became the 60th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in July of 2018. Lt. Gen. Williams graduated from the U.S. Military
Academy in 1983. He holds masters' degrees in Leadership Development, Military Art and Science and National Security and Strategic Studies. Williams was a defensive lineman for the football team, earning three varsity letters (1980-82).
• More than 1,220 U.S. citizens and 13 international students, including 286 women, 493 minorities, and 18 combat veterans reported to West Point on Reception Day.
The incoming class of 2024 was selected from a pool of nearly 16,000 applicants. Minority enrollment, roughly 40 percent, includes 214 African Americans, 141 Hispanic Americans, 118
Asian-Americans, and 20 Native Americans. The Class of 2024 includes cadets from every state
in the nation and 12 international students entering under the sponsorship of their respective countries. The countries represented include Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Kosovo (2), Mongolia, Philippines, Rwanda, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Upon graduation, these cadets will return to their countries as officers in their armed forces.

• One of the duties of the new cadets is selecting a class motto. That motto, selected during Cadet Basic Training, is displayed during March Back on a large banner during the 12-mile return to West Point.
The Class mottos are:
2024: Like None Before
2023: Freedom is Not Free
2022: For Many, Stand the Few
2021: Until the Battle is Won

Baseball Ready for Lubbock Regional

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Players Mentioned

Jeremiah Adams

Ray Bartoli

Cam Cerruto

Kevin Dubrule

Connelly Early

Harry Flannery

Ross Friedrick

Anthony Giachin

Jacob Hurtubise

Anthony LoRicco

Jax Luzinski

Nick Manesis

Rob Regine

Sam Ruta

Tim Simoes

Brendan Siriani

Andre Walden

Army West Point Athletics