Navy baseball senior outfielder Colin Smith and sophomore pitcher Landon Kruer were both named to Perfect Game’s Preseason All-Patriot League Team, as announced Monday on the Perfect Game USA website.
Kruer and Smith were among the 15 names on the scouting service’s preseason all-conference list, as both Midshipmen enter 2023 on a high note after posting breakout 2022 campaigns.
An All-Patriot League Second Team honoree last season, Smith finished second on the team in batting average (.309), slugging percentage (.428) and runs batted in (32). The Wilmington, Delaware native also collected nine doubles and three home runs for the Mids while scoring 23 runs and swiping five bases. Additionally, the then-junior made six appearances on the mound, tallying nine strikeouts and three scoreless outings over 13.2 inning pitched. A 2022 Academic All-Patriot League selection as well, Smith enters 2023 on an eight-game hitting streak and a 20-game on-base stretch from last season.
A converted catcher from Sellersburg, Indiana, Kruer earned his spot as Navy’s closer by registering a 1.89 earned run average across 16 appearances as a freshman, racking up a league-best seven saves along with 17 punchouts in 19 innings of work out of the bullpen. His rookie campaign earned him Freshman All-American honors from both the National College Baseball Writers Association (First Team) and Collegiate Baseball, joining Noah Song as the only players in program history to be named to multiple Freshman All-America teams in the same year.
The Mids were picked fourth in the Patriot League’s Preseason Poll last week, with no Navy players being selected for Preseason All-League honors based on voting from the league’s coaches and SIDs.
Navy opens its 2023 season at the Hughes Bros. Challenge in Wilmington, North Carolina, playing No. 19 Virginia on Friday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. The Mids then face Ohio the following day at 11 a.m., before ending the opening weekend against host UNCW at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19.