Preview: Dartmouth at Navy (Game 1 of Doubleheader)

CAPE SAINT CLAIRE, Md. (Interstat) — The Navy baseball team looks to even the series when it hosts Dartmouth in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for Saturday afternoon under cloudy skies with temperatures near 46 degrees.

The Midshipmen (8-4) aim to bounce back after dropping the series opener 3-1 on Friday. Navy’s Brady Bendik turned in a strong start in the loss, allowing one earned run over six innings with five strikeouts. He will be a key figure as Navy seeks to leverage its early-season momentum against a struggling Dartmouth squad.

The Big Green (2-5) snapped a four-game skid with Friday’s victory, fueled by exceptional relief pitching. Dartmouth’s Trey Sejnoha was dominant, throwing 3 2/3 hitless innings with five strikeouts to secure the win. Over his last four appearances, Sejnoha has allowed just three hits and one earned run in 9 1/3 innings, striking out 13.

Despite Dartmouth’s recent pitching success, national projections heavily favor the Midshipmen. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 7-1 Navy victory, while its ELO rating system gives Navy a 59.8% probability to win Saturday.

Navy has shown resilience, winning eight of its last 10 games following an 0-2 start. The Midshipmen’s schedule includes a midweek trip to Norfolk State on Tuesday before opening Patriot League play at Lehigh next weekend.

Dartmouth continues its early road swing, which concludes Sunday in Maryland before a break ahead of its Ivy League opener at Penn on March 21.

Following Saturday’s doubleheader, the series finale is set for Sunday afternoon.