June 1, 2006
Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - For his efforts on the mound this season, Navy sophomore right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (Mt. Holly, N.C.) has been recognized in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section this week.
In his final start of the season against Coppin State on May 10, Harris hurled the fifth complete-game no-hitter in the program's 111-year history. The right-hander faced only one batter over the minimum and used 90 pitches, 64 of which were strikes, to record Navy's first complete-game no-hitter in more than seven years. Harris struck out a career-high 12 batters in that contest, marking the seventh time he had fanned 10-plus batters in a game during his sophomore campaign.
One day later, Harris was named the 2006 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year. The sophomore tied the Patriot League single-season record with 10 wins, established a new Patriot League single-season strikeout record with 113 strikeouts and ranked second in league history with a 1.74 earned run average. Harris also is the only pitcher in the Patriot League this season to sport an opposing batting average under .200 (.189) and a WHIP less than 1.00 (0.93).
Harris ranks among the top-30 pitchers in the country in three categories. The sophomore's 12.30 strikeouts per nine innings places him fifth in the nation, while his 1.74 earned run average ranks ninth and 10 victories are tied for 26th.
In addition to his pitching exploits, Harris also batted .333 (50-for-150) with 29 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, one home run and 27 runs batted in.
Navy ended its season with a 32-21-1 record, 8-12 in the Patriot League. Navy's 32 victories are the second-most in program history, while its 20-win improvement over last year's mark is the largest increase in Navy history and tied for the biggest turnaround in Patriot League history.
