Baseball Game Preview: Hampton Roads Academy Navigators vs. Steward Spartans

Hampton Roads Academy hasn't had much luck against Steward recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Navigators will venture away from home to take on the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. Hampton Roads Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.1 runs per game this season.

Hampton Roads Academy took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 24-1 margin over Norfolk Collegiate. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Navigators considering their two-run performance the matchup before.

Connor Muse was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Hampton Roads Academy is 3-1 when Muse posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise.

Graham Hutchens

Runs (Career)

04/09/25 vs Norfolk Collegiate	4
03/27/25 @ Norfolk Collegiate	3
03/08/25 @ Life Christian Academy	3
03/04/25 vs Phoebus	3
03/31/25 vs Peninsula Catholic	2

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Graham Hutchens, who fired off two home runs, ten RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-4. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Williams, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.

Hampton Roads Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Meanwhile, Steward came up short against Cape Henry Collegiate on Tuesday and fell 8-4. The defeat continues a trend for the Spartans in their meetings with the Dolphins: they've now lost four in a row.

The victory got Hampton Roads Academy back to even at 5-5. As for Steward, they now have a losing record of 5-6.

Everything went Hampton Roads Academy's way against Steward in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Hampton Roads Academy made off with a 13-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Navigators since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.