Baseball Announces 2013 Captains

University of Hartford second year coach Justin Blood announced the naming of senior outfielder Pat Knauth and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Ryan Lukach as 2013 captains.

Knauth and Lukach will help lead the Hawks through a 55-game slate as Hartford looks for its first bid to the America East Championship since 1996.

"Our expectation is that every student-athlete in our program will lead on and off the field,” said Blood. “Pat and Ryan are workers and care deeply about the growth of this program. They will be the figureheads of what we hope will be a strong leadership group. Being voted captains by your teammates is an honor. I know Pat and Ryan are proud of this and look forward to the challenge.

Knauth completed his first season with the Hawks in 2012 after transferring from Niagara County Community College. The outfielder finished the 2012 season with a .207 batting average, playing in 41 of the 56 total games. He also made 29 starts. Overall, Knauth finished with 19 hits and drove in 12 runs while scoring 15. He also managed to work 21 walks, which tied him with Brian Hunter for the team lead.

Lukach is a two-time captain, as he was one of three in 2012 despite a season-ending injury. Before the injury, Lukach appeared in 11 games, including two appearances on the mound. At the plate, he finished with eight hits in 34 at bats with seven runs driven in. Three of his eight hits went for extra bases, a pair of doubles and a home run. On the mound, Lukach made his first start of the season against Central Connecticut and earned the victory, pitching five innings of a 5-2 win over the Blue Devils.

The Hawks will open the 2013 season with their first 13 games on the road as they try and beat out the winter weather in the Northeast. Overall, the Hawks have 41 scheduled dates with 13 as double headers. The season opener will come by way of a four-game series on the road against Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C.