Nationals to play exhibition against Red Sox at Naval Academy

The Washington Nationals announced that they will play the Boston Red Sox at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on April 1st in an exhibition game.

The game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN at 2:00 PM, is the first of three games that the Nats will play at the Naval Academy over the next three years, the annual game being dubbed the “Naval Academy Baseball Classic.” (The opponents for 2018 and 2019 have not been set.)

As cool as it would be for the average fan to attend the game at Max Bishop Stadium, where the Naval Academy’s baseball team plays, tickets won’t be available to the general public; instead, the teams will distribute complimentary tickets to Naval Academy midshipmen and other current members of the U.S. Navy.

“One of the Nationals’ core community platforms is to support the military, which we do through a variety of initiatives, including our in-game Salute to Service, Military Branch Days, and visits by players and coaches to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,” said principal owner Mark D. Lerner in a statement. “It will be an honor for our players and coaches to take part in these games at the Naval Academy, in front of the brave men and women who have committed to serve our country.”

However, Nationals fans that aren’t in the Navy will have the opportunity to see the Red Sox play the Nats in person once this season (outside of any future playoff possibilities, of course); Chris Sale, Mookie Betts and company come to Nationals Park the day before (3/31) for another exhibition game.

After finishing their two-game set against the Red Sox, the Nats will stay in the district for their Opening Series with the Miami Marlins, and won’t leave again until April 7th, heading off to Philadelphia for a three-game set versus the Phillies.