Just like the football program did for its 31-13 win over Army in the 125th Army-Navy Game last fall, the Navy baseball team recently unveiled new alternate uniforms that pay homage to the Jolly Rogers.
Established in 1943, the Jolly Rogers are considered the most lethal and history-rich squadron in naval aviation. They have flown nine different types of aircraft dating back to World War II, with the pilots of Vought F4U Corsairs racking up more than 150 kills by the end of the war.
The all-white uniforms worn by the Midshipmen’s baseball and football programs match the design of the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets currently flown by Strike Fighter Squadron 103, who are stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.
They feature blue shoulder yoke containing the Jolly Rogers’ skull-and-bones insignia on the left sleeve, as well as a yellow stripe on the collar that mimics the jet’s tail fin. The sleeve cuffs, meanwhile, feature victory stripes that are pulled directly from the side of the aircraft.
The pullover jerseys also feature a large “Navy” wordmark across the chest, navy blue numbers on the front and back and a special logo in place of a nameplate that was inspired by the icon tail fin on the F-14 Tomcat (VF-84), with the victory stripe flanked by a drop shadow “JR.”
The victory stripe is carried over to the sides of the white pants, which feature a navy blue belt, as well as The Eagle, Globe and Anchor – the official emblem and insignia of the Marine Corps – on the right hip opposite of the Under Armour logo.
The uniforms are complete with white hats featuring the Jolly Rogers insignia on the front and a new batting helmet inspired by the helmets worn by the pilots in the VF-84 and VFA-103 squadrons, with a chevron containing the Jolly Rogers insignia on sides and the victory stripe down the center.
It’s a similar design to what the football program wore in December, including “Fear the Bones” on the back bumper, but it lacks some of the airbrushed details like the screws or the mechanism that moves their visors up and down.
The Midshipmen will they’ll wear the uniforms on March 15 against Army, April 6 against Lehigh and April 19 against Holy Cross, with fans in attendance receiving a matching Jolly Rogers button, t-shirt or ice cream helmet.
Photos courtesy of @NavyBaseball on X/Twitter.
