2018 Chesapeake Bayhawks season
The 2018 Chesapeake Bayhawks season was the eighteenth season for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse, and ninth using the Chesapeake moniker. The Bayhawks came into the year looking to improve upon their 7-7 finish in 2017 in which they finished sixth place in the league and missed out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. General manager Dave Cottle returned to the sidelines as head coach for the first time since 2015 after the Bayhawks and Brian Reese parted ways in September. In Cottle's first year back on the sidelines, the Bayhawks finished 9-5 and second place in the league. In their return to the postseason, the Bayhawks lost to the Denver Outlaws in the semifinal round, 13-12.
Offseason
- September 14, 2017 - Head coach Brian Reese and the Bayhawks part ways. In two seasons, Reese led Chesapeake to a 15-13 record but no playoff appearances.
- November 30 - Bayhawks ownership made their plans of a new 10,000-seat stadium official. The three-phase project would be located in Crownsville, Maryland at the site of a defunct hospital and include 20 multiuse fields, an entertainment and restaurant district, and 6,000-seat amphitheater.
- December 13 - General manager Dave Cottle is announced the Bayhawks' head coach for 2018. Cottle coached the Bayhawks to a 30-26 record and two championships from 2012 to 2015.
- February 20, 2018 - The team announces its June 2 game against the Ohio Machine will be the nightcap of a doubleheader featuring the Baltimore Brave and the Philadelphia Fire of the newly-founded Women's Professional Lacrosse League.
Transactions
- October 3, 2017 - The Bayhawks received attackman Steele Stanwick from the Ohio Machine in exchange for a second round draft pick in the 2019 collegiate draft.
Regular Season
- May 3 - The Bayhawks secure a unique partnership with NBC Sports Washington in which the station will broadcast all Bayhawks games, both home and away, on a tape delay basis.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Stadium | Result | Attendance | Record |
| April 21 | Dallas Rattlers | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | L 9-15 | 2,915 | 0-1 |
| April 28 | at Florida Launch | FAU Stadium | W 14-11 | 2,897 | 1-1 |
| May 3 | at Charlotte Hounds | American Legion Memorial Stadium | L 13-14 | 1,059 | 1-2 |
| May 13 | at Denver Outlaws | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | W 24-22 | 1,788 | 2-2 |
| May 19 | at Boston Cannons | Hingham High School | W 14-11 | 3,500 | 3-2 |
| June 2 | Ohio Machine | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | W 13-8 | 3,154 | 4-2 |
| June 9 | at Ohio Machine | Fortress Obetz | W 15-12 | 2,865 | 5-2 |
| June 16 | Atlanta Blaze | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | W 9-6 | 4,734 | 6-2 |
| July 2 | Boston Cannons | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | W 15-8 | 5,244 | 7-2 |
| July 7 | New York Lizards | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | W 16-13 | 5,443 | 8-2 |
| July 21 | Charlotte Hounds | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | L 10-20 | 2,544 | 8-3 |
| July 26 | at Atlanta Blaze | Fifth Third Bank Stadium | L 11-12 | 1,406 | 8-4 |
| July 28 | Denver Outlaws | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | W 13-11 | 5,149 | 9-4 |
| August 4 | at New York Lizards | James M. Shuart Stadium | L 11-18 | 5,315 | 9-5 |
Postseason
| Date | Round | Opponent | Stadium | Result | Attendance |
| August 11 | Semifinal | Denver Outlaws | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | L 12-13 | 2,977 |