Tuesday, April 14
3 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
Delaware
Bleming named Rookie of the Week as Lehigh prepares for home games Tuesday and Wednesday
4/13/2015 3:05:00 PM | Baseball
Free Video | Live Stats | Patriot League Awards Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh baseball freshman James Bleming has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week after helping the Mountain Hawks take three of four games from first-place Holy Cross over the weekend. Bleming and the Mountain Hawks kick off a six-game homestand at Legacy Park Tuesday with a 3 p.m. non-league game against Delaware before welcoming Coppin State at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Free video of both games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
Bleming hit .400 (4-for-10) in Lehigh's series at Holy Cross over the weekend with two RBI and a run scored. He was 1-for-1 and laid down a key sacrifice bunt in the 11th inning to help the Mountain Hawks to a 9-8 win in Saturday's opener before going 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two. Bleming went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in game three to help Lehigh secure the 3-1 series win against the first-place Crusaders. Bleming, who has gained most of his experience at shortstop, played in left field for the Mountain Hawks over the weekend and made several key defensive plays. This is the first Rookie of the Week award of Bleming's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk this season.
Juniors Kevin Boswick and Mike Garzillo earned honorable mention recognition for the league's Pitcher and Player of the Week awards, respectively. Boswick fired seven scoreless innings out of the bullpen in game one to help Lehigh rally for a 9-8, 11-inning win. Garzillo hit .385 over Lehigh's six games last week with seven RBI, including the game winner in game one at Holy Cross, and seven runs scored.
The Mountain Hawks have won seven of their last nine games and are coming off a big 3-1 series victory at first-place Holy Cross over the weekend. Lehigh erased an 8-1 deficit with the help of a game-tying grand slam from senior Patrick Walshe in game one that propelled the Mountain Hawks to a 9-8, extra-inning win in the series opener. Lehigh scored in four innings of game two and out-hit the Crusaders 12-4 to back the strong pitching performances of seniors Nick Macaione and Jordan Smith in the 8-4 victory. Lehigh scored eight runs in the third inning of game three before holding off a late Holy Cross charge to earn a 10-9 victory in game three as senior starter Nick Stephens picked up the win and sophomore Connor Donovan secured his first-career save. The Crusaders were able to walk off with a 2-1 win in the bottom of the ninth inning of the series finale to salvage the final contest and avoid a series sweep.
Garzillo leads the team with a .402 batting average and has recorded a team-best 32 RBI. Senior Justin Pacchioli follows with a .345 batting average and 31 runs scored, while sophomores Jacen Nalesnik (19) and Patrick Donnelly (18) sit second and third on the team in RBI. Freshman righty John Fitz will get the starting nod against the Blue Hens Tuesday. Fitz has scattered two earned runs and five hits in 4.1 innings thrown this year.
Delaware enters Tuesday's contest with a 13-12 overall record and the Blue Hens have won their last three games. Delaware most recently claimed a 9-1 decision over Sacred Heart Friday. The Blue Hen arms allowed just one run on nine hits, while the Delaware bats tallied nine runs on 16 hits and scored at least one run in every inning except the fifth.
Greg Olenski leads Delaware with a .400 batting average, and is followed by Zach Lopes, Diaz Nardo and Doug Trimble who are all hitting .333. Nardo has knocked in a team-best 22 runs, while Tyler Powell has crossed the plate a squad-high 22 times.
Lehigh and Delaware have met twice already this season, as the Blue Hens earned an 11-10 win on March 17 and a 5-3 victory on March 31. Both games were played at Delaware.
Coppin State is currently 3-25-1 and will head to Towson Tuesday before making the trip to Lehigh Wednesday. The Eagles' three wins of the season came over Army, UMES and Delaware State. Coppin State is hitting .237 as a team compared to its opponents' average of .337. George Dragon leads the team with a .336 batting average and 16 runs scored. John Kraft has recorded a team-best 16 RBI.
The Mountain Hawks earned a 17-5 win at Coppin State on March 25. Lehigh exploded for a season-high 21 hits, including eight extra-base hits, en route to the victory. All nine Mountain Hawk starters registered a hit, including six players who had multiple-hit efforts, as Nalesnik led the way with a career-high six RBI. Sophomore David Young earned the win on the mound after allowing just one run through 4.2 strong innings of relief work.
Following the two midweek games, Lehigh will host Navy this weekend in the final home Patriot League series of the regular season. Lehigh's eight seniors will be honored on Senior Day Saturday. Free video of all four games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh baseball freshman James Bleming has been named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week after helping the Mountain Hawks take three of four games from first-place Holy Cross over the weekend. Bleming and the Mountain Hawks kick off a six-game homestand at Legacy Park Tuesday with a 3 p.m. non-league game against Delaware before welcoming Coppin State at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Free video of both games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
Bleming hit .400 (4-for-10) in Lehigh's series at Holy Cross over the weekend with two RBI and a run scored. He was 1-for-1 and laid down a key sacrifice bunt in the 11th inning to help the Mountain Hawks to a 9-8 win in Saturday's opener before going 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two. Bleming went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in game three to help Lehigh secure the 3-1 series win against the first-place Crusaders. Bleming, who has gained most of his experience at shortstop, played in left field for the Mountain Hawks over the weekend and made several key defensive plays. This is the first Rookie of the Week award of Bleming's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk this season.
Juniors Kevin Boswick and Mike Garzillo earned honorable mention recognition for the league's Pitcher and Player of the Week awards, respectively. Boswick fired seven scoreless innings out of the bullpen in game one to help Lehigh rally for a 9-8, 11-inning win. Garzillo hit .385 over Lehigh's six games last week with seven RBI, including the game winner in game one at Holy Cross, and seven runs scored.
The Mountain Hawks have won seven of their last nine games and are coming off a big 3-1 series victory at first-place Holy Cross over the weekend. Lehigh erased an 8-1 deficit with the help of a game-tying grand slam from senior Patrick Walshe in game one that propelled the Mountain Hawks to a 9-8, extra-inning win in the series opener. Lehigh scored in four innings of game two and out-hit the Crusaders 12-4 to back the strong pitching performances of seniors Nick Macaione and Jordan Smith in the 8-4 victory. Lehigh scored eight runs in the third inning of game three before holding off a late Holy Cross charge to earn a 10-9 victory in game three as senior starter Nick Stephens picked up the win and sophomore Connor Donovan secured his first-career save. The Crusaders were able to walk off with a 2-1 win in the bottom of the ninth inning of the series finale to salvage the final contest and avoid a series sweep.
Garzillo leads the team with a .402 batting average and has recorded a team-best 32 RBI. Senior Justin Pacchioli follows with a .345 batting average and 31 runs scored, while sophomores Jacen Nalesnik (19) and Patrick Donnelly (18) sit second and third on the team in RBI. Freshman righty John Fitz will get the starting nod against the Blue Hens Tuesday. Fitz has scattered two earned runs and five hits in 4.1 innings thrown this year.
Delaware enters Tuesday's contest with a 13-12 overall record and the Blue Hens have won their last three games. Delaware most recently claimed a 9-1 decision over Sacred Heart Friday. The Blue Hen arms allowed just one run on nine hits, while the Delaware bats tallied nine runs on 16 hits and scored at least one run in every inning except the fifth.
Greg Olenski leads Delaware with a .400 batting average, and is followed by Zach Lopes, Diaz Nardo and Doug Trimble who are all hitting .333. Nardo has knocked in a team-best 22 runs, while Tyler Powell has crossed the plate a squad-high 22 times.
Lehigh and Delaware have met twice already this season, as the Blue Hens earned an 11-10 win on March 17 and a 5-3 victory on March 31. Both games were played at Delaware.
Coppin State is currently 3-25-1 and will head to Towson Tuesday before making the trip to Lehigh Wednesday. The Eagles' three wins of the season came over Army, UMES and Delaware State. Coppin State is hitting .237 as a team compared to its opponents' average of .337. George Dragon leads the team with a .336 batting average and 16 runs scored. John Kraft has recorded a team-best 16 RBI.
The Mountain Hawks earned a 17-5 win at Coppin State on March 25. Lehigh exploded for a season-high 21 hits, including eight extra-base hits, en route to the victory. All nine Mountain Hawk starters registered a hit, including six players who had multiple-hit efforts, as Nalesnik led the way with a career-high six RBI. Sophomore David Young earned the win on the mound after allowing just one run through 4.2 strong innings of relief work.
Following the two midweek games, Lehigh will host Navy this weekend in the final home Patriot League series of the regular season. Lehigh's eight seniors will be honored on Senior Day Saturday. Free video of all four games will be available on the Patriot League Network.
Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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