Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh will look to take the next step in 2010
2/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Loaded with returning players, the Lehigh baseball team will look to take a big step forward in 2010. The Mountain Hawks are coming off an inconsistent 2009 that saw the insertion of several new faces into the lineup. After losing only a few key players to graduation and with the return of shortstop Brendan McGaheran, the Brown and White should be right in the thick of things in the Patriot League standings. Led by junior Andy Russell, who was a First Team All-League selection last season, Lehigh will rely on its balanced lineup and experienced pitching to succeed in 2010.
Here’s a look at how the Mountain Hawks stack up heading into the season:
Infield
For the second consecutive year the Mountain Hawks return several players who saw playing time in the infield last season. The depth in the infield will be one of the teams’ strengths throughout the season.
Right in the thick of things is junior shortstop Brendan McGaheran, who missed the 2009 season due to injury, but has made a full recovery and will once again be a staple in the middle infield for Lehigh. McGaheran was one of the Mountain Hawks’ most consistent offensive weapons two seasons ago,
as he batted .287 with three home runs and 15 stolen bases.
His partner on the left side of the infield is third baseman Jim McConlogue, who has made great strides during the offseason. The junior started 22 games in 2009, hitting .289 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in.
Junior Brendan Pifer looks to lock down second base after starting 24 games last season. Pifer hit .230 with two home runs and 11 runs batted in. Senior Patrick Groome, who started 25 games last season, will provide depth off the bench.
When he is not pitching, junior Kevin Mihalik will serve as the Lehigh first baseman. Mihalik finished second on the team last season with 26 runs batted in. His classmate Austin Borden will take over the duties at first when Mihalik takes the mound.
At catcher, Leary has two new options to choose from in freshman Alex Jacquez and junior transfer Chad Warga. “Both guys are very hard working and they’re really pitcher friendly type of guys,” Leary said. “They’ve taken the approach to work on improving the team’s pitching rather than focusing solely on hitting.”
Another transfer, junior Sean Killeen, and sophomore Joe Conaway will provide some extra power to the Mountain Hawks’ lineup this season rotating as the designated hitter. “Killeen came in and had a great fall, leading our team in home runs,” Leary said. “The two of them have great power bats and we’re going to need to find at-bats for both of them.”
Providing depth in the infield will be sophomore Ryan Gajdos and freshman Brandon Sady, who both play third, second and shortstop.
Outfield
Four everyday players return in the outfield for the Brown and White, but the group will be led by junior Andy Russell. A First Team All-Patriot League selection last season, Russell led Lehigh in every major offensive category which included an impressive .348 batting average. The Doylestown, Pa. native will hold down the right field position this year for the Mountain Hawks. “Andy is only going to get better because we have more guys around him now,” Leary said. “He will be able to do more with the better balance in the lineup.”
Russell will be joined by classmate Billy Goldman in center who started a team-high 47 games last season and hit .333 which was third highest on the team. “Billy has made a significant jump this offseason,” Leary said. “The game is starting to slow down for him and he is becoming more patient as a hitter.”
Rounding out the outfield will be junior Logan Winchester in left field who is hoping to return to his 2008 form where he earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors. Winchester missed parts of last season due to injury, but looks to be 100 percent heading into 2010.
Providing depth in the outfield will be junior Ross Biggs, freshman Tom O’Malley and his classmate Scott Hansen. O’Malley hit .323 in high school with a slugging percentage of .477 and also saw significant time as a pitcher. Hansen batted .411 his senior year with two home runs and 30 runs batted in as a member of the No. 1 nationally ranked Don Bosco Prep.
Pitching
Senior Andrew Berger will head into the season as the No. 1 pitcher after an up and down 2009. Berger, who has over 140 innings logged for the Brown and White in his career, led Lehigh in complete games (4) and strikeouts last season (44).
The No. 2 starter will be junior Mike Lebo, who is looking to rebound after hard luck in 2009. Lebo, a strikethrower as Leary refers to him, started seven games last season and finished second on the team with 54.1 innings pitched.
Rounding out the rotation will be Mihalik and sophomore Cory Kent. Mihalik appeared in 10 games last season as a pitcher, posting a 1-6 overall record in 42.2 innings pitched. He pitched his best game of the season against Navy on April 5, throwing a complete game shutout. As a freshman, Kent led the Mountain Hawks in wins (4) and finished third on the team with a 3.76 earned run average.
The Mountain Hawks will have the luxury of having two seniors as their swing guys out of the bullpen this season. Ken Longernecker and Rob Russell will be available for long to middle relief and to start if needed. “Ken has become so versatile for us,” Leary said. “He is willing to start, close, come in for middle relief, wherever he’s needed.”
Middle relief for the Brown and White this season will be provided by freshmen Cameron Phillips and Ryan Patrick. Both Phillips and Patrick were premier pitchers for their respective high school programs.
Sophomore Dan Ciccone is a leading candidate to see time late in games in short relief situations. Ciccone appeared in 11 games last year and has shown great improvement during the offseason. Other short relievers available for Lehigh are freshmen Sady and O’Malley. Sady pitched a complete game no-hitter in high school and was named one of the Philadelphia area’s top pitchers.
The real wildcard for Lehigh this season will be whether three veteran pitchers can return at some point in the season to provide the Mountain Hawks with even more depth. Junior Luke Porter and seniors Gregory Angelo and Jordan Warncke will all likely miss the beginning of the season due to injuries. Angelo and Warncke were the team’s top starting pitchers last season and Porter provided valuable bullpen depth. Providing depth in the bullpen will be freshmen Jordan Sacks, John Saleh and Casey Atkins, all of which will get further opportunity to show their stuff.
Lehigh will open up the season Friday at 4 p.m. in Wilmington, N.C. against the UNC Wilmington Seahawks.
Lehigh Baseball Season Preview with Cassie Willard '11
