Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh welcomes 12 in baseball class of 2014
7/22/2010 4:15:00 PM | Baseball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball program has announced the addition of 12 student-athletes that will join the Mountain Hawks in the fall. Head coach Sean Leary and assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Hirschberg have put together a pitching-heavy class includes five newcomers from around the Lehigh Valley, with a total of six states represented. The class of 2014 is comprised of Joe Abeln (Allentown, Pa.), Tyler Brong (Bethlehem, Pa.), Mike Burke (Clark’s Summit, Pa.), Nick Cassell (Kingswood, Mich.), Jayme Edwards (Wellington, Fla.), Harris Fanaroff (Potomac, Md.), Colin Gotzon (Bethlehem, Pa.), Robby Hart (McLean, Va.), Joey McNamara (Wyckoff, N.J.), Dan O’Leary (Allentown, Pa.), Jeff Wiand (Pottstown, Pa.), and Brandon Wilt (Emmaus, Pa.).
“Our main goal was trying to bring in quality arms to replace the pitchers we were losing to graduation,” explained Hirschberg who recently completed his second season on staff and his first as recruiting coordinator. “Pitching was priority number one for us, but of equal importance was finding the right type of character kids for this program. We were looking for kids who can perform on the field but also get it done in the classroom and represent the Lehigh program the way we want it represented, and I think we’ve done that.”
“Coach Hirschberg did a great job in his first year as recruiting coordinator,” added Leary, the 2010 Patriot League Coach of the Year, who enters his 16th season. “We graduated five pitchers, so there is an opportunity for freshmen to come in and contribute. We were able to bring in quality arms and we were able to balance a good number of right-handers and left-handers within this class.
Leary continued, “We expect our freshmen pitchers to come in and compete for time and push our returning guys. Among our incoming position players, we have some guys that will push our starters, and even if they don’t crack the lineup right away, will be ready to step in for 2012 since we will graduate all of our starting field players next year.”
Joe Abeln is a catcher from Allentown, Pa., where he was a three-year varsity player at Parkland High School. Abeln was part of the Trojan team that was State runner-up in 2009, District 4A champions in 2009, runner-up in 2010, and Lehigh Valley Conference Champions in 2008 and 2009. The Morning Call All-League Honorable mention catcher in 2010, Abeln was selected for the Seppe All Star Classic in his senior season, of which he batted .425 overall, earning him Parkland High School’s team MVP award. A three-year Carpenter Cup selection (’08, ’09, ’10), Abeln was also a stand-out in the classroom, earning the 2010 Scholar Athlete Award, as well as making Presidents List all four years, having maintained a 4.0 or higher GPA. A team captain, Abeln graduated Parkland with 65 hits, 54 runs, 40 RBI’s, and a .348 batting average, while his team posted a 59-15 record.
Tyler Brong, a first baseman from Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa., earned the Jasper Award as a freshman for winning the District 11 Championship. A three-time selection for the Lehigh Valley Carpenter Cup Team, Brong won the Liberty High School hitting award as a sophomore and senior, being named second team All-Conference in 2008 and 2009, and first team All-Conference in 2010. A team captain as a senior, Brong also won the Bernie Fritz award in 2010 and graduated with high honors.
Coming to Lehigh from Abington Heights High School in Clark’s Summit, Pa. is pitcher Mike Burke. A team captain in his senior year, Burke was part of the 2009 Pennsylvania AAA State Championship team, along with the 2009 PIAA District 2 Champions, a team which was ranked No. 1 in the state at the end of the season. A two-time Scranton Times-Tribune All-Region Pitcher, Burke was a two-year Lackawanna League All-Star, and has earned the 2010 Abington Heights MVP Award, the 2009 Abington Heights Pitcher of the Year Award, and the 2008 Abington Heights Coaches Award. Burke finished his high school career with a 15-1 record and 1.56 ERA along with 105 strikeouts. He also lettered in basketball for Abington Heights.
A pitcher from Cranbrook Kingswood High School in Kingswood, Michigan, Nick Cassell was named first-team All-District, first-team All Conference, Metro Conference and Cranbrook Kingswood Team MVP as well as Academic All State. Cassell was member of Cranbrook Kingswood team that won the Metro Conference title in 2009 and 2010.
Jayme (J.R.) Edwards is a pitcher coming to Lehigh from Cardinal Newman High School in Wellington, Florida. Edwards has been named first team All-Area by the Palm Beach Post as an infielder/pitcher, first team All-County by the Sun Sentinel as a pitcher, first team All-Conference as a pitcher, in his senior year, as well as second team All-Conference as a shortstop in his junior year. A team captain his senior year, Edwards received the Crusader Award for baseball, and led small schools in strikeouts with 90, ranking second overall in the county. A district champion as a junior and senior, Edwards was selected to the Dick Howser All-Star Game as a third baseman and pitcher, batting .403 while owning 2.36 ERA in 56 1/3 innings on the mound. Edwards also pitched for the 2009 Florida Surge Select Team that won the 2009 Triple Crown Nationals in Auburndale, Florida.
Left-handed pitcher Harris Fanaroff joins the Mountain Hawks from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. Fanaroff was named first team All-Maryland Examiner, first team All-Division, second team All Gazette, and won the Perlo Award for combination of academics and athletics. A captain for his junior and senior seasons, Fanaroff played in the MSABC Classic and was the MVP of County All-Star Game. Off the field, Fanaroff is a member of the National Honor Society and National English Honor Society. In June, Fanaroff was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 50th round of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.
Colin Gotzon, a pitcher from Liberty High School in Bethlehem, was named first team All-Area by the Morning Call and second team All-Area by the Express Times in his junior season. As a senior, Gotzon was named first team All- Conference by the Express Times and second team All- Area by the Morning Call. Gotzon was named Liberty High School Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and 2010, carrying a 14-0 record throughout his high school career. A member of the 2007 district runner-up team, Gotzon was a scholar athlete, and a member of the national honors society, graduating with highest honors.
Robby Hart is the second left-handed pitcher in the incoming class from Langley High School in McLean, Virginia. A three-year varsity letterwinner and a team captain in his senior year, Hart was named a Virginia State Pre-Season 2010 Top Prospect.
Joey McNamara comes to Lehigh from Don Bosco Prep in Wyckoff, New Jersey. McNamara was selected to play in the New Jersey All-Star game and was named All-League Honorable Mention in his senior season. McNamara earned Academic Second Honors his junior and senior years, and won two League Championships. As a junior, McNamara was part of the Don Bosco team that was voted tenth in the East Region by USA Today. McNamara finished his high school career with 16 appearances, a 10-2 record and a 2.84 ERA.
Dan O’Leary, a pitcher from Parkland High School, comes to Lehigh as a two-year American Legion All-Star. O’Leary, who holds the record for most strikeouts per inning in a single season at Parkland with 2.3 per inning, was a member of the 2009 League and District Champions, and the Pennsylvania AAAA State Runner-up, and the 2010 District runners-up. O’Leary was a member for the National Honors Society, Math Honor Society, and received the Regional Scholar Athlete Award, the Lehigh Valley Engineering Award, and graduated in the top six percent of his class. O’Leary was also nominated for the PLCM Award, which goes to the most well-rounded student in the state.
Jeff Wiand, outfielder and pitcher for Owen J. Roberts High School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, was a three-time All PAC-10 first team selection, a three-time All-Area first team selection, 2009 PAC-10 League MVP and a two-time Mercury All-Area Player of the Year. Wiand was also a 2008 Carpenter Cup Selection, and was selected to the Philly Inquirer first team all SouthEast in 2009 and 2010 as an outfielder. Wiand was part of the Owen J. Roberts team that won two PAC-10 championships and was 2010 Pennsylvania AAAA State Runner-up; Wiand was also on the Honor Roll for all four years.
Brandon Wilt rounds out the class of 2014 as a catcher and outfielder for Emmaus High School. Wilt was a two-time honorable mention of the Morning Call All-Area team as an outfielder and was named All-Conference in 2009 and 2010. A three-year letter winner, Wilt was part of the Emmaus team that was league runner-up in 2009 and 2010, and District Runner-up in 2009. Team Scholar-Athlete, Wilt was a member of the National Honors Society, German Honor Society, and the Principals Honor Roll for four years. Wilt also lettered in soccer for Emmaus.
Lehigh, which advanced to the Patriot League Tournament in 2010 after a four year hiatus, returns three All-League selections and all eight starting field players in 2011.
Lehigh Baseball Class of 2014
|
Name |
Position |
Hometown/Previous School |
Major |
|
Joe Abeln |
C |
Allentown, Pa./Parkland |
Engineering |
|
Tyler Brong |
1B |
Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty |
Engineering |
|
Mike Burke |
RHP |
Clark’s Summit, Pa./Abington Heights |
Engineering |
|
Nick Cassell |
RHP |
Kingswood, Mich./Cranbrook Kingswood |
Engineering |
|
Jayme Edwards |
RHP |
Wellington, Fla./Cardinal Newman |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Harris Fanaroff |
LHP |
Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill |
Business |
|
Colin Gotzon |
RHP |
Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty |
Engineering |
|
Robby Hart |
LHP |
McLean, Va./Langley |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Joey McNamara |
RHP |
Wyckoff, N.J./Don Bosco Prep |
Arts and Sciences |
|
Dan O’Leary |
RHP |
Allentown, Pa./Parkland |
Engineering |
|
Jeff Wiand |
OF/RHP |
Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts |
Engineering |
|
Brandon Wilt |
C/OF |
Allentown, Pa./Emmaus |
Engineering |
Story written by Kelly Fowler
