Lehigh to open Patriot League play with four-game set at rival Lafayette
3/29/2013 4:12:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball team will open Patriot League play with two doubleheaders against Lafayette this weekend. First pitch for each opening game Saturday and Sunday is slated for 12 p.m. at Kamine Stadium.
The Mountain Hawks and Leopards will be facing off to open their league seasons for the second consecutive year. Lehigh holds the top overall record in the Patriot League at 11-10 heading into the weekend, while Lafayette is 3-19 overall and in the midst of an 11-game home stand. Both teams will be looking to rebound from first round losses in the Liberty Bell Classic on Wednesday, as Lehigh fell to Temple 9-3 and Lafayette bowed out to Penn 8-1.
“Opening Patriot League play is always exciting because there's so much on the line, but being up against a rival like Lafayette brings even more energy and incentive for our guys to play well,” Lehigh head coach Sean Leary said.
The Lafayette series and all other Patriot League doubleheaders will be played on consecutive days, with game one lasting seven innings and the nightcap going the full nine innings.
“We need to just stay in every inning of every game, see what happens and not think too far ahead,” junior Nick Cassel said.
Cassell owns a team-low 2.38 ERA on the mound this season, while junior Colin Gotzon has struck out 28 in 27.1 innings pitched to earn three victories. In eight appearances out of the bullpen and one start, sophomore Nick Stephens is holding opponents to a team-low .176 batting average.
Senior Casey Turner leads the Mountain Hawks in hits (25) and total bases (33) while sharing the RBI lead with sophomore Connor Faust (13). From the leadoff spot, sophomore Justin Pacchioli has a team-best .344 batting average. Junior Joe Abeln, who was selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, has started all 21 games for Lehigh at either catcher or designated hitter on his way to a .275 batting average.Kevin Casey has been a bright spot in the Leopards' lineup this season. After being named the second baseman of the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, he has hit .315 at the plate and drawn 17 walks for an on-base percentage of .457, all of which lead the team. Parker Hills is Lafayette's only player to register double-digit RBI, posting 13 so far, and Andrew Santomauro has stolen nine bases in 12 attempts.
Lafayette's pitching has struggled this season, as Toby Schwartz has thrown four wild pitches and hit four batters in 23 innings of work. He has fanned 17 batters though. Cory Spera owns a team-best 4.32 ERA in five appearances out of the bullpen.
As the fourth seed in last year's Patriot League Tournament Lafayette lost to eventual league champion Army in the semifinals. Lehigh is looking to get back to the league tournament for the first time since 2010.
The Brown and White hold a 49-41 advantage against Lafayette since the Patriot League matchups began in 1991. The local rivals have met in the Patriot League Tournament twice, with each team taking a series win. The Leopards were picked to finish fifth place in the Patriot League this season, earning 15 points compared with Lehigh's 14.
“We always want to beat our Patriot League rivals like Lafayette as many times as we can, and we know these games are winnable and can get us off on the right foot,” senior Tom O'Malley said. “As long as we can set the tone early and keep our intensity going throughout the game we should be able to do well.”
Lafayette owns a 203-141-2 advantage in the all-time series, but the two teams have split the regular season series the past two years. Leary earned his school record-breaking 327th career win with a 10-2 Mountain Hawk's victory in game two of the first Lafayette doubleheader last season on Goodman Campus. The Leopards took both games of a twinbill the following day however, handing Lehigh 8-6 and 8-1 losses. “In the end it falls on us to execute our game plan together,” Turner said. “If we play tough, get on base, move runners over and are able to produce runs, we know we'll do well.”
Following their four-game series at Lafayette, the Mountain Hawks will play at Saint Joseph's in round two of the Liberty Bell Classic. The game will begin at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in Philadelphia.
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