Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh sweeps major awards; seven named All-Patriot League
5/7/2013 4:06:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After capturing its second straight regular season championship and 18th overall, the Lehigh softball team finds itself well represented as the Patriot League announced its All-League teams and major award winners Tuesday. Freshman Morgan Decker captured two awards as she was named the league's Player and Rookie of the Year, while senior Becca Bliss was named Pitcher of the Year. Head coach Fran Troyan was named Coach of the Year for the second straight year. In all, seven Mountain Hawks were named to All-Patriot League teams.
Lehigh finished the regular season at 35-14-1 overall and 17-3 in the Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks posted a blistering 21-2 record in April en route to another regular season title. Lehigh will look to win its third straight tournament crown when the Mountain Hawks host the three-day Patriot League Tournament at Kaufman Field beginning Thursday.
Decker burst onto the scene was one of the league's top offensive players in her rookie campaign. She enters the Patriot League Tournament as the league's leader in all three triple crown categories, with a .417 batting average, eight home runs and 44 runs batted in. Decker also leads the league in walks, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. A three-time Patriot League Player of the Week and two-time Rookie of the Week, Decker hit .456 in Patriot League games, and was an impressive .475 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 23 games in April. Lehigh's third baseman is the first player in league history to be named Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season in softball.
Previously a two-time Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, Bliss backed up her Preseason Pitcher of the Year award by winning the postseason award for the first time. Bliss has improved steadily in each of her four seasons, with an impressive 19-6 overall record and 1.66 ERA in 2013. She leads Lehigh in wins and innings pitched (160) and has walked just 18 batters this season. Bliss has continued her dominance against Patriot League opponents, going 10-0 with a 1.29 ERA in league games this season. She enters the postseason having won her last 21 regular season starts and 26 straight decisions against Patriot League opponents (regular season and tournament) dating back to 2011. Bliss is now a four-time All-Patriot League selection and a three-time first team pick.
Troyan was honored as the league's Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his 18 seasons as the Mountain Hawks' mentor. A doubleheader sweep at the hands of Hofstra left Lehigh at 11-11-1 heading into the start of Patriot League play, and since that time, Troyan has led the Brown and White to a 24-3 record. Lehigh boasts the league's top offense (.283 team avg.) and pitching staff (1.74 ERA). Prior to last season, Troyan previously won this award in 1997, 2005 and shared the award in 2007.
Lehigh's seven All-League selections included six first-team honorees. Decker and Bliss were joined on the first team by seniors Liz Lucas and Rosie Roessel and sophomores Emily Bausher and Cassie Waggy. Freshman Alexis Watanabe was named to the second team at second base.
Lucas and Roessel are both now three-time All-Patriot League selections. Lehigh's catcher, Lucas started all 50 games for the Mountain Hawks and has started all 215 games in her Lehigh career. In 2013 she is hitting .307 with a league-leading 16 doubles to go along with three home runs and 39 runs batted in. Lucas became Lehigh's career leader in home runs with 25 back in March, while she enters the Patriot League Tournament one RBI and two doubles shy of school and Patriot League records in those categories.
Roessel's speed in centerfield and atop Lehigh's lineup made her a key component of the Mountain Hawks' regular season championship squad. She batted .367 with 39 runs scored and a team-leading 21 stolen bases. Roessel was even better in Patriot League play, where she led the league with a .474 batting average.
Bausher makes her first appearance on the first team after earning second team honors as a freshman. The Patriot League's leader in ERA, Bausher pitched to a 14-6 record and 1.55 ERA in 140.1 innings of work. She leads the Mountain Hawks with 157 strikeouts and leads the Patriot League in strikeouts per game. Bausher has also fired a league-leading six shutouts including a one-hitter and a pair of two-hitters this season.Waggy was named All-League at first base after being honored as a designated player last season. This year, Waggy ranks third on the Mountain Hawks with 25 runs batted in, to go along with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs and a .257 batting average.
Lehigh's lone second team representative, Watanabe teamed with Roessel to form one of the league's top table-setting tandems. Watanabe leads the Patriot League with seven triples and 45 runs scored. She hit .361 and ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with ten stolen bases.
The Mountain Hawks will open up the Patriot League tournament against Colgate Thursday at noon from Kaufman Field. Live audio of the contest and all of Lehigh's Patriot League Tournament action will be available online through Patriot League All-Access.
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