Lehigh University Athletics
Leaving a Legacy
4/28/2016 10:39:00 AM | Baseball, Features
With great appreciation and respect for the long history and proud identity of Lehigh's baseball alumni and others who have been associated with the program, Lehigh University and the Lehigh Athletics Department proudly bestowed Legacy Park as the name of the Mountain Hawks' newly-renovated baseball complex that opened in 2015. Fittingly, the 2015 Lehigh baseball team christened the new home field with a legacy of its own – the program's second-ever Patriot League championship. The current Mountain Hawk senior class will be looking to lead Lehigh to back-to-back league titles and the team's third-straight Patriot League Championship appearance in 2016. The senior class has collectively built its own legacy in leading Lehigh to an extended period of success, especially senior co-captain and starting shortstop Mackey Price, whose impact extends far beyond the diamond.
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Price isn't the most decorated player on the Lehigh baseball roster. He's not the one that has seen the most playing time or hit the most home runs. But, he's the Mountain Hawk who has always taken on whatever role has been asked of him and taken pride in being the best teammate he can be. He's done whatever it takes to help his team win and it has helped mold him into a highly-revered leader whose experiences and hard-working demeanor are sure to not only leave a lasting legacy with the program, but also help guide him to future success.
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"In 20 years of coaching I can count on one hand the number of young men who have understood from the first day they were in the program what it meant to be the consummate teammate," said head coach Sean Leary. "A lot of kids would learn it over time and become outstanding at it, but Mackey came in from the very first day understanding that whatever role he would have on the team would be something that he earned. Once he earned that role, he was committed to his teammates to help them win and committed on his level to improving that role."
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Lehigh has always been a part of Price's life. His maternal grandfather began the long line of Lehigh legacies as a member of the swimming team and both of his parents graduated from the University, while his father was a member of the Lehigh wrestling team. When it came time to pick a college, Lehigh wasn't necessarily highly recruiting their future starting shortstop, but Price's passion for the school stood out and he knew it was the perfect fit for him.
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Price made just 25 starts throughout his first three years as a Mountain Hawk. It would have been easy for Price to get down on himself and his abilities, but the Hillsborough, N.J. native never let playing time affect how he could help the team in other ways.
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"Mackey knows his teammates so well that he knows what to say to people and when to say it," said second baseman and co-captain Mike Garzillo. "He put the time in throughout his four years here to get to know and build a relationship with each of his teammates and gain an understanding of how they tick. Personally, he gets me and he knows what to say to me and when to say it and I think a lot of people on our team feel that way about Mackey. He has put the time and energy into becoming the best teammate he can be and not just selfishly thinking about himself getting better as a baseball player."
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Even though Price wasn't seeing the most playing time throughout his early years at Lehigh, he never stopped working and consistently showed up every day giving nothing short of 100 percent.
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"If you leave everything on the field every single game and come off the field mentally and physically exhausted, you know that you absolutely gave it your all and did all you could," explained Price. "I think that's one of the traits I bring to this team. Every time I step between those lines you're getting everything I have."
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The hard-nosed, blue-collar player continued to work hard and fulfill whatever role was asked of him and consistently brought energy to the dugout throughout his first few years in the Brown and White. That energy and team-first mentality played a crucial role in leading Lehigh to two-straight Patriot League Championship appearances.
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"In baseball especially, it's a sport that is only about the team," said Price. "There are kids who have the potential to be drafted, but they can't win baseball games on their own. When you're one of those kids that's not going to get drafted and most likely not going to play baseball after college, you have to do everything you can to win games in a different manner.
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"You have to find a way to bring the team together because after all, last year we weren't the most talented team, but we were the best team," continued Price. "We were the most unified. Everybody was in it for the team, not themselves. To be able to help bring that together was one of my major goals since I first got here."
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Following the team's 2015 Patriot League Championship, Price earned the starting shortstop role on the 2016 squad. He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in the Patriot League and has come up with several clutch hits at the plate. But despite what he's contributing on the field this season, it's the experiences in his past few seasons that have made him so influential to his younger teammates.
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"Two words I would use to describe Mackey as a leader are relentless and fearless," said sophomore pitcher Buck Schwab. "He brings a certain level of tenacity to our team. Everything he does on the field, he does 100 percent and without fear of failure which makes him a good leader by example because he's not afraid to fail and learn from that."
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"As he grew over time, the respect from his teammates grew even stronger because they saw that consistency from him which is the most special part," explained Leary. "He became a leader based on how he performed as a member of our team for his first two and a half years, not the last year and a half when he's played a more significant role on the field."
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Price's dedication to displaying selflessness and the ability to work hard at all times is something that his coaches and teammates know will help him in the future once the shortstop hangs up his cleats and moves into the working world.
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"There are some players when you're with them, you have a calm about the fact that they're going to have it figured out over the next 40 years and Mackey is one of them. He just gets that you work hard for everything, and when you don't get it you work harder," said Leary. "He doesn't make excuses and he's a loyal person. He's somebody that when an employer calls, it'll be the easiest recommendation you could ever give because he's exactly what everyone would want. He's the type of young man that you hope your daughter brings home someday – that type of character kid. I have a special feeling that I know when he leaves here, he's prepared for whatever is ahead of him."
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"This experience that I've had has really prepared me for the general ups and downs that life is going to give you," said Price. "Just because you have a job doesn't mean you're going to succeed right out of the gate. It's important to stick with the process, continue to work hard and know that things are going to keep working out if you continue to work hard and not take any opportunity for granted."
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Price and the other five Mountain Hawks seniors are ready to continue working towards their ultimate goal of defending their Patriot League Championship. Lehigh heads into its final regular-season league series this weekend at Army where the Mountain Hawks hope to clinch their third-straight postseason berth.
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No matter the outcome, one thing is for sure: Price's legacy of hard-working, selfless devotion to one's team is sure to resonate within the program for years to come.
Â
Price isn't the most decorated player on the Lehigh baseball roster. He's not the one that has seen the most playing time or hit the most home runs. But, he's the Mountain Hawk who has always taken on whatever role has been asked of him and taken pride in being the best teammate he can be. He's done whatever it takes to help his team win and it has helped mold him into a highly-revered leader whose experiences and hard-working demeanor are sure to not only leave a lasting legacy with the program, but also help guide him to future success.Â
"In 20 years of coaching I can count on one hand the number of young men who have understood from the first day they were in the program what it meant to be the consummate teammate," said head coach Sean Leary. "A lot of kids would learn it over time and become outstanding at it, but Mackey came in from the very first day understanding that whatever role he would have on the team would be something that he earned. Once he earned that role, he was committed to his teammates to help them win and committed on his level to improving that role."
Â
Lehigh has always been a part of Price's life. His maternal grandfather began the long line of Lehigh legacies as a member of the swimming team and both of his parents graduated from the University, while his father was a member of the Lehigh wrestling team. When it came time to pick a college, Lehigh wasn't necessarily highly recruiting their future starting shortstop, but Price's passion for the school stood out and he knew it was the perfect fit for him.
Â
Price made just 25 starts throughout his first three years as a Mountain Hawk. It would have been easy for Price to get down on himself and his abilities, but the Hillsborough, N.J. native never let playing time affect how he could help the team in other ways.
Â
"Mackey knows his teammates so well that he knows what to say to people and when to say it," said second baseman and co-captain Mike Garzillo. "He put the time in throughout his four years here to get to know and build a relationship with each of his teammates and gain an understanding of how they tick. Personally, he gets me and he knows what to say to me and when to say it and I think a lot of people on our team feel that way about Mackey. He has put the time and energy into becoming the best teammate he can be and not just selfishly thinking about himself getting better as a baseball player."
Â
Even though Price wasn't seeing the most playing time throughout his early years at Lehigh, he never stopped working and consistently showed up every day giving nothing short of 100 percent.
Â
"If you leave everything on the field every single game and come off the field mentally and physically exhausted, you know that you absolutely gave it your all and did all you could," explained Price. "I think that's one of the traits I bring to this team. Every time I step between those lines you're getting everything I have."
Â
The hard-nosed, blue-collar player continued to work hard and fulfill whatever role was asked of him and consistently brought energy to the dugout throughout his first few years in the Brown and White. That energy and team-first mentality played a crucial role in leading Lehigh to two-straight Patriot League Championship appearances.
Â
"In baseball especially, it's a sport that is only about the team," said Price. "There are kids who have the potential to be drafted, but they can't win baseball games on their own. When you're one of those kids that's not going to get drafted and most likely not going to play baseball after college, you have to do everything you can to win games in a different manner.
Â
"You have to find a way to bring the team together because after all, last year we weren't the most talented team, but we were the best team," continued Price. "We were the most unified. Everybody was in it for the team, not themselves. To be able to help bring that together was one of my major goals since I first got here."
Â
Following the team's 2015 Patriot League Championship, Price earned the starting shortstop role on the 2016 squad. He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in the Patriot League and has come up with several clutch hits at the plate. But despite what he's contributing on the field this season, it's the experiences in his past few seasons that have made him so influential to his younger teammates.
Â
"Two words I would use to describe Mackey as a leader are relentless and fearless," said sophomore pitcher Buck Schwab. "He brings a certain level of tenacity to our team. Everything he does on the field, he does 100 percent and without fear of failure which makes him a good leader by example because he's not afraid to fail and learn from that."
Â
"As he grew over time, the respect from his teammates grew even stronger because they saw that consistency from him which is the most special part," explained Leary. "He became a leader based on how he performed as a member of our team for his first two and a half years, not the last year and a half when he's played a more significant role on the field."
Â
Price's dedication to displaying selflessness and the ability to work hard at all times is something that his coaches and teammates know will help him in the future once the shortstop hangs up his cleats and moves into the working world.
Â
"There are some players when you're with them, you have a calm about the fact that they're going to have it figured out over the next 40 years and Mackey is one of them. He just gets that you work hard for everything, and when you don't get it you work harder," said Leary. "He doesn't make excuses and he's a loyal person. He's somebody that when an employer calls, it'll be the easiest recommendation you could ever give because he's exactly what everyone would want. He's the type of young man that you hope your daughter brings home someday – that type of character kid. I have a special feeling that I know when he leaves here, he's prepared for whatever is ahead of him."Â
"This experience that I've had has really prepared me for the general ups and downs that life is going to give you," said Price. "Just because you have a job doesn't mean you're going to succeed right out of the gate. It's important to stick with the process, continue to work hard and know that things are going to keep working out if you continue to work hard and not take any opportunity for granted."
Â
Price and the other five Mountain Hawks seniors are ready to continue working towards their ultimate goal of defending their Patriot League Championship. Lehigh heads into its final regular-season league series this weekend at Army where the Mountain Hawks hope to clinch their third-straight postseason berth.
Â
No matter the outcome, one thing is for sure: Price's legacy of hard-working, selfless devotion to one's team is sure to resonate within the program for years to come.
Players Mentioned
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