Lehigh University Athletics
Saturday, April 1
Bethlehem, PA
12 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
Bucknell University
Lehigh Hosts Bucknell to Open Patriot League Play
3/31/2017 12:50:00 PM | Baseball
LIVE VIDEOÂ (Game 1)Â - LIVE VIDEOÂ (Game 2)Â - LIVE VIDEOÂ (Game 3)Â - LIVE VIDEOÂ (Game 4)Â -Â LIVE STATS
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh will open Patriot League play this weekend with a four-game series at J. David Walker Field against Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks and Bison will square off in back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday which will both start at 12 p.m. Live video streaming (Patriot League Network) and live stats will be available for all four games.
Lehigh (8-13) and Bucknell (9-12) were picked in a tie for third place in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Mountain Hawks finished 9-10 in league play last season to garner the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament. LU lost to second seed Holy Cross in three games in the semifinal round. The Bison posted a league record of 8-12 last season and entered the postseason tournament as the fourth seed. BU fell in three games to eventual champion Navy in the semifinal round.
Senior outfielder Jacen Nalesnik was Lehigh's lone player named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team and garnered second team all-league honors last season. Nalesnik leads Lehigh and ranks fourth in the Patriot League with a .360 batting average. The senior leads the league with six home runs as he owns a league-best .686 slugging percentage. Nalesnik rides a seven-game hit streak (his second of the season) into the weekend and has multiple hits in each of his last five games.
Bucknell had two players selected to the Preseason All-Patriot Team in third baseman Sam Clark and outfielder Brett Smith. Both Clark and Smith were first team all-league selections last season. Smith is sixth on the team with a .244 batting average in a team-leading 90 at bats. Clark ranks ninth on the team with a .227 batting average and is second with 75 at bats. Smith is slugging .344 with an on-base percentage of .310, while Clark is slugging .307 with an on-base percentage of .263.
Freshman Levi Stoudt is a probable starter for Lehigh this weekend and leads the league with a 1.71 earned-run average through 26.1 innings of work this season. Stoudt owns a team-best 24 strikeouts with a WHIP of 1.30 as opponents are hitting .255 against him. The freshman is 2-2 in six starts this season.
Bucknell's Connor Van Hoose is a probable starter for the weekend and ranks second in the league with a 3.27 ERA through 33.0 innings pitched this season. Van Hoose ranks second and is one of two pitchers in the Patriot League with over 40 strikeouts as he has recorded 43 this season. The right-hander owns a WHIP of 1.42 while opponents are hitting .282 against him. Van Hoose is 2-3 in six starts.
The Mountain Hawks rank second in the Patriot League with a team batting average of .264. Lehigh is also second with a team slugging percentage of .441, but leads the league with 23 home runs and ranks 20th in the nation with 1.19 home runs per game. LU is also second in the league with a team fielding percentage of .955 and has the second-fewest errors with 34.
The Bison are third in the league with a team batting average of .257. BU is fourth in slugging percentage (.346) while hitting a league-low four home runs. Bucknell ranks third with a .954 fielding percentage and has recorded the third-fewest errors with 36.
Bucknell took three out of four games from Lehigh as the two teams opened league play against each other last season. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to win their first league-opening series since defeating Army West Point in an abbreviated three-game series 2014. Army defeated Lehigh later in the season to earn a split in the season series. Lehigh has not won a four-game series to open league play since take taking three out of four games from Bucknell in 2006.
The Bison are on a two-game win streak against Lehigh since and own a 93-81 lead in the all-time series. Lehigh won the season series in 2015 (3-1), but Bucknell won previous four season series from 2011-14.
Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and content.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh will open Patriot League play this weekend with a four-game series at J. David Walker Field against Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks and Bison will square off in back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday which will both start at 12 p.m. Live video streaming (Patriot League Network) and live stats will be available for all four games.
Lehigh (8-13) and Bucknell (9-12) were picked in a tie for third place in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Mountain Hawks finished 9-10 in league play last season to garner the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament. LU lost to second seed Holy Cross in three games in the semifinal round. The Bison posted a league record of 8-12 last season and entered the postseason tournament as the fourth seed. BU fell in three games to eventual champion Navy in the semifinal round.
Senior outfielder Jacen Nalesnik was Lehigh's lone player named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team and garnered second team all-league honors last season. Nalesnik leads Lehigh and ranks fourth in the Patriot League with a .360 batting average. The senior leads the league with six home runs as he owns a league-best .686 slugging percentage. Nalesnik rides a seven-game hit streak (his second of the season) into the weekend and has multiple hits in each of his last five games.
Bucknell had two players selected to the Preseason All-Patriot Team in third baseman Sam Clark and outfielder Brett Smith. Both Clark and Smith were first team all-league selections last season. Smith is sixth on the team with a .244 batting average in a team-leading 90 at bats. Clark ranks ninth on the team with a .227 batting average and is second with 75 at bats. Smith is slugging .344 with an on-base percentage of .310, while Clark is slugging .307 with an on-base percentage of .263.
Freshman Levi Stoudt is a probable starter for Lehigh this weekend and leads the league with a 1.71 earned-run average through 26.1 innings of work this season. Stoudt owns a team-best 24 strikeouts with a WHIP of 1.30 as opponents are hitting .255 against him. The freshman is 2-2 in six starts this season.
Bucknell's Connor Van Hoose is a probable starter for the weekend and ranks second in the league with a 3.27 ERA through 33.0 innings pitched this season. Van Hoose ranks second and is one of two pitchers in the Patriot League with over 40 strikeouts as he has recorded 43 this season. The right-hander owns a WHIP of 1.42 while opponents are hitting .282 against him. Van Hoose is 2-3 in six starts.
The Mountain Hawks rank second in the Patriot League with a team batting average of .264. Lehigh is also second with a team slugging percentage of .441, but leads the league with 23 home runs and ranks 20th in the nation with 1.19 home runs per game. LU is also second in the league with a team fielding percentage of .955 and has the second-fewest errors with 34.
The Bison are third in the league with a team batting average of .257. BU is fourth in slugging percentage (.346) while hitting a league-low four home runs. Bucknell ranks third with a .954 fielding percentage and has recorded the third-fewest errors with 36.
Bucknell took three out of four games from Lehigh as the two teams opened league play against each other last season. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to win their first league-opening series since defeating Army West Point in an abbreviated three-game series 2014. Army defeated Lehigh later in the season to earn a split in the season series. Lehigh has not won a four-game series to open league play since take taking three out of four games from Bucknell in 2006.
The Bison are on a two-game win streak against Lehigh since and own a 93-81 lead in the all-time series. Lehigh won the season series in 2015 (3-1), but Bucknell won previous four season series from 2011-14.
Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and content.
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