Photo by: Josh Liddick
Gallo named Preseason All-Patriot League selection ahead of 2020 campaign
1/28/2020 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As of Tuesday, the 2020 baseball season is just 17 days away from getting underway, as the Patriot League announced its preseason honors, with one member of the Lehigh baseball team represented on the Preseason All-Patriot League team. Senior infielder Tony Gallo garnered recognition, marking the first time since 2017 that Mountain Hawks were recognized, when four players earned nods.
Gallo had a terrific junior campaign that resulted in a First Team All-Patriot League selection. He finished the season third of all Patriot League players in batting average (.321) and led the team in average, ranked second in hits (53), home runs (7) and RBIs (42). Gallo was also excellent in the field, ending the year with a .984 fielding percentage, committing only five errors with 268 putouts.
His best week of the season culminated in a National Player of the Week nod, finishing the week hitting .688 (11-for-16) with two home runs, a double and eight RBIs with a 1.125 slugging percentage and three walks for an on-base percentage of .750. Two of those hits were in walk-off fashion on the same day against Bucknell.
Gallo will once again be a key player for the Mountain Hawks in 2020, who are attempting to qualify for the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2017.
"Tony will be our middle of the lineup force. Every team has got a guy they can rely on for power production and RBIs and I think what is wonderful about Tony is that he's been very team-oriented about his approach," said head coach Sean Leary. "He's been willing to play some different positions for us over the fall and into the spring.
"But we're going to rely on his bat, so this was a deserved honor, but also something that we're excited for him, that he's able to be recognized by the league."
Gallo will be a key cog in a lineup that led the Patriot League in home runs a season ago, but key losses of power bats including Jeff Shanfeldt and Ryan Malloy, as well as key rotation arms in Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds have shown up in how the Patriot League coaches evaluate how teams will perform in 2020. The Mountain Hawks were picked last out of six teams in the Preseason Patriot League poll, garnering just 17 total points after finishing in fifth place a season ago.
It's safe to say that Leary is not concerned about the preseason predictions and that his team will be ready to compete come February.
"We always tell our guys to worry more about the end of season standings than the preseason ones, but naturally, when we're not picked where we were expected to be picked, it's great motivation," said Leary. "I understand that the league would see a couple power arms that were drafted and a couple all-league players that have graduated, but our group has confidence in what we have coming into the spring.
"And quite frankly, the motivation is that we need to prove this, we need to go out and get this done daily. And maybe this adds a little bit of extra motivation, but I know from my side, they shouldn't need that. It shouldn't be that important, but on some level it's always good to have something to push you."
The Mountain Hawks open up their 2020 season with a trip to Davidson for a three-game series starting on Feb. 14.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2020 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Army West Point (5 first-place votes), 43 points
2. Navy (3), 41
3. Holy Cross (2), 34
4. Lafayette, 24
5. Bucknell (2), 21
6. Lehigh, 17
2020 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Major Award Winners
Player of the Year: Jacob Hurtubise, Army West Point, Sr., OF
Pitcher of the Year: Liam Dvorak, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP
2020 Patriot League Preseason All-League Team*
SP: Liam Dvorak, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP
SP: Jared Leins, Navy, Jr., RHP
RP: Trey Braithwaite, Navy, Jr., RHP
C: Riley Livingston, Holy Cross, Sr.
1B: Tony Gallo, Lehigh, Sr.
2B: Zach Biggers, Navy, Sr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, So.
3B: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Jr.
OF: Jacob Hurtubise, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Tyler Wincig, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Austin Masel, Holy Cross, Sr.
OF: Trey Durrah, Lafayette, Sr.
At-Large: Jeremiah Adams, Army West Point, So.
*Four outfielders were selected to the preseason team due to a tie in the voting.
Gallo had a terrific junior campaign that resulted in a First Team All-Patriot League selection. He finished the season third of all Patriot League players in batting average (.321) and led the team in average, ranked second in hits (53), home runs (7) and RBIs (42). Gallo was also excellent in the field, ending the year with a .984 fielding percentage, committing only five errors with 268 putouts.
His best week of the season culminated in a National Player of the Week nod, finishing the week hitting .688 (11-for-16) with two home runs, a double and eight RBIs with a 1.125 slugging percentage and three walks for an on-base percentage of .750. Two of those hits were in walk-off fashion on the same day against Bucknell.
Gallo will once again be a key player for the Mountain Hawks in 2020, who are attempting to qualify for the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2017.
"Tony will be our middle of the lineup force. Every team has got a guy they can rely on for power production and RBIs and I think what is wonderful about Tony is that he's been very team-oriented about his approach," said head coach Sean Leary. "He's been willing to play some different positions for us over the fall and into the spring.
"But we're going to rely on his bat, so this was a deserved honor, but also something that we're excited for him, that he's able to be recognized by the league."
Gallo will be a key cog in a lineup that led the Patriot League in home runs a season ago, but key losses of power bats including Jeff Shanfeldt and Ryan Malloy, as well as key rotation arms in Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds have shown up in how the Patriot League coaches evaluate how teams will perform in 2020. The Mountain Hawks were picked last out of six teams in the Preseason Patriot League poll, garnering just 17 total points after finishing in fifth place a season ago.
It's safe to say that Leary is not concerned about the preseason predictions and that his team will be ready to compete come February.
"We always tell our guys to worry more about the end of season standings than the preseason ones, but naturally, when we're not picked where we were expected to be picked, it's great motivation," said Leary. "I understand that the league would see a couple power arms that were drafted and a couple all-league players that have graduated, but our group has confidence in what we have coming into the spring.
"And quite frankly, the motivation is that we need to prove this, we need to go out and get this done daily. And maybe this adds a little bit of extra motivation, but I know from my side, they shouldn't need that. It shouldn't be that important, but on some level it's always good to have something to push you."
The Mountain Hawks open up their 2020 season with a trip to Davidson for a three-game series starting on Feb. 14.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2020 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Army West Point (5 first-place votes), 43 points
2. Navy (3), 41
3. Holy Cross (2), 34
4. Lafayette, 24
5. Bucknell (2), 21
6. Lehigh, 17
2020 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Major Award Winners
Player of the Year: Jacob Hurtubise, Army West Point, Sr., OF
Pitcher of the Year: Liam Dvorak, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP
2020 Patriot League Preseason All-League Team*
SP: Liam Dvorak, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP
SP: Jared Leins, Navy, Jr., RHP
RP: Trey Braithwaite, Navy, Jr., RHP
C: Riley Livingston, Holy Cross, Sr.
1B: Tony Gallo, Lehigh, Sr.
2B: Zach Biggers, Navy, Sr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, So.
3B: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Jr.
OF: Jacob Hurtubise, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Tyler Wincig, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Austin Masel, Holy Cross, Sr.
OF: Trey Durrah, Lafayette, Sr.
At-Large: Jeremiah Adams, Army West Point, So.
*Four outfielders were selected to the preseason team due to a tie in the voting.
Players Mentioned
OF/1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballBaseball vs. Coppin State
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Penn
Wednesday, March 19
Baseball vs. UAlbany
Sunday, March 16
Season Preview Baseball
Thursday, February 13
