Photo by: Josh Liddick
Rich named Patriot League's top newcomer by Perfect Game
9/25/2020 12:03:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Lehigh baseball program has multiple freshmen players that will make an impact right away in the brown and white when the season commences in 2021. One in particular was recognized by Perfect Game, as freshman right-hander Lucas Rich was named the No. 1 incoming freshman player in the Patriot League by the national publication.
In addition, Perfect Game also named Rich one of the Top 500 incoming freshman players in the nation, also a significant honor.
Rich, the Florham Park, N.J. native and Newark Academy product had a standout high school career and was named an All-Northeast Region First Team selection by Perfect Game heading into the 2020 season. He was the seventh ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of New Jersey and 14th overall for his class.
"It's exciting to see Perfect Game recognize Lucas as the top incoming freshman recruit in the Patriot League and as a top 500 recruit in the country," said head coach Sean Leary.
"Lucas is a very talented young man that has a bright future in our program and beyond. One reason Lucas was attracted to Lehigh was our strong track record of developing our pitchers. He was also really excited by the arm talent in our program that he will be able to train with every day."
Lehigh has a history of developing impact starting pitchers that gain notice by Major League clubs. Mark Washington was drafted in 2017, while Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds each landed on major league organizations in 2019. Currently, Mason Black, Luke Rettig and Matt Svanson are names that have popped up in MLB prospect conversations for the 2021 draft.
"The past four years, our program has received strong recognition for our recruiting classes," Leary said. "It is a testament to the program as we continue to make tremendous strides."
Fellow newcomers Patrick Coyne and Tyler Thompson also made their way onto Perfect Game's Patriot League list, coming in at Nos. 9 and 12, respectively.
"Another exciting element is that the 2020 recruiting class has already played an instrumental role in us building very strong '21 and '22 classes," said Leary. "It is definitely an exciting time for our program as we look forward to consistently competing for Patriot League championships."
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
In addition, Perfect Game also named Rich one of the Top 500 incoming freshman players in the nation, also a significant honor.
Rich, the Florham Park, N.J. native and Newark Academy product had a standout high school career and was named an All-Northeast Region First Team selection by Perfect Game heading into the 2020 season. He was the seventh ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of New Jersey and 14th overall for his class.
"It's exciting to see Perfect Game recognize Lucas as the top incoming freshman recruit in the Patriot League and as a top 500 recruit in the country," said head coach Sean Leary.
"Lucas is a very talented young man that has a bright future in our program and beyond. One reason Lucas was attracted to Lehigh was our strong track record of developing our pitchers. He was also really excited by the arm talent in our program that he will be able to train with every day."
Lehigh has a history of developing impact starting pitchers that gain notice by Major League clubs. Mark Washington was drafted in 2017, while Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds each landed on major league organizations in 2019. Currently, Mason Black, Luke Rettig and Matt Svanson are names that have popped up in MLB prospect conversations for the 2021 draft.
"The past four years, our program has received strong recognition for our recruiting classes," Leary said. "It is a testament to the program as we continue to make tremendous strides."
Fellow newcomers Patrick Coyne and Tyler Thompson also made their way onto Perfect Game's Patriot League list, coming in at Nos. 9 and 12, respectively.
"Another exciting element is that the 2020 recruiting class has already played an instrumental role in us building very strong '21 and '22 classes," said Leary. "It is definitely an exciting time for our program as we look forward to consistently competing for Patriot League championships."
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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