Photo by: Lisa Stamford
Sweeney, Black earn final pair of Patriot League weekly awards
5/11/2021 2:11:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Two familiar faces earned Patriot League weekly honors following the final weekend of the regular season. Junior infielder Gerard Sweeney was named Patriot League Player of the Week for the second time and junior right-hander Mason Black earned Pitcher of the Week honors for the program record-tying fourth time in a single season.
Sweeney has come on strong in the final 10 games of the season and was particularly special against Holy Cross over the weekend. He hit .467 (7-for-15) with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored, six RBIs, a walk and a hit by pitch, slugging .800 and reaching base at a .529 clip. His two-run double in game two on Saturday and his two-run homer in the first game on Sunday both were game-winning hits as the Mountain Hawks clinched the regular season title for the first time since 2006. Over his last 10, Sweeney is batting .375 (15-for-40) with 10 RBIs.
For the fourth time in 2021, Black is the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week, making a strong case at being Lehigh's first Pitcher of the Year since Dave Cerminaro in 2002. He tossed his second consecutive complete game shutout, scattering four hits, walking four and striking out 10 Crusaders. Black held Holy Cross hitters to a .182 average and reached the 10 or more-strikeout plateau for the sixth time this season. He's 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 64.2 innings of work, currently leading the way in the race for the Patriot League Pitching Triple Crown. Heading into the postseason this weekend, Black is just four from tying, five from breaking Craig Anderson's single-season program record of 94 strikeouts set in 1960.
Black, Sweeney and the rest of the Mountain Hawks host fourth-seeded Navy this weekend at J. David Walker Field in the Patriot League semifinals. Saturday will consist of two nine inning contests with Sunday happening if necessary. The winner will advance to the Patriot League Championship series. First pitch is set for noon Saturday with both contests being streamed on ESPN+ ($).
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Sweeney has come on strong in the final 10 games of the season and was particularly special against Holy Cross over the weekend. He hit .467 (7-for-15) with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored, six RBIs, a walk and a hit by pitch, slugging .800 and reaching base at a .529 clip. His two-run double in game two on Saturday and his two-run homer in the first game on Sunday both were game-winning hits as the Mountain Hawks clinched the regular season title for the first time since 2006. Over his last 10, Sweeney is batting .375 (15-for-40) with 10 RBIs.
For the fourth time in 2021, Black is the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week, making a strong case at being Lehigh's first Pitcher of the Year since Dave Cerminaro in 2002. He tossed his second consecutive complete game shutout, scattering four hits, walking four and striking out 10 Crusaders. Black held Holy Cross hitters to a .182 average and reached the 10 or more-strikeout plateau for the sixth time this season. He's 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 64.2 innings of work, currently leading the way in the race for the Patriot League Pitching Triple Crown. Heading into the postseason this weekend, Black is just four from tying, five from breaking Craig Anderson's single-season program record of 94 strikeouts set in 1960.
Black, Sweeney and the rest of the Mountain Hawks host fourth-seeded Navy this weekend at J. David Walker Field in the Patriot League semifinals. Saturday will consist of two nine inning contests with Sunday happening if necessary. The winner will advance to the Patriot League Championship series. First pitch is set for noon Saturday with both contests being streamed on ESPN+ ($).
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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