Rother, Black and Leary garner major awards; Eight named All-Patriot League
5/12/2021 3:58:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Regular season champions for the first time since 2006 and the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament beginning this upcoming weekend, the Lehigh baseball team made history and took home a program-record three major awards and eight All-Patriot League selections, voted on by the coaches and announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
Junior first baseman Casey Rother was named Patriot League Player of the Year, junior right-hander Mason Black was named Pitcher of the Year and head coach Sean Leary earned Gene DePew Coach of the Year honors for the 2021 season.
In addition, the Mountain Hawks garnered five First Team All-Patriot League selections including Rother, Black, Matt Svanson, Sam Wurth and Eric Cichocki. Three Mountain Hawks, Luke Rettig, Adam Retzbach and Joe Gorla earned Second Team nods.
Casey Rother is Lehigh's fourth Player of the Year honoree and first since Mike Garzillo in 2016. He finished the regular season batting .350 (48-for-137) overall with six doubles, five home runs, a triple, 28 runs scored and 29 RBIs with 19 walks. He had a .518 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .441. In league play, Rother batted .365 (35-for-96) with four doubles, two home runs, a triple and 15 RBIs with 21 runs scored. He also walked a team-best 17 times and slugged .490 with a .470 OBP. His 13 multi-hit games is tied for the team lead and is also tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games with seven. He held a 26-game reached base streak earlier this season and has currently got on base in five straight contests. In league play, Rother leads the league in hits and runs scored.
For the first time since Dave Cerminaro in 2002, the Mountain Hawks have a Pitcher of the Year in Mason Black. Black, who was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year prior to the start of the campaign, started the season hot and ended it hot en route to one of the most successful seasons in program history. Heading into the Patriot League Tournament, Black is 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. He currently leads the way in all pitching triple crown categories with wins, ERA and K's. If he's able to hang on through the remainder of the season, Black will become Lehigh's first winner of the triple crown since Cerminaro. He has six games of 10 strikeouts or more and has four complete games, including two straight shutouts to close out the regular season. In league play, Black is 6-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 68 strikeouts, also leading the league in all three categories. Overall, he has held hitters to a .213 batting average all season long. In addition to league honors, Black is awaiting national honors as well as he was named to the prestigious Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List earlier this year.
Guiding his team to its first regular season crown in 15 years and first Patriot League Tournament berth since 2016, Sean Leary is the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the third time and the first time since 2010. With a 21-16 overall record, the Mountain Hawks have clinched their first winning record since 2014 and their 17 wins in league play mark a program-best. Following a season-opening 9-0 shutout victory over Coppin State, Leary earned his 500th career win, all at Lehigh and continues his climb as the winningest head coach in program history. By the end of the season, the Mountain Hawks pitching staff led the Patriot League with a 3.85 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 27 League games. Lehigh's 4.24 ERA in 37 overall games was also the best in the league. Under Leary's tutelage, the Mountain Hawks took home two major awards and eight All-Patriot League selections this season. Starting this upcoming weekend, Leary and Lehigh begin its quest for the program's third Patriot League title and berth to an NCAA Regional since 2015.
Joining Black and Rother on the First Team is Matt Svanson, Eric Cichocki and Sam Wurth. Svanson was Black's second-in-command this season and finished with a 3-4 record in 10 starts over 56 innings with a 2.73 ERA, which is ranked second behind Black. He struck out 57, walked 18 and held hitters to a .229 average.
Cichocki had a breakout season in 2021 playing right field for the first time in his career. The converted infielder finished the regular season slashing .323/.451/.430 with nine doubles, two homers, 15 walks and 32 runs scored. A staple in the leadoff spot all season long, he stole nine bases and was hit by a pitch 10 times. In the field, Cichocki made spectacular catch after spectacular catch, recording 63 putouts with two assists for a .985 fielding percentage.
An All-Patriot League selection for the first time like the rest of his teammates, Wurth was phenomenal as the league's best reliever in 2021. He's 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA and four saves so far this season, striking out 13 and walking seven in 21.2 innings of work.
On the second team is Luke Rettig, Adam Retzbach and Joe Gorla.
Rettig completes the three-headed monster of the pitching rotation in 2021 and was excellent, going 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances, making seven starts. He struck out 50 batters and walked 19 in 49.0 innings. Rettig held hitters to a .238 clip this season.
Retzbach has come on strong late in the year as a consistent power threat in the Mountain Hawks' lineup. He hit .246 with nine doubles, two triples and finished tied for the team lead in home runs with five. He drove in 25 runs and scored 17 times. Retzbach walked 14 times and slugged .462 with a .340 on-base percentage. Playing mostly behind the plate, he made 277 putouts with 33 assists and a .990 fielding percentage.
The final all-Patriot Leaguer is Gorla, who was stellar in his third season wearing the brown and white. He split time between second base and third base for most of the year. Gorla hit .302 with 10 doubles, three triples and a homer, driving in a team-high tying 29 RBIs in 37 starts. He slugged .452 with a .403 on-base percentage. In league games, he was second on the team with a .316 batting average, driving in 22 runs and slugging .484. Gorla follows in the footsteps of his father Joe, who was named a Second Team All-Patriot League selection at designated hitter in 1993.
Lehigh hosts Navy in best-of-three Patriot League semifinal round action this weekend, with two nine-inning games set to kick off at noon Saturday at J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park. Sunday's noon contest will be played if necessary. This weekend's games will be streamed live on ESPN+ ($).
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2021 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Player of the Year: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Jr., 1B
Pitcher of the Year: Mason Black, Lehigh, Jr., RHP
Rookie of the Year: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Fr., OF
Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Simoes, Army West Point, Sr., 2B
Gene Depew Coach of the Year: Sean Leary, Lehigh
2021 First-Team All-Patriot League Baseball Team
SP: Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, So.
SP: Mason Black, Lehigh Jr.
SP: Matt Svanson, Lehigh, Sr.
RP: Sam Wurth, Lehigh, Sr.
C: Angelo D'Acunto, Holy Cross, Jr.
1B: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Jr.
2B: Nico Valdez, Navy Jr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, Jr.
3B: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Fr.
OF: Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Eric Cichocki, Lehigh Sr.
At-Large: Christian Policelli, Navy, Jr.
2021 Second-Team All-Patriot League Baseball Team*
SP: Anthony LoRicco, Army West Point, So.
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Jr.
SP: Charlie Connolly, Navy, Sr.
RP: Connelly Early, Army West Point, Fr.
RP: Trey Braithwaite, Navy, Sr.
C: Adam Retzbach, Lehigh, So.
1B: Zach Stevens, Navy, Jr.
2B: Joe Gorla, Lehigh, Jr.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, So.
3B: Logan Keller, Navy, Fr.
OF: Justin Grech, Lafayette, Fr.
OF: Peter Ciuffreda, Lafayette, So.
OF: Zane Raba, Navy, Fr.
At-Large: Nick Manesis, Army West Point, Jr.
At-Large: Ross Frederick, Army West Point., So
*Additional relief pitcher and at-large selections are due to ties in the voting
Junior first baseman Casey Rother was named Patriot League Player of the Year, junior right-hander Mason Black was named Pitcher of the Year and head coach Sean Leary earned Gene DePew Coach of the Year honors for the 2021 season.
In addition, the Mountain Hawks garnered five First Team All-Patriot League selections including Rother, Black, Matt Svanson, Sam Wurth and Eric Cichocki. Three Mountain Hawks, Luke Rettig, Adam Retzbach and Joe Gorla earned Second Team nods.
Casey Rother is Lehigh's fourth Player of the Year honoree and first since Mike Garzillo in 2016. He finished the regular season batting .350 (48-for-137) overall with six doubles, five home runs, a triple, 28 runs scored and 29 RBIs with 19 walks. He had a .518 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .441. In league play, Rother batted .365 (35-for-96) with four doubles, two home runs, a triple and 15 RBIs with 21 runs scored. He also walked a team-best 17 times and slugged .490 with a .470 OBP. His 13 multi-hit games is tied for the team lead and is also tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games with seven. He held a 26-game reached base streak earlier this season and has currently got on base in five straight contests. In league play, Rother leads the league in hits and runs scored.
For the first time since Dave Cerminaro in 2002, the Mountain Hawks have a Pitcher of the Year in Mason Black. Black, who was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year prior to the start of the campaign, started the season hot and ended it hot en route to one of the most successful seasons in program history. Heading into the Patriot League Tournament, Black is 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 64.2 innings. He currently leads the way in all pitching triple crown categories with wins, ERA and K's. If he's able to hang on through the remainder of the season, Black will become Lehigh's first winner of the triple crown since Cerminaro. He has six games of 10 strikeouts or more and has four complete games, including two straight shutouts to close out the regular season. In league play, Black is 6-1 with a 2.55 ERA and 68 strikeouts, also leading the league in all three categories. Overall, he has held hitters to a .213 batting average all season long. In addition to league honors, Black is awaiting national honors as well as he was named to the prestigious Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List earlier this year.
Guiding his team to its first regular season crown in 15 years and first Patriot League Tournament berth since 2016, Sean Leary is the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the third time and the first time since 2010. With a 21-16 overall record, the Mountain Hawks have clinched their first winning record since 2014 and their 17 wins in league play mark a program-best. Following a season-opening 9-0 shutout victory over Coppin State, Leary earned his 500th career win, all at Lehigh and continues his climb as the winningest head coach in program history. By the end of the season, the Mountain Hawks pitching staff led the Patriot League with a 3.85 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 27 League games. Lehigh's 4.24 ERA in 37 overall games was also the best in the league. Under Leary's tutelage, the Mountain Hawks took home two major awards and eight All-Patriot League selections this season. Starting this upcoming weekend, Leary and Lehigh begin its quest for the program's third Patriot League title and berth to an NCAA Regional since 2015.
Joining Black and Rother on the First Team is Matt Svanson, Eric Cichocki and Sam Wurth. Svanson was Black's second-in-command this season and finished with a 3-4 record in 10 starts over 56 innings with a 2.73 ERA, which is ranked second behind Black. He struck out 57, walked 18 and held hitters to a .229 average.
Cichocki had a breakout season in 2021 playing right field for the first time in his career. The converted infielder finished the regular season slashing .323/.451/.430 with nine doubles, two homers, 15 walks and 32 runs scored. A staple in the leadoff spot all season long, he stole nine bases and was hit by a pitch 10 times. In the field, Cichocki made spectacular catch after spectacular catch, recording 63 putouts with two assists for a .985 fielding percentage.
An All-Patriot League selection for the first time like the rest of his teammates, Wurth was phenomenal as the league's best reliever in 2021. He's 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA and four saves so far this season, striking out 13 and walking seven in 21.2 innings of work.
On the second team is Luke Rettig, Adam Retzbach and Joe Gorla.
Rettig completes the three-headed monster of the pitching rotation in 2021 and was excellent, going 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 appearances, making seven starts. He struck out 50 batters and walked 19 in 49.0 innings. Rettig held hitters to a .238 clip this season.
Retzbach has come on strong late in the year as a consistent power threat in the Mountain Hawks' lineup. He hit .246 with nine doubles, two triples and finished tied for the team lead in home runs with five. He drove in 25 runs and scored 17 times. Retzbach walked 14 times and slugged .462 with a .340 on-base percentage. Playing mostly behind the plate, he made 277 putouts with 33 assists and a .990 fielding percentage.
The final all-Patriot Leaguer is Gorla, who was stellar in his third season wearing the brown and white. He split time between second base and third base for most of the year. Gorla hit .302 with 10 doubles, three triples and a homer, driving in a team-high tying 29 RBIs in 37 starts. He slugged .452 with a .403 on-base percentage. In league games, he was second on the team with a .316 batting average, driving in 22 runs and slugging .484. Gorla follows in the footsteps of his father Joe, who was named a Second Team All-Patriot League selection at designated hitter in 1993.
Lehigh hosts Navy in best-of-three Patriot League semifinal round action this weekend, with two nine-inning games set to kick off at noon Saturday at J. David Walker Field at Legacy Park. Sunday's noon contest will be played if necessary. This weekend's games will be streamed live on ESPN+ ($).
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
2021 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Player of the Year: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Jr., 1B
Pitcher of the Year: Mason Black, Lehigh, Jr., RHP
Rookie of the Year: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Fr., OF
Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Simoes, Army West Point, Sr., 2B
Gene Depew Coach of the Year: Sean Leary, Lehigh
2021 First-Team All-Patriot League Baseball Team
SP: Chris DiFiore, Bucknell, So.
SP: Mason Black, Lehigh Jr.
SP: Matt Svanson, Lehigh, Sr.
RP: Sam Wurth, Lehigh, Sr.
C: Angelo D'Acunto, Holy Cross, Jr.
1B: Casey Rother, Lehigh, Jr.
2B: Nico Valdez, Navy Jr.
SS: Justin Johnson, Lafayette, Jr.
3B: Anthony Giachin, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Fr.
OF: Chris Cannizzaro, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Eric Cichocki, Lehigh Sr.
At-Large: Christian Policelli, Navy, Jr.
2021 Second-Team All-Patriot League Baseball Team*
SP: Anthony LoRicco, Army West Point, So.
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Jr.
SP: Charlie Connolly, Navy, Sr.
RP: Connelly Early, Army West Point, Fr.
RP: Trey Braithwaite, Navy, Sr.
C: Adam Retzbach, Lehigh, So.
1B: Zach Stevens, Navy, Jr.
2B: Joe Gorla, Lehigh, Jr.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, So.
3B: Logan Keller, Navy, Fr.
OF: Justin Grech, Lafayette, Fr.
OF: Peter Ciuffreda, Lafayette, So.
OF: Zane Raba, Navy, Fr.
At-Large: Nick Manesis, Army West Point, Jr.
At-Large: Ross Frederick, Army West Point., So
*Additional relief pitcher and at-large selections are due to ties in the voting
Players Mentioned
RHP
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OF
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LHP
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1B/RHP
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RHP
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