Lehigh University Athletics
8/20/2021 2:17:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2021 edition of the Lehigh baseball program went down in history, clinching the team's first Patriot League regular season title since 2006 after a fabulous year getting all the way to the Patriot League Championship Series for the first time since 2015.
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Head coach Sean Leary and Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator A.J. Miller have officially unveiled the incoming freshman class, taking their talents to J. David Walker Field starting in the 2022 season.
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One of the largest recruiting classes in recent memory, the Mountain Hawks boast 13 freshmen student-athletes at the start of the 2022 campaign, with a large variety of skill sets all across the United States.
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The Class of 2025 has student-athletes from Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey coming to Lehigh.
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A win away from capturing the Patriot League Championship in 2021, Lehigh looks to be in good shape to contend for the program's third league title in 2022.
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Greg Becil – OF – New York, N.Y. – Poly Prep
Hailing from the Big Apple, Becil comes to Lehigh from Poly Prep Country Day School where he excelled as a three-year varsity starting outfielder, who was a team captain his senior year. Becil helped lead his teammates a No. 1 ranking in the state in three consecutive seasons (2019, 2020, 2021) including 50th in the country in 2020. According to Perfect Game, Becil is No. 73 overall player in the state of New York and the 11th best outfielder.
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Justin Butler – C – Quakertown, Pa. – Quakertown
Butler will certainly add tremendous depth to a talented catching core at Lehigh, coming to South Mountain from nearby Quakertown. He received the Quakertown High School Outstanding Athlete Award this past season and was a Second Team All-League selection in 2019 and 2021. According to Perfect Game, Butler is ranked 30th overall in Pennsylvania's Class of 2021, coming in as the second-best catcher. He was one of the top 500 players picked by the publication in the country.
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Marcus Danchision – RHP – Ringtown, Pa. – MMI Preparatory School
A talented right-hander from Ringtown, Pennsylvania, Danchision holds MMI Prep's single-season strikeout record with 120 during the course of the 2021 season. He helped lead the team to their first PIAA playoff win in school history. In the classroom, Danchision is a member of the National Honors Society and Science National Honors Society. He was a member of MMI Prep's President's List every quarter of all four years.
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Najir Glenn – LHP/1B – Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg SciTech
Glenn is a two-way player and the latest southpaw to bring his expertise to the Lehigh program. He hails from the state capital of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a product of Harrisburg High School, SciTech Campus. He was his team's captain and First Team All-Conference his senior season. Glenn was his Student Council's President and graduated Top 50 in his class.
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Gunnar Goodwin – RHP – Orono, Minn. – Orono
Goodwin is a decorated player hailing from Orono, Minnesota. This past season alone, he was a member of the Minnesota State All-Conference Team and winner of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association's (MSHSBCA) Academic All-State award. A three-year starting pitcher at Orono, Goodwin also had a stellar academic career, graduating with honors and earning the presidential award.
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Jack Hamilton – RHP – Doylestown, Pa. – Central Bucks East
Hamilton is the latest product of Central Bucks East to take their talents to Lehigh, adding depth to the mound for the next four seasons. He was named a Preseason All-American last year by Rawlings Perfect Game and was named one of the top eight pitchers in the state of Pennsylvania by PA Preps Rivals. Hamilton was a member of the Perfect Game National Team for the WWBA World Championships. In addition to baseball, he was a two-time MVP at CB East in basketball, earning a First Team All-Conference nod as well. Hamilton was on his high school honor roll each marking period of his academic career.
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Sam Holtz – IF – Lake Zurich, Ill. – Lake Zurich
Following the graduation and MLB Draft selection of Lake Zurich product Matt Svanson, Holtz becomes the latest Lake Zurich native to come to Lehigh. An excellent infielder, he was a three-year starter and team captain his final two seasons. In 2021, Holtz hit .357 with three home runs, leading LZ to its first regional championship in over 10 years. He was a NSC All-Conference selection and earned NSC All-Academic honors. In the classroom, Holtz is a member of the National Honors Society.
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Timmy Kenney – RHP – Hopedale, Mass. – Loomis Chaffee
Despite injuries in his final two seasons at Loomis Chaffee, Kenney decided to pursue a post-graduate year in 2021 and became a relief pitcher/closer. After making the switch over from being a starter/outfielder in his freshman and sophomore seasons, he helped lead his team to a 10-3 record and was one of the top prep teams in New England.
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Andrew Kohl – OF – Doylestown, Pa. – Central Bucks West
Kohl is Lehigh's second native of Doylestown in the Class of 2025, having a strong senior season fro Central Bucks West. An outfielder by trade, he hit .320 with four homers as a captain his senior season, earning First Team All-SOL and First Team All-County honors. In the classroom, Kohl is a four-year member of the honor roll while taking four AP classes.
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Brett Palmer – RHP - Mars, Pa. – Central Catholic
A right-handed pitcher from Mars, Pennsylvania, Palmer had a strong senior season ending in a Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention nod for the northeast region. He was a preseason All-WPIAL Second Team selection was Tribune-Review's 2021 Player to Watch. According to PBR, Palmer is ranked No. 63 overall in the state Pennsylvania and is the 27th ranked right-hander in his class.
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Rafe Perich – IF – New Tripoli, Pa. – Northwestern Lehigh
Perich brings pop and potential to an already stacked Lehigh lineup in 2022 after a fantastic career at Northwestern Lehigh. Just the second switch-hitter in the lineup next to Gerard Sweeney, Perich was a First Team All-Area pick in three straight years (2019-21). Perich helped lead Northwestern Lehigh to a district runner-up finish in 2019, 2020 and 2021, while winning the league in his senior season. According to Perfect Game, Perich is ranked 37th overall in Pennsylvania, including fourth amongst shortstops. His father Josh is a former assistant coach at Lehigh and was an 11th round draft pick by the New York Mets out of high school in 1998.
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Val Taddei – RHP – South Riding, Va. – Freedom
A product of Freedom High School in South Riding, Virginia, Taddei is a talented right-handed pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA in 2021 who helped lead his high school to a District Championship and undefeated regular season. In the classroom, he accumulated a 4.37 GPA and was a member of the Latin, Math and Science Honors Society.
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Jake Whitlinger – IF – Harleysville, Pa. – La Salle College
Whitlinger is one of Pennsylvania's top infielders heading into the upcoming season, evident by his accolades and accomplishments at La Salle College High School. The Harleysville, Pennsylvania native was a three-year starting shortstop for the team, winning two Catholic League titles and a state championship in 2021. His senior season saw him earn First Team All-Catholic honors after hitting .371 with 35 stolen bases. Whitlinger is a two-time Power Showcase All-American, two-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American (Mid-Atlantic Region) and was a Courier Times Pennsylvania All-Stat in 2021. According to Perfect Game, he is a top 500 player in the nation and the seventh-best shortstop in Pennsylvania.
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 Lehigh Baseball Class of 2025
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Head coach Sean Leary and Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator A.J. Miller have officially unveiled the incoming freshman class, taking their talents to J. David Walker Field starting in the 2022 season.
Â
One of the largest recruiting classes in recent memory, the Mountain Hawks boast 13 freshmen student-athletes at the start of the 2022 campaign, with a large variety of skill sets all across the United States.
Â
The Class of 2025 has student-athletes from Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey coming to Lehigh.
Â
A win away from capturing the Patriot League Championship in 2021, Lehigh looks to be in good shape to contend for the program's third league title in 2022.
Â
Greg Becil – OF – New York, N.Y. – Poly Prep
Hailing from the Big Apple, Becil comes to Lehigh from Poly Prep Country Day School where he excelled as a three-year varsity starting outfielder, who was a team captain his senior year. Becil helped lead his teammates a No. 1 ranking in the state in three consecutive seasons (2019, 2020, 2021) including 50th in the country in 2020. According to Perfect Game, Becil is No. 73 overall player in the state of New York and the 11th best outfielder.
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Justin Butler – C – Quakertown, Pa. – Quakertown
Butler will certainly add tremendous depth to a talented catching core at Lehigh, coming to South Mountain from nearby Quakertown. He received the Quakertown High School Outstanding Athlete Award this past season and was a Second Team All-League selection in 2019 and 2021. According to Perfect Game, Butler is ranked 30th overall in Pennsylvania's Class of 2021, coming in as the second-best catcher. He was one of the top 500 players picked by the publication in the country.
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Marcus Danchision – RHP – Ringtown, Pa. – MMI Preparatory School
A talented right-hander from Ringtown, Pennsylvania, Danchision holds MMI Prep's single-season strikeout record with 120 during the course of the 2021 season. He helped lead the team to their first PIAA playoff win in school history. In the classroom, Danchision is a member of the National Honors Society and Science National Honors Society. He was a member of MMI Prep's President's List every quarter of all four years.
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Najir Glenn – LHP/1B – Harrisburg, Pa. – Harrisburg SciTech
Glenn is a two-way player and the latest southpaw to bring his expertise to the Lehigh program. He hails from the state capital of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a product of Harrisburg High School, SciTech Campus. He was his team's captain and First Team All-Conference his senior season. Glenn was his Student Council's President and graduated Top 50 in his class.
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Gunnar Goodwin – RHP – Orono, Minn. – Orono
Goodwin is a decorated player hailing from Orono, Minnesota. This past season alone, he was a member of the Minnesota State All-Conference Team and winner of the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association's (MSHSBCA) Academic All-State award. A three-year starting pitcher at Orono, Goodwin also had a stellar academic career, graduating with honors and earning the presidential award.
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Jack Hamilton – RHP – Doylestown, Pa. – Central Bucks East
Hamilton is the latest product of Central Bucks East to take their talents to Lehigh, adding depth to the mound for the next four seasons. He was named a Preseason All-American last year by Rawlings Perfect Game and was named one of the top eight pitchers in the state of Pennsylvania by PA Preps Rivals. Hamilton was a member of the Perfect Game National Team for the WWBA World Championships. In addition to baseball, he was a two-time MVP at CB East in basketball, earning a First Team All-Conference nod as well. Hamilton was on his high school honor roll each marking period of his academic career.
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Sam Holtz – IF – Lake Zurich, Ill. – Lake Zurich
Following the graduation and MLB Draft selection of Lake Zurich product Matt Svanson, Holtz becomes the latest Lake Zurich native to come to Lehigh. An excellent infielder, he was a three-year starter and team captain his final two seasons. In 2021, Holtz hit .357 with three home runs, leading LZ to its first regional championship in over 10 years. He was a NSC All-Conference selection and earned NSC All-Academic honors. In the classroom, Holtz is a member of the National Honors Society.
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Timmy Kenney – RHP – Hopedale, Mass. – Loomis Chaffee
Despite injuries in his final two seasons at Loomis Chaffee, Kenney decided to pursue a post-graduate year in 2021 and became a relief pitcher/closer. After making the switch over from being a starter/outfielder in his freshman and sophomore seasons, he helped lead his team to a 10-3 record and was one of the top prep teams in New England.
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Andrew Kohl – OF – Doylestown, Pa. – Central Bucks West
Kohl is Lehigh's second native of Doylestown in the Class of 2025, having a strong senior season fro Central Bucks West. An outfielder by trade, he hit .320 with four homers as a captain his senior season, earning First Team All-SOL and First Team All-County honors. In the classroom, Kohl is a four-year member of the honor roll while taking four AP classes.
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Brett Palmer – RHP - Mars, Pa. – Central Catholic
A right-handed pitcher from Mars, Pennsylvania, Palmer had a strong senior season ending in a Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention nod for the northeast region. He was a preseason All-WPIAL Second Team selection was Tribune-Review's 2021 Player to Watch. According to PBR, Palmer is ranked No. 63 overall in the state Pennsylvania and is the 27th ranked right-hander in his class.
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Rafe Perich – IF – New Tripoli, Pa. – Northwestern Lehigh
Perich brings pop and potential to an already stacked Lehigh lineup in 2022 after a fantastic career at Northwestern Lehigh. Just the second switch-hitter in the lineup next to Gerard Sweeney, Perich was a First Team All-Area pick in three straight years (2019-21). Perich helped lead Northwestern Lehigh to a district runner-up finish in 2019, 2020 and 2021, while winning the league in his senior season. According to Perfect Game, Perich is ranked 37th overall in Pennsylvania, including fourth amongst shortstops. His father Josh is a former assistant coach at Lehigh and was an 11th round draft pick by the New York Mets out of high school in 1998.
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Val Taddei – RHP – South Riding, Va. – Freedom
A product of Freedom High School in South Riding, Virginia, Taddei is a talented right-handed pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA in 2021 who helped lead his high school to a District Championship and undefeated regular season. In the classroom, he accumulated a 4.37 GPA and was a member of the Latin, Math and Science Honors Society.
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Jake Whitlinger – IF – Harleysville, Pa. – La Salle College
Whitlinger is one of Pennsylvania's top infielders heading into the upcoming season, evident by his accolades and accomplishments at La Salle College High School. The Harleysville, Pennsylvania native was a three-year starting shortstop for the team, winning two Catholic League titles and a state championship in 2021. His senior season saw him earn First Team All-Catholic honors after hitting .371 with 35 stolen bases. Whitlinger is a two-time Power Showcase All-American, two-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American (Mid-Atlantic Region) and was a Courier Times Pennsylvania All-Stat in 2021. According to Perfect Game, he is a top 500 player in the nation and the seventh-best shortstop in Pennsylvania.
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 Lehigh Baseball Class of 2025
| Name | Pos. | Hometown/High School |
| Greg Becil | OF | New York, N.Y./Poly Prep |
| Justin Butler | C | Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown |
| Marcus Danchision | RHP | Ringtown, Pa./MMI Prep |
| Najir Glenn | LHP/1B | Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg SciTech |
| Gunnar Goodwin | RHP | Orono, Minn./Orono |
| Jack Hamilton | RHP | Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East |
| Sam Holtz | IF | Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich |
| Timmy Kenney | RHP | Hopedale, Mass./Loomis Chaffee |
| Andrew Kohl | OF | Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West |
| Brett Palmer | RHP | Mars, Pa./Central Catholic |
| Rafe Perich | IF | New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh |
| Val Taddei | RHP | South Riding, Va./Freedom |
| Jake Whitlinger | IF | Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College |
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