Friday, February 17
Daytona Beach, Fla.
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
at
Bethune-Cookman University
Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Season Preview: Depth, Competition and Singular Goal the Mindset for Lehigh Heading Into Opening Weekend
2/16/2023 12:30:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball program saw its 2022 season end in the Patriot League semifinals last May but has aspirations and one singular goal, to bring the Patriot League championship back to Bethlehem in 2023.
Â
"I think the program is in a place where the expectation is to compete for championships, but also not to talk about it from day one," stated Peter E. Bennett '63 Head Baseball Coach Sean Leary, who is entering his 28th season at the helm of the program. "Our expectation is to get better every day and to win every series. And that kind of sounds cliche, but it really isn't with 50 some games, you have to take it kind of step by step. But ultimately, we know if we continue to progress that we expect to be playing in May and ultimately, our goal was to be hosting the series in May so that we have the best chance to win those two series."
Â
Although last season ended short of the title and lost some quality guys to the draft, this program has some veteran depth returning to the Brown and White this season.
Â
"Yeah, we're pretty blessed with having you know, seven, eight very veteran players coming back offensively, which has been huge and that should be the strength of our team, especially the first month when we're building some younger arms," Leary said. "We liked the arm talent, but some of them just haven't had the experience. And part of that was COVID year we lost a year. And then the next year, we played just weekends. So, some of these talented kids just sort of didn't get the opportunity to pitch as often as they would have. And then we've had a number of guys drafted early, so we've had some guys that we could have had back. So that'll be the one, what I'd say, is the learning curve is how quickly our young arms can develop. But from a positional standpoint, we not only like our returning players but also the depth we have right now. We think we're going to lean on that early to let those guys sort of mature a little bit on the mound."
Â
Returning to this talented roster are five fifth-year players in Austin Dambach, Joe Gorla, Gerard Sweeney, Luke Rettig and Casey Rother whom Leary looks to excel this season, but also bring the underclassman with them to raise the bar even higher.
Â
"I think Casey (Rother) is such a unique player, we've only had two in the Patriot League history and why I think it's been 30 years since we had a two-time MVP. So having him return was enormous," Leary said. "But what's been fun is he's developed over the last six months, a different leadership mentality. And he's really taken some of the younger players under his wing. And that's going to be a huge benefit for the guys, not only for this year but beyond.
Â
"We really liked the potential depth of our lineup, but it starts at the top. We need our best guys to lead so those other guys don't have the pressure to get four hits a game. (Gerard) Sweeney led the league in homers two years ago, (Joe) Gorla was our best player in the playoffs, they've all sort of stepped forward and been in the limelight a little bit. And so that's what we're gonna lean on, I think the most."
Â
Looking to the mound, Leary feels comfortable with some returning arms but hopeful with what the youth of the program can deliver to the plate.
"Luke (Rettig) has already been named Preseason Pitcher of the Year by the League and having him back is great, but I think the other part is we're gonna have sophomore Alex Bouchard who has really been impressive and sophomore Val Taddei has made an enormous step forward from his first year to this year."
Â
A couple of senior right-handed pitchers could see more time in relief the way that Leary could be setting things up early in the season, including seeing some two-way players on the rubber.
Â
"The other component is we're probably going to utilize our relievers more frequently in shorter stints and that's exciting. We like not only the difference of stuff that Billy Griscack and Ryan Deom but then some power on guys that might just come in. I really feel like we're going to be deep enough this year to use Casey (Rother), sophomore Rafe Perich and first-year Brandon Coghlan as three two-way guys and that's difficult to do when you're banged up and injured. I like our depth. But again, we just need to need a month almost to see where the pieces fit together, right, the puzzles out there. And now we got to figure out where we're going to use all of them all those pieces."
Looking at how the defensive lineup is shaping up; Leary discusses how beneficial the positioning will be for the squad and how the potential could be some of the best he's had in recent history.
Â
"We'll have Tyler (Young) and Riley (Davis) up the middle for two veteran three-year starters, that's enormous," Leary said. "Rafe Perich is projected as potentially the best third baseman defensively I've ever coached, and obviously, his offensive skills are pretty impressive. But put those three out there. And then we'll move in Casey (Rother) back to first base and he and (Joe) Gorla will sort of like share first base and DH. It's going to be of the potential for a very, very strong defensive infield. We're excited about that.
Â
"And then the unselfishness of our team, we got (Gerard) Sweeney moving to the outfield this year to help our team. It helps some of the pieces fit in the infield and to allow us to two-way those guys. And then Jake Whitlinger in center and Andrew Kohl won the job and right field. So, there's some depth and some guys push in each of those spots, but then Justin Butler will be the starting catcher with Andrew Nole and Owen Walewander backing him up."
Â
All of the talent that is spread throughout this roster promotes healthy competition at practice and it has been pushing the squad to better themselves and the players around each other, which Leary believes will benefit this team greatly.
Â
"What we like is there's gonna be some guys who played quite a bit last year that'll be fighting for everyday time. And ultimately, we know is as the season progresses, you can never be too deep, right? You know, the inevitable will happen. And those guys will be will have some experience coming off the bench this year, which is pretty exciting. And you know, iron sharpens iron, is an expression my buddy Pat Centaur uses all the time. It's just such a true statement that they all know they have to be playing at a high level to play and it's been really fun. Watching them and also being outside for two straight weeks, we never get that. Never in my 27-plus years have we had 10 days in a row like this, and you get to see it. And there's healthy competition going on there, even on the pitching side, it's very similar.
Â
Leary concluded with, "I'm excited for our guys and also the level of competition. We're going to see some really good arms early in the season and the design is to get us ready for you know, to take a run in a pretty competitive Patriot League and ultimately, somebody's got to get through Army. They've won it four straight years so we gotta keep preparing ourselves for those two weekends in May."
Lehigh is set to begin its 2023 season with a three-game series in Daytona Beach, Florida at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 17-19.
Â
A season ago, the Mountain Hawks finished with a 26-24 overall record, which marks the most wins in a season since the program had three consecutive seasons with 25 wins from 2014-2016. Lehigh finished as the three-seed with a 12-13 mark in Patriot League play and fell to Bucknell in the semifinals in Lewisburg. With 26 student-athletes returning to the fold from the 2022 iteration of the roster, 14 newcomers bring the roster total to 40 names ahead of the new campaign. Of those 26 returners, five are fifth-years which include two-time reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Casey Rother and two-time All-Patriot League selections Joe Gorla and Luke Rettig. Four members of the Brown and White earned Patriot League honors including both Rettig and Rother being named Preseason Players of the Year.
Â
Bethune-Cookman also had its season end in the conference semifinals, falling to Alabama State, concluding a 27-32 record, the best since 2017, with a SWAC record of 19-11. The Wildcats also had four players named to the Preseason all-conference teams, including Louis Lipthratt and Irvin Escobar selected to the first team and Nolan Santos and Joan Gonzalez garnered second-team honors.
Â
The Mountain Hawks look to start off the year like they did the past two seasons, with a win. First pitch is set for Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
Â
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
Â
Â
"I think the program is in a place where the expectation is to compete for championships, but also not to talk about it from day one," stated Peter E. Bennett '63 Head Baseball Coach Sean Leary, who is entering his 28th season at the helm of the program. "Our expectation is to get better every day and to win every series. And that kind of sounds cliche, but it really isn't with 50 some games, you have to take it kind of step by step. But ultimately, we know if we continue to progress that we expect to be playing in May and ultimately, our goal was to be hosting the series in May so that we have the best chance to win those two series."
Â
Although last season ended short of the title and lost some quality guys to the draft, this program has some veteran depth returning to the Brown and White this season.
Â
"Yeah, we're pretty blessed with having you know, seven, eight very veteran players coming back offensively, which has been huge and that should be the strength of our team, especially the first month when we're building some younger arms," Leary said. "We liked the arm talent, but some of them just haven't had the experience. And part of that was COVID year we lost a year. And then the next year, we played just weekends. So, some of these talented kids just sort of didn't get the opportunity to pitch as often as they would have. And then we've had a number of guys drafted early, so we've had some guys that we could have had back. So that'll be the one, what I'd say, is the learning curve is how quickly our young arms can develop. But from a positional standpoint, we not only like our returning players but also the depth we have right now. We think we're going to lean on that early to let those guys sort of mature a little bit on the mound."
Â
Returning to this talented roster are five fifth-year players in Austin Dambach, Joe Gorla, Gerard Sweeney, Luke Rettig and Casey Rother whom Leary looks to excel this season, but also bring the underclassman with them to raise the bar even higher.
Â
"I think Casey (Rother) is such a unique player, we've only had two in the Patriot League history and why I think it's been 30 years since we had a two-time MVP. So having him return was enormous," Leary said. "But what's been fun is he's developed over the last six months, a different leadership mentality. And he's really taken some of the younger players under his wing. And that's going to be a huge benefit for the guys, not only for this year but beyond.
Â
"We really liked the potential depth of our lineup, but it starts at the top. We need our best guys to lead so those other guys don't have the pressure to get four hits a game. (Gerard) Sweeney led the league in homers two years ago, (Joe) Gorla was our best player in the playoffs, they've all sort of stepped forward and been in the limelight a little bit. And so that's what we're gonna lean on, I think the most."
Â
Looking to the mound, Leary feels comfortable with some returning arms but hopeful with what the youth of the program can deliver to the plate.
"Luke (Rettig) has already been named Preseason Pitcher of the Year by the League and having him back is great, but I think the other part is we're gonna have sophomore Alex Bouchard who has really been impressive and sophomore Val Taddei has made an enormous step forward from his first year to this year."
Â
A couple of senior right-handed pitchers could see more time in relief the way that Leary could be setting things up early in the season, including seeing some two-way players on the rubber.
Â
"The other component is we're probably going to utilize our relievers more frequently in shorter stints and that's exciting. We like not only the difference of stuff that Billy Griscack and Ryan Deom but then some power on guys that might just come in. I really feel like we're going to be deep enough this year to use Casey (Rother), sophomore Rafe Perich and first-year Brandon Coghlan as three two-way guys and that's difficult to do when you're banged up and injured. I like our depth. But again, we just need to need a month almost to see where the pieces fit together, right, the puzzles out there. And now we got to figure out where we're going to use all of them all those pieces."
Looking at how the defensive lineup is shaping up; Leary discusses how beneficial the positioning will be for the squad and how the potential could be some of the best he's had in recent history.
Â
"We'll have Tyler (Young) and Riley (Davis) up the middle for two veteran three-year starters, that's enormous," Leary said. "Rafe Perich is projected as potentially the best third baseman defensively I've ever coached, and obviously, his offensive skills are pretty impressive. But put those three out there. And then we'll move in Casey (Rother) back to first base and he and (Joe) Gorla will sort of like share first base and DH. It's going to be of the potential for a very, very strong defensive infield. We're excited about that.
Â
"And then the unselfishness of our team, we got (Gerard) Sweeney moving to the outfield this year to help our team. It helps some of the pieces fit in the infield and to allow us to two-way those guys. And then Jake Whitlinger in center and Andrew Kohl won the job and right field. So, there's some depth and some guys push in each of those spots, but then Justin Butler will be the starting catcher with Andrew Nole and Owen Walewander backing him up."
Â
All of the talent that is spread throughout this roster promotes healthy competition at practice and it has been pushing the squad to better themselves and the players around each other, which Leary believes will benefit this team greatly.
Â
"What we like is there's gonna be some guys who played quite a bit last year that'll be fighting for everyday time. And ultimately, we know is as the season progresses, you can never be too deep, right? You know, the inevitable will happen. And those guys will be will have some experience coming off the bench this year, which is pretty exciting. And you know, iron sharpens iron, is an expression my buddy Pat Centaur uses all the time. It's just such a true statement that they all know they have to be playing at a high level to play and it's been really fun. Watching them and also being outside for two straight weeks, we never get that. Never in my 27-plus years have we had 10 days in a row like this, and you get to see it. And there's healthy competition going on there, even on the pitching side, it's very similar.
Â
Leary concluded with, "I'm excited for our guys and also the level of competition. We're going to see some really good arms early in the season and the design is to get us ready for you know, to take a run in a pretty competitive Patriot League and ultimately, somebody's got to get through Army. They've won it four straight years so we gotta keep preparing ourselves for those two weekends in May."
Lehigh is set to begin its 2023 season with a three-game series in Daytona Beach, Florida at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 17-19.
Â
A season ago, the Mountain Hawks finished with a 26-24 overall record, which marks the most wins in a season since the program had three consecutive seasons with 25 wins from 2014-2016. Lehigh finished as the three-seed with a 12-13 mark in Patriot League play and fell to Bucknell in the semifinals in Lewisburg. With 26 student-athletes returning to the fold from the 2022 iteration of the roster, 14 newcomers bring the roster total to 40 names ahead of the new campaign. Of those 26 returners, five are fifth-years which include two-time reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Casey Rother and two-time All-Patriot League selections Joe Gorla and Luke Rettig. Four members of the Brown and White earned Patriot League honors including both Rettig and Rother being named Preseason Players of the Year.
Â
Bethune-Cookman also had its season end in the conference semifinals, falling to Alabama State, concluding a 27-32 record, the best since 2017, with a SWAC record of 19-11. The Wildcats also had four players named to the Preseason all-conference teams, including Louis Lipthratt and Irvin Escobar selected to the first team and Nolan Santos and Joan Gonzalez garnered second-team honors.
Â
The Mountain Hawks look to start off the year like they did the past two seasons, with a win. First pitch is set for Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
Â
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
Â
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF/IF
/ 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
