Photo by: Hannahally Photography
Perfect Game Names Rother Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year with Four Mountain Hawks Earning All-League Honors
2/9/2023 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fifth-year outfielder Casey Rother was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year from Perfect Game, announced by the publication earlier this week. In addition to Rother, sophomore catcher Justin Butler, junior infielder Tyler Young and fifth-year starting pitcher Luke Rettig were named preseason All-Patriot League selections.
A two-time Patriot League Player of the Year, two-time first team all-league honoree and the 2023 Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, Rother returns to the Mountain Hawks lineup after starting in all 50 games for the Brown and White a season ago. Last season he led the League in six offensive categories, including batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.613), hits (72), doubles (18), total bases (119) and RBIs (48), while finishing second with nine home runs. Not only did he produce at the plate, but Rother also made nine relief appearances on the mound, compiling a 1.32 ERA with two saves in 13.2 innings pitched.
Butler started and appeared in 22 games and produced a .300 batting average to go with 20 RBIs, eight doubles and seven home runs. Defensively, Butler was credited with 47 putouts and seven assists behind the plate for Lehigh.
Young started and played in 49 games a season ago, with the second-highest batting average on the team, hitting.348, with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 10 doubles. Young made 90 putouts and 142 assists as a middle infielder for the Mountain Hawks.
Rettig, the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the year, is a two-time All-Patriot League selection and garnered first-team accolades in 2022. He led Patriot League starting pitchers with an ERA of 2.40 while tying for the lead in wins with eight in his 13 starts. The southpaw struck out 71 batters in 71.1 innings of work, threw two complete games, and held his opponents to a .233 batting average.
Lehigh is just over a week out from kicking off the 2023 season with a three-game series on the road in Florida at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 17-19.
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Player of the Year:Â Casey Rother, OF, Lehigh
Pitcher of Year:Â Will Greer, RHP, Bucknell
Rookie of the Year:Â Luke Craytor, RHP, Lafayette
Preseason All-Conference Team
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A two-time Patriot League Player of the Year, two-time first team all-league honoree and the 2023 Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, Rother returns to the Mountain Hawks lineup after starting in all 50 games for the Brown and White a season ago. Last season he led the League in six offensive categories, including batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.613), hits (72), doubles (18), total bases (119) and RBIs (48), while finishing second with nine home runs. Not only did he produce at the plate, but Rother also made nine relief appearances on the mound, compiling a 1.32 ERA with two saves in 13.2 innings pitched.
Butler started and appeared in 22 games and produced a .300 batting average to go with 20 RBIs, eight doubles and seven home runs. Defensively, Butler was credited with 47 putouts and seven assists behind the plate for Lehigh.
Young started and played in 49 games a season ago, with the second-highest batting average on the team, hitting.348, with 10 doubles, two triples, one home run and 10 doubles. Young made 90 putouts and 142 assists as a middle infielder for the Mountain Hawks.
Rettig, the 2023 Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the year, is a two-time All-Patriot League selection and garnered first-team accolades in 2022. He led Patriot League starting pitchers with an ERA of 2.40 while tying for the lead in wins with eight in his 13 starts. The southpaw struck out 71 batters in 71.1 innings of work, threw two complete games, and held his opponents to a .233 batting average.
Lehigh is just over a week out from kicking off the 2023 season with a three-game series on the road in Florida at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 17-19.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more
Player of the Year:Â Casey Rother, OF, Lehigh
Pitcher of Year:Â Will Greer, RHP, Bucknell
Rookie of the Year:Â Luke Craytor, RHP, Lafayette
Preseason All-Conference Team
| Pos | Name | School | Stats/Notes |
| C | Justin Butler | Lehigh | .300-7-20 in 80 ABs Middle-order bat |
| 1B | Ross Friedrick | Army West Point |  (.340-6-49, 13 2B, 40 R) First Team All-Patriot League  |
| 2B | Derek Berg | Army West Point | (.307-2-31, 10 2B, 35 R)Â First Team All-Patriot League |
| SS | Kevin Dubrule | Army West Point | (.321-1-47, 17 2B, 45 R)Â First Team All-Patriot League |
| 3B | Sam Ruta | Army West Point | (.390-7-36, 15 2B, 43 R) Top 25 in Nation- BA and OB% |
| OF | Peter Ciuffreda | Lafayette | (.330-5-42 , 12 2B, 38 R) Second Team All-Patriot League |
| OF | Grant Voytovich | Bucknell | (.320-2-37, 13 2B, 36 R) Second Team All-Patriot League |
| OF | Colin Smith | Navy | (.309-3-32, 9 2B, 23 R)Â Second Team All-Patriot League |
| OF | Casey Rother | Lehigh | (.366-9-50, 19 2B, 43 R) 2-Time Defending Player of the Year |
| UT | Tyler Young | Lehigh | (.325-2-32, 12 2B, 30 R)Â Second Team All-Patriot League |
| SP | Will Greer | Bucknell | (5-3, 4 CG, 82 IP) Second Team All-Patriot Workhorse Starter |
| SP | Luke Rettig | Lehigh | (8-2, 2 CG, 2.40 ERA)Â First Team All-Patriot League |
| SP | Chris Difiore | Bucknell | 2021 First Team All-Patriot League, No. 1 Starter |
| RP | Landon Kruer | Navy | (2-1, 7 SV, 1.89 ERA) League Leader in Saves |
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Players Mentioned
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