Thursday, May 11
Boston, Mass.
2:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Army West Point
Patriot League Tournament Begins Thursday For Mountain Hawks in Boston
5/10/2023 4:00:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – It's back to Boston for the Lehigh softball team. The defending Patriot League Tournament champions return to the site of their 2022 triumph as Boston University hosts the league tournament for the fifth consecutive time, beginning Thursday. Lehigh and BU were both 15-0 in league play entering the final weekend of the regular season and the Terriers swept a Saturday doubleheader at Leadership Park to clinch the regular season title. Lehigh did win Sunday's series finale to stop Boston University's 28-game winning streak.
The Mountain Hawks finished the regular season at 39-12 overall and 16-2 in the Patriot League. Lehigh has won a league-best 15 tournament titles, including last year's crown. The Mountain Hawks had seven All-Patriot League selections, including first teamers Carley Barjaktarovich, Josie Charles and Emily Cimino. The second seeded Mountain Hawks will open the double elimination tournament against No. 3 seed Army West Point. No. 4 seed Bucknell will open the tournament against host and top seed Boston U
Seven Mountain Hawks were selected to the All-Patriot League teams, announced earlier this week following a vote of the league's head coaches. Graduate student shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich became a three-time all-league honoree and two-time first-teamer with her at-large selection. Barjaktarovich was joined on the first team by senior outfielders Emily Cimino and Josie Charles. Cimino is now a two-time honoree, earning second team accolades in 2022. Lehigh had four players selected to the second team. First-year Sydney Parlett at third base, junior outfielder Brooke Cannon, junior pitcher Katelyn Young and first-year pitcher Chloe Hess. All four earned their first career all-league honor.
Graduate student shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich has had a transformational impact on Lehigh's program over the last five years. On the field she is now a three-time All-Patriot League honoree. She was the league's defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Barjaktarovich hit .471 during the 2021 campaign and enters the Patriot League Tournament at an even .400 in 2023. She has hit safely in a school record 34 consecutive games and enters this weekend's tournament on the cusp of two additional school records. She needs two more hits to surpass Julie Fernandez '12 for Lehigh's career record (263) and needs three hits to break the single season hit record of 78 set by Kim Miller '96 in 1995. Off the field, Barjaktarovich was the 2021 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for softball and a two-time Academic All-Patriot League and CSC Academic All-District. Barjaktarovich graduated last May with a double major in marketing and management and is currently studying in Lehigh's cognitive science graduate certificate program as a path to a master's degree in exercise science. On Monday, Barjaktarovich received Lehigh Athletics' most prestigious student-athlete award, the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, at the year-end Student-Athlete Awards Convocation.
Coming off a Patriot League championship in 2022, Lehigh has faced a challenging schedule in 2023 and have met the challenge with positive results. Lehigh comes in at No. 66 on the May 8 NCAA RPI. The Mountain Hawks have played 11 games against teams ranked in the top 75 of the RPI rankings and have held their own with a 6-5 record. Lehigh owns wins over RPI No. 13 Alabama, No. 40 South Alabama, No. 43 Boston University, No. 65 Iowa (twice), and No. 72 Campbell.
Lehigh and Army West Point will meet in Thursday's second game set for 2:30 p.m. The Mountain Hawks and Black Knights will meet in the opening round for the second straight year. Lehigh won last year's game 3-2. Last month, Lehigh swept a three-game series from Army at Leadership, winning game one 4-3 behind Emily Cimino's walk-off double and then sweeping a Saturday doubleheader 4-1 and 6-2.
No. 3 seed Army West Point finished the regular season at 20-35 overall and 10-8 in the league. Last weekend the Black Knights swept Colgate to lock up third place in the standings. Army had four All-Patriot League selections. Infielder Angelina Bebek made the first team while outfielders Kayla Edwards and Brook Mitchell and designated player Taylor Brown earned second team honors.
Thursday's other first round game matches No. 1 Boston University and No. 4 Bucknell. The Terriers swept the league's major awards claiming Player (Kayla Roncin), Defensive Player (Caitlin Coker), Pitcher (Allison Boaz), Rookie (Kasey Ricard) and Coach (Ashley Waters) of the Year. BU is ranked 25th in this week's NFCA Poll and is 48-8 overall and finished 17-1 in the league. Bucknell won its final six league games to make the tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Bison finished 16-29 overall and 8-10 in the league after a 2-10 start. Lehigh swept Bucknell in three games at Leadership Park April 8-9.
The Patriot League tournament gets underway Thursday with the Boston University-Bucknell game at 12 p.m., with Lehigh and Army to square off at approximately 2:30 p.m. Three games are slated for Friday with the winner's bracket game scheduled for 11 a.m. and elimination games scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The championship round featuring game six and, if necessary, game seven is set for noon on Saturday.
Streaming video of all Patriot League Tournament action will be available on ESPN+.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday May 11:
Game 1: No. 1 Boston U. vs. No. 4 Bucknell, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Lehigh vs. No. 3 Army West Point, 2:30 p.m.
Friday May 12:
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday May 13:
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 2:30 p.m.*
* - if necessary
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
The Mountain Hawks finished the regular season at 39-12 overall and 16-2 in the Patriot League. Lehigh has won a league-best 15 tournament titles, including last year's crown. The Mountain Hawks had seven All-Patriot League selections, including first teamers Carley Barjaktarovich, Josie Charles and Emily Cimino. The second seeded Mountain Hawks will open the double elimination tournament against No. 3 seed Army West Point. No. 4 seed Bucknell will open the tournament against host and top seed Boston U
Seven Mountain Hawks were selected to the All-Patriot League teams, announced earlier this week following a vote of the league's head coaches. Graduate student shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich became a three-time all-league honoree and two-time first-teamer with her at-large selection. Barjaktarovich was joined on the first team by senior outfielders Emily Cimino and Josie Charles. Cimino is now a two-time honoree, earning second team accolades in 2022. Lehigh had four players selected to the second team. First-year Sydney Parlett at third base, junior outfielder Brooke Cannon, junior pitcher Katelyn Young and first-year pitcher Chloe Hess. All four earned their first career all-league honor.
Graduate student shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich has had a transformational impact on Lehigh's program over the last five years. On the field she is now a three-time All-Patriot League honoree. She was the league's defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Barjaktarovich hit .471 during the 2021 campaign and enters the Patriot League Tournament at an even .400 in 2023. She has hit safely in a school record 34 consecutive games and enters this weekend's tournament on the cusp of two additional school records. She needs two more hits to surpass Julie Fernandez '12 for Lehigh's career record (263) and needs three hits to break the single season hit record of 78 set by Kim Miller '96 in 1995. Off the field, Barjaktarovich was the 2021 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for softball and a two-time Academic All-Patriot League and CSC Academic All-District. Barjaktarovich graduated last May with a double major in marketing and management and is currently studying in Lehigh's cognitive science graduate certificate program as a path to a master's degree in exercise science. On Monday, Barjaktarovich received Lehigh Athletics' most prestigious student-athlete award, the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, at the year-end Student-Athlete Awards Convocation.
Coming off a Patriot League championship in 2022, Lehigh has faced a challenging schedule in 2023 and have met the challenge with positive results. Lehigh comes in at No. 66 on the May 8 NCAA RPI. The Mountain Hawks have played 11 games against teams ranked in the top 75 of the RPI rankings and have held their own with a 6-5 record. Lehigh owns wins over RPI No. 13 Alabama, No. 40 South Alabama, No. 43 Boston University, No. 65 Iowa (twice), and No. 72 Campbell.
Lehigh and Army West Point will meet in Thursday's second game set for 2:30 p.m. The Mountain Hawks and Black Knights will meet in the opening round for the second straight year. Lehigh won last year's game 3-2. Last month, Lehigh swept a three-game series from Army at Leadership, winning game one 4-3 behind Emily Cimino's walk-off double and then sweeping a Saturday doubleheader 4-1 and 6-2.
No. 3 seed Army West Point finished the regular season at 20-35 overall and 10-8 in the league. Last weekend the Black Knights swept Colgate to lock up third place in the standings. Army had four All-Patriot League selections. Infielder Angelina Bebek made the first team while outfielders Kayla Edwards and Brook Mitchell and designated player Taylor Brown earned second team honors.
Thursday's other first round game matches No. 1 Boston University and No. 4 Bucknell. The Terriers swept the league's major awards claiming Player (Kayla Roncin), Defensive Player (Caitlin Coker), Pitcher (Allison Boaz), Rookie (Kasey Ricard) and Coach (Ashley Waters) of the Year. BU is ranked 25th in this week's NFCA Poll and is 48-8 overall and finished 17-1 in the league. Bucknell won its final six league games to make the tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Bison finished 16-29 overall and 8-10 in the league after a 2-10 start. Lehigh swept Bucknell in three games at Leadership Park April 8-9.
The Patriot League tournament gets underway Thursday with the Boston University-Bucknell game at 12 p.m., with Lehigh and Army to square off at approximately 2:30 p.m. Three games are slated for Friday with the winner's bracket game scheduled for 11 a.m. and elimination games scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The championship round featuring game six and, if necessary, game seven is set for noon on Saturday.
Streaming video of all Patriot League Tournament action will be available on ESPN+.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday May 11:
Game 1: No. 1 Boston U. vs. No. 4 Bucknell, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Lehigh vs. No. 3 Army West Point, 2:30 p.m.
Friday May 12:
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 4 p.m.
Saturday May 13:
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 2:30 p.m.*
* - if necessary
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
P
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