Lehigh University Athletics
Photo by: Maria Bouchard
Christian, Deom and Gorla Named to CSC Academic All-District Team
5/16/2023 12:05:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Seniors Ben Christian and Ryan Deom, and fifth-year Joe Gorla of the Lehigh baseball team have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Baseball team on Tuesday afternoon.
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The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Baseball and Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball and softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Christian, Deom and Gorla were just honored as members of the Academic All-Patriot League squad, with Gorla also being named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year last week.
Christian has a cumulative 3.73 GPA in Accounting to make his first appearance on the Academic All-Patriot League Team. He recorded a 3-2 record with a save in 13 appearances and five starts during his senior season, boasting two wins and the first save of his career in the same week against league opponents. Throwing 35 innings of work, Christian struck out 27 batters, with a career-high of five Ks coming against rival Lafayette, and earned the final win of the season by going 5.1 innings and did not give up a hit in the game until the fifth frame with just one run allowed in the victory.
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Deom also makes his first appearance on the Academic All-Patriot League squad with a 3.85 cumulative GPA in Biology and was selected as a finalist for the Lehigh Athletics Department's Sportsmanship Award. Deom had the lowest earned run average on the team while making a career-high 17 appearances and 24 innings with 19 strikeouts and a record of 1-1 and a save. His win came when he tossed three innings without allowing a run or a hit with one walk and one strikeout. The following weekend he followed up with a save after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings and giving up three hits with a couple of strikeouts.
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Gorla became the second Mountain Hawk in the program's history to be named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is a two-time recipient of All-Academic Team honors. Now an honoree of Academic All-District with a 3.95 grade-point average (GPA) as a fifth-year student in Technical Entrepreneurship after finishing his undergraduate career with a 3.54 GPA in Economics. Gorla wrapped up the regular season by earning Patriot League Second-Team honors for the third time during his career. During his final season, Gorla hit .302 (39-for-129) overall in 40 games, making 37 starts with seven doubles, seven home runs, 26 runs scored and 18 RBIs with 11 walks. He had a .519 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .392. In league play, Gorla batted .292 (19-for-65) with a couple of doubles, three home runs and five RBIs with nine runs scored.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 6 for softball and June 7 for baseball. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed at the links above.
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The baseball program adds these accolades to multiple other Patriot League awards, including Gorla being named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, three members named to the Academic All-Patriot League members and the four honors that the Mountain Hawks earned for the end-of-season awards. Fifth-year Casey Rother was selected to the Patriot League First Team for the third time in his career while Gorla, fifth-year Luke Rettig and first-year Dom Patrizi garnered Second Team honors.
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Lehigh wrapped up the 2023 season on a three-game winning streak, which its looks to take into next season. The squad finished with its third consecutive year recording 20 or more wins and reaching at least 10 wins in Patriot League competition.
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Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Baseball and Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball and softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Christian, Deom and Gorla were just honored as members of the Academic All-Patriot League squad, with Gorla also being named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year last week.
Christian has a cumulative 3.73 GPA in Accounting to make his first appearance on the Academic All-Patriot League Team. He recorded a 3-2 record with a save in 13 appearances and five starts during his senior season, boasting two wins and the first save of his career in the same week against league opponents. Throwing 35 innings of work, Christian struck out 27 batters, with a career-high of five Ks coming against rival Lafayette, and earned the final win of the season by going 5.1 innings and did not give up a hit in the game until the fifth frame with just one run allowed in the victory.
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Deom also makes his first appearance on the Academic All-Patriot League squad with a 3.85 cumulative GPA in Biology and was selected as a finalist for the Lehigh Athletics Department's Sportsmanship Award. Deom had the lowest earned run average on the team while making a career-high 17 appearances and 24 innings with 19 strikeouts and a record of 1-1 and a save. His win came when he tossed three innings without allowing a run or a hit with one walk and one strikeout. The following weekend he followed up with a save after throwing 2.1 scoreless innings and giving up three hits with a couple of strikeouts.
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Gorla became the second Mountain Hawk in the program's history to be named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is a two-time recipient of All-Academic Team honors. Now an honoree of Academic All-District with a 3.95 grade-point average (GPA) as a fifth-year student in Technical Entrepreneurship after finishing his undergraduate career with a 3.54 GPA in Economics. Gorla wrapped up the regular season by earning Patriot League Second-Team honors for the third time during his career. During his final season, Gorla hit .302 (39-for-129) overall in 40 games, making 37 starts with seven doubles, seven home runs, 26 runs scored and 18 RBIs with 11 walks. He had a .519 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .392. In league play, Gorla batted .292 (19-for-65) with a couple of doubles, three home runs and five RBIs with nine runs scored.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 6 for softball and June 7 for baseball. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed at the links above.
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The baseball program adds these accolades to multiple other Patriot League awards, including Gorla being named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, three members named to the Academic All-Patriot League members and the four honors that the Mountain Hawks earned for the end-of-season awards. Fifth-year Casey Rother was selected to the Patriot League First Team for the third time in his career while Gorla, fifth-year Luke Rettig and first-year Dom Patrizi garnered Second Team honors.
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Lehigh wrapped up the 2023 season on a three-game winning streak, which its looks to take into next season. The squad finished with its third consecutive year recording 20 or more wins and reaching at least 10 wins in Patriot League competition.
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Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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