Lehigh University Athletics
Perich Drafted By Texas Rangers On Day Two Of MLB Draft
7/15/2024 6:31:00 PM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh third baseman and batting leader Rafe Perich was drafted 225th overall in the seventh round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft by the defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers on Monday afternoon.
Perich becomes the 19th all-time Lehigh player to be selected in the MLB Draft, marking the fourth draft in the last six years featuring at least one Mountain Hawk (Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds in 2019, Mason Black and Matt Svanson in 2021, Adam Retzbach and Carlos Torres in 2022).
"Rafe is an amazing talent that is committed to putting in the work every day to improve his game," said Peter E. Bennett '63 head baseball coach Sean Leary. "He will represent Lehigh baseball and our university in an exemplary way."
A career .337 hitter for the Mountain Hawks, Perich enjoyed a spectacular junior season in Bethlehem. The New Tripoli, Pennsylvania native batted a team-high .382 with a team-leading 58 hits in 42 games. He added 41 RBIs, 11 doubles, six home runs, 32 runs scored and even recorded a save on the mound. In addition, Perich's 1.064 OPS, .572 slugging percentage and .492 on-base percentage all ranked within the top five in the Patriot League. In the field playing both third and second base, Perich recorded a .969 fielding percentage with 23 putouts and 70 assists on 96 chances with only three errors.
Perich was also accomplished in the classroom. The history major was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team this past season after posting a 3.70 GPA in the spring semester.
"Rafe is also an amazing teammate that brought a positive attitude to the field every day," said Leary. "I guarantee that anyone who has played with him or competed against him is sending him a congratulations text today. He's a special young man."
Perich will join a contingent of Lehigh players in the professional ranks that includes Carlos Torres, Adam Retzbach, Matt Svanson, Levi Stoudt and Mason Black, who made his MLB debut for the San Francisco Giants in May.
"With Stoudt and Black making their MLB debuts in the last two years, it will be exciting to see if it will be Svanson, Retzbach, Torres or Perich who will be the next to join this growing list," said Leary.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
Lehigh in the MLB Draft
Year      Name                 Round – Team
1971     Rich Revta     26th Round – Washington Senators
1973     Frank Zawatski  19th Round – San Francisco Giants
1975     Paul Hartzell      10th Round – California Angels
1977     Joe Carroll          20th Round – Texas Rangers
1989     Dave Norwood  40th Round – Cleveland Indians
1997     Ben Talbott     32nd Round – Anaheim Angels
2002     Jack Lyons*        34th Round – Montreal Expos
2006     Matt McBride    2nd Round – Cleveland Indians
2015     Justin Pacchioli  10th Round – San Diego Padres
2015     Mike Garzillo    38th Round – New York Yankees
2016     Mike Garzillo    25th Round – Miami Marlins
2017     Mark Washington 25th Round – Los Angeles Dodgers
2019     Levi Stoudt     3rd Round – Seattle Mariners
2019     Jason Reynolds 32nd Round – San Diego Padres
2021     Mason Black      3rd Round – San Francisco Giants
2021     Matt Svanson    13th Round – Toronto Blue Jays
2022     Adam Retzbach 14th Round – Baltimore Orioles
2022     Carlos Torres     20th Round – Colorado Rockies
2024     Rafe Perich        7th Round – Texas Rangers
*Drafted in high school prior to attending Lehigh
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Perich becomes the 19th all-time Lehigh player to be selected in the MLB Draft, marking the fourth draft in the last six years featuring at least one Mountain Hawk (Levi Stoudt and Jason Reynolds in 2019, Mason Black and Matt Svanson in 2021, Adam Retzbach and Carlos Torres in 2022).
"Rafe is an amazing talent that is committed to putting in the work every day to improve his game," said Peter E. Bennett '63 head baseball coach Sean Leary. "He will represent Lehigh baseball and our university in an exemplary way."
A career .337 hitter for the Mountain Hawks, Perich enjoyed a spectacular junior season in Bethlehem. The New Tripoli, Pennsylvania native batted a team-high .382 with a team-leading 58 hits in 42 games. He added 41 RBIs, 11 doubles, six home runs, 32 runs scored and even recorded a save on the mound. In addition, Perich's 1.064 OPS, .572 slugging percentage and .492 on-base percentage all ranked within the top five in the Patriot League. In the field playing both third and second base, Perich recorded a .969 fielding percentage with 23 putouts and 70 assists on 96 chances with only three errors.
Perich was also accomplished in the classroom. The history major was named to the Academic All-Patriot League team this past season after posting a 3.70 GPA in the spring semester.
"Rafe is also an amazing teammate that brought a positive attitude to the field every day," said Leary. "I guarantee that anyone who has played with him or competed against him is sending him a congratulations text today. He's a special young man."
Perich will join a contingent of Lehigh players in the professional ranks that includes Carlos Torres, Adam Retzbach, Matt Svanson, Levi Stoudt and Mason Black, who made his MLB debut for the San Francisco Giants in May.
"With Stoudt and Black making their MLB debuts in the last two years, it will be exciting to see if it will be Svanson, Retzbach, Torres or Perich who will be the next to join this growing list," said Leary.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
Lehigh in the MLB Draft
Year      Name                 Round – Team
1971     Rich Revta     26th Round – Washington Senators
1973     Frank Zawatski  19th Round – San Francisco Giants
1975     Paul Hartzell      10th Round – California Angels
1977     Joe Carroll          20th Round – Texas Rangers
1989     Dave Norwood  40th Round – Cleveland Indians
1997     Ben Talbott     32nd Round – Anaheim Angels
2002     Jack Lyons*        34th Round – Montreal Expos
2006     Matt McBride    2nd Round – Cleveland Indians
2015     Justin Pacchioli  10th Round – San Diego Padres
2015     Mike Garzillo    38th Round – New York Yankees
2016     Mike Garzillo    25th Round – Miami Marlins
2017     Mark Washington 25th Round – Los Angeles Dodgers
2019     Levi Stoudt     3rd Round – Seattle Mariners
2019     Jason Reynolds 32nd Round – San Diego Padres
2021     Mason Black      3rd Round – San Francisco Giants
2021     Matt Svanson    13th Round – Toronto Blue Jays
2022     Adam Retzbach 14th Round – Baltimore Orioles
2022     Carlos Torres     20th Round – Colorado Rockies
2024     Rafe Perich        7th Round – Texas Rangers
*Drafted in high school prior to attending Lehigh
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