BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Holy Cross, Lehigh and Navy split the three Patriot League baseball weekly awards when the League office announced the first set of honors for the 2022 season on Tuesday.
Navy sophomore third baseman Logan Keller was named Patriot League Baseball Player of the Week after batting .667 (6-for-9) with three runs and one RBI to help the Mids sweep UMBC in their season-opening series.
Holy Cross junior RHP Jack DiLauro claimed Patriot League Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors after allowing one run on one hit while striking out nine in 6.0 innings in the season opener against Troy.
Lehigh freshman outfielder Jake Whitlinger earned Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Week after batting .545 (6-for-11) with three runs and two RBIs during the Mountain Hawks’ three-game series against Davidson.
Holy Cross sophomore shortstop Sam Kirkpatrick, Lafayette freshman outfielder Easton Brenner, Lehigh freshman third baseman Rafe Perich and senior LHP Luke Rettig all received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Logan Keller, Navy, So., 3B, Longwood, Fla./Lake Brantley
*Keller batted .667 (6-for-9) while scoring three runs, driving in one and reaching base at a .750 clip in addition to recording 10 assists and three putouts with no errors at third base to help Navy sweep a two-game series from UMBC.
*The sophomore third baseman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and one walk in the Mids’ 10-9 season-opening win.
*On Saturday, he went 4-for-5 and walked twice in an 11-10 victory in 12 innings against the Retrievers.
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Jack DiLauro, Holy Cross, Jr., RHP, Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury
*DiLauro threw 6.0 innings in the Crusaders’ season-opener, allowing one run on one hit while striking out nine and walking three.
*The junior right-hander held Trojans’ hitters to a .059 batting average.
*He left the game before the seventh inning with the score tied at one apiece in Holy Cross’s eventual 2-1 loss.
PATRIOT LEAGUE BASEBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Jake Whitlinger, Lehigh, Fr., Harleysville, Pa./La Salle College
*Whitlinger batted .545 (6-for-11) with three runs and two RBIs while reaching base at a .667 clip from the lead-off spot in the lineup.
*He went 3-for-4 with a two-run single to help Lehigh defeat Davidson 5-0 in the season opener.
*The Harleysville, Pa. native went 3-for-4 with a walk and scored a run in a loss to the Wildcats on Sunday.
Honorable Mention
Sam Kirkpatrick, Holy Cross, So., SS, Franklin, Tenn./Bell Academy
*Kirkpatrick batted .400 (6-for-16) with a double, three runs and one RBI during a four-game series against Troy. He went 3-for-4 with a double, one run and one RBI in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Easton Brenner, Lafayette, Fr., OF, Houston, Texas/Lutheran South Academy
*Brenner batted .385 (5-for-13) while scoring twice and driving in two runs during the Leopards’ four-game opening weekend. He slugged .615 and reached base at a .467 clip while hitting in each of Lafayette’s games.
Rafe Perich, Lehigh, Fr., 3B, New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh
*Perich batted .385 (5-for-13) and scored twice during Lehigh’s three-game series against Davidson. He went 3-for-4, walked once and scored twice in the Mountain Hawks’ Saturday loss against the Wildcats. Perich went 2-for-4 with a walk in a season-opening win on Friday.
Luke Rettig, Lehigh, Sr., LHP, Oxford, Pa./Oxford
*Rettig threw 4.0 shutout innings, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out four in Lehigh’s 5-0 season-opening win against Davidson. Opposing hitters batted .143 against Rettig.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.