BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh junior catcher Adam Retzbach was named Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and one of the 12 student-athletes selected to the Academic All-Patriot League Team when the League office announced the honors on Thursday.
Retzbach (economics, 3.95 GPA), a two-time Academic All-Patriot League and two-time All-League honoree is the first Mountain Hawk to claim baseball scholar-athlete of the year honors. Lafayette senior catcher Dylan Minghini (mechanical engineering, 3.9 GPA) and Navy senior first baseman Zach Stevens (operations research, 3.84 GPA) joined Retzbach as two-time Academic All-Patriot League selections.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year winner for each sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out during the summer. One male and one female are selected for the honors.
Voting for the Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Academic All-Patriot League Teams are conducted by the League’s baseball sports information directors.
2022 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Adam Retzbach, Lehigh, Jr., C, Greenfield Twp., Pa./Lakeland
*Retzbach, an economics major with a 3.95 cumulative GPA, is a two-time Academic All-Patriot League Baseball Team selection and two-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll honoree.
*The two-time All-Patriot League catcher led the League in home runs (11), finished second in the RBIs (45) and third in slugging percentage (.574).
*The Greenfield Twp., Pa. native batted .341 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 25 League games for the Mountain Hawks.
*He is a five-time Faculty Athletics Council Awards winner at Lehigh, in addition to making the Dean’s List five times and posting three semesters with a 4.0 GPA.
Seven All-League Honorees Make Academic Squad
Retzbach and Lafayette junior right-handed pitcher Jake Bloss (economics and mathematics, 3.4 GPA) made the academic squad after making the All-Patriot League First Team. Minghini, Bucknell sophomore third baseman Jacob Corson (education, 3.30 GPA) and senior second baseman Brendan Lowery (business analytics, 3.43 GPA), Lehigh senior first baseman Joe Gorla (finance, 3.52 GPA) and Navy junior outfielder Colin Smith (Naval architecture & marine engineering, 3.20 GPA) were all second-team selections.
Nine Student-Athletes Named to Academic All-Patriot League for the First Time
The 2022 Academic All-Patriot League Baseball Team recognized nine first-time honorees, including Bloss, Corson, Gorla, Lowery and Smith. Army West Point senior outfielder Carter Macias (engineering management, 3.73 GPA), Bucknell sophomore shortstop Anthony Sherwin (economics, 3.46 GPA), Holy Cross sophomore infielder Sam Kirkpatrick (international studies, Spanish, 3.95 GPA) and Navy sophomore right-handed pitcher Nolan Jorgenson (operations research, 3.90 GPA) received their first academic team selection.
2022 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Adam Retzbach, Lehigh, Jr., C
2022 Academic All-Patriot League Baseball Team
Carter Macias, Army West Point, Sr., OF
Jacob Corson, Bucknell, So., 3B
Anthony Sherwin, Bucknell, So., SS
Brendan Lowery, Bucknell, Sr., 2B
Sam Kirkpatrick, Holy Cross, So., IF
Jake Bloss, Lafayette, Jr., RHP
Dylan Minghini, Lafayette, Sr., C
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, Sr., 1B
Adam Retzbach, Lehigh, Jr., C
Nolan Jorgenson, Navy, So., RHP
Colin Smith, Navy, Jr., OF
Zach Stevens, Navy, Sr., 1B
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor. These honors recognize student-athletes who excel in their sport and the classroom.
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.