BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Army West Point was picked to finish atop the 2023 Patriot League standings in addition to finishing with four preseason All-League selections and one major award winner when the League office announced preseason honors on Tuesday. Lehigh finished with four preseason All-League selections and two major award winners.
The four-time defending champion Black Knights collected 49 points and nine first-place votes to finish atop the 2023 preseason poll. Bucknell, the 2022 runner-up, finished second with 40 points and two first-place votes, while Lehigh received 37 points and one first-place vote. Navy (25), Holy Cross (19) and Lafayette (10) rounded out the Patriot League baseball preseason poll.
The Mountain Hawks collected two of the League’s three preseason major awards. Lehigh fifth-year outfielder Casey Rother earned Patriot League Baseball Preseason Player of the Year. Rother is a two-time League player of the year. Lehigh fifth-year left-handed pitcher Luke Rettig received preseason pitcher of the year honors, while Army West Point senior shortstop Kevin Dubrule was recognized as the preseason defensive player of the year.
Army West Point and Lehigh placed a League-high four student-athletes apiece on the preseason squad. Bucknell and Holy Cross both had two preseason honorees, and Lafayette finished with one representative.
Voting for the Patriot League baseball preseason poll, All-League team and major awards were conducted by League head coaches and sports information directors. Neither group was permitted to vote for their team or student-athletes.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Player of the Year
Casey Rother, Lehigh, 5th, OF/RP, Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua
Career Stats: 139 GP, .317 BA, 168 H, 30 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 104 RBIs, .485 SLG., .382 OBP
*Rother is a two-time Patriot League Baseball Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-League honoree.
*Last season he led the League in six offensive categories, including batting average (.371), slugging percentage (.613), hits (72), doubles (18), total bases (119) and RBIs (48), while finishing second with nine home runs.
*The Tamaqua, Pa. native also made nine relief appearances on the mound, compiling a 1.32 ERA with two saves in 13.2 innings pitched.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Luke Rettig, Lehigh, 5th, LHP, Oxford, Pa./Wilmington Christian (Del.)
Career Stats: 13-12, 3.43 ERA, 42 appearances,36 games started, 207.0 IP, 207 SO, 88 BB, .242 BAVG
*Rettig is a two-time All-Patriot League selection, garnering first-team accolades in 2022.
*The Oxford, Pa. native led Patriot League starting pitchers in ERA (2.40) while tying for the lead in wins (8).
*The southpaw struck out 71 batters in 71.0 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .233 batting average.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr., SS, Venice, Fla./Venice
Career Stats: 118 GP, .302 BA, 130 H, 27 2B, 79 RBIs, .385 SLG, .375 OBP, 129 PO, 303 A, .949 FLD.
*Dubrule is a two-time All-Patriot League selection at shortstop, having earned first-team honors following the 2022 season.
*He led the Patriot League in assists (167), while posting a .975 fielding percentage and 65 putouts on 238 chances last season.
*Dubrule served as a team captain and was a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award presented by the College Baseball Foundation.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Army West Point, 49, (9 first-place votes)
2. Bucknell, 40, (2)
3. Lehigh, 37, (1)
4. Navy, 25
5. Holy Cross, 19
6. Lafayette, 10
2023 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Major Awards
Preseason Player of the Year: Casey Rother, Lehigh, 5th., OF/RP
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, 5th., LHP
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr., SS
2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Baseball Team*
SP: Luke Rettig, Lehigh, 5th
SP: Will Greer, Bucknell, Sr.
RP: Luke Fox, Holy Cross, Sr.
C: Derek Berg, Army West Point, Jr.
C: Justin Butler, Lehigh, So.
1B: Ross Friedrick, Army West Point, Sr.
2B: Riley Davis, Lehigh, Jr.
SS: Kevin Dubrule, Army West Point, Sr.
3B: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Jr.
OF: Grant Voytovich, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: Pete Ciuffreda, Lafayette, Sr.
OF: Casey Rother, Lehigh, 5th
At-Large: Sean Scanlon, Holy Cross, So.
*There is an additional player on the preseason team due to a tie in the voting
Preseason All-Patriot League by the Numbers
Eleven of the 13 Preseason All-Patriot League selections received All-League honors at the conclusion of the 2022 season, highlighted by major award winners Dubrule, Rettig and Rother. Patriot League Championship MVP Sam Ruta (Sr., 3B) was also a 2022 first-team selection along with teammates Derek Berg (Jr., C) and Ross Friedrick (Sr., 1B).
Bucknell senior starting pitcher Will Greer garnered second-team accolades last season, along with teammate Grant Voytovich. Holy Cross senior reliever Luke Fox, sophomore 1B/pitcher Sean Scanlon and Lafayette senior outfielder Pete Ciuffreda were also 2022 second-team honorees.
Lehigh sophomore catcher Justin Butler and junior second baseman Riley Davis received Patriot League honors for the first time.
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.