BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh fifth-year first baseman Joe Gorla 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 honors on Thursday.
Gorla (technical entrepreneurship, 3.95 GPA), a three-time All-League and two-time Academic All-League selection is the second Mountain Hawk to receive Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, following former teammate Adam Retzbach, who received the accolade last season. Bucknell junior shortstop Anthony Sherwin (economics, 3.29 GPA) and Navy senior outfielder Colin Smith (Naval architecture and marine engineering, 3.29 GPA) earned Academic All-Patriot League recognition for the second time.
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 Team is conducted by the League’s baseball sports information directors. They were prohibited from voting for their student-athletes.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th-year, 1B, Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley
*Gorla graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in May 2022, with a 3.54 cumulative GPA and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in technical entrepreneurship, carrying a GPA of 3.95.
*The fifth-year first baseman is a three-time All-Patriot League honoree, while batted .302 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 40 games this season.
*He is a two-time Academic All-Patriot League selection and four-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll member
*Gorla finished among the League leaders in fielding percentage (.993) with 145 putouts and two assists on 148 chances.
Six All-League Honorees Make Academic Team
Three All-Patriot League First Team selections received Academic All-League honors, with Bucknell sophomore third baseman Sean Keys (mechanical engineering, 3.69 GPA) and Lafayette senior RHP Alex Walsh (civil engineering, 3.23 GPA) and sophomore infielder Michael Zarrillo (liberal arts, 3. 7 GPA) earning spots.
Gorla, Bucknell junior shortstop Anthony Sherwin (economics, 3.29 GPA) and Navy junior RHP Matthew Shirah (quantitative economics, 3.86 GPA) all garnered academic honors after being selected to the All-Patriot League Second Team.
Nine Student-Athletes Collect Academic Honors for the First Time
Nine Patriot League baseball student-athletes claimed Academic All-League honors for the first time in 2023. Keys, Shirah, Walsh, Zarrillo, Army West Point senior Bret Copeland (chemical engineering, 3.66 GPA), Holy Cross senior RHP Ben Talbot (physics, 3.44 GPA), Lafayette sophomore outfielder Easton Brenner (economics, 3.47 GPA), Lehigh senior RHPs Ryan Deom (biology, 3.85 GPA) and Ben Christian (accounting, 3.73 GPA) were all recognized for their excellence on the field and in the classroom for the first time by the League.
2023 Patriot League Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th, 1B
2023 Academic All-Patriot League Baseball Team
Brett Copeland, Army West Point, Sr., INF.
Sean Keys, Bucknell, So., 3B
Anthony Sherwin, Bucknell, Jr., SS
Ben Talbot, Holy Cross, Sr., RHP
Easton Brenner, Lafayette, So., OF
Alex Walsh, Lafayette, Sr., RHP
Michael Zarrillo, Lafayette, So., INF.
Joe Gorla, Lehigh, 5th, 1B
Ryan Deom, Lehigh, Sr., RHP
Ben Christian, Lehigh, Sr., RHP
Matthew Shirah, Navy, Jr., RHP
Colin Smith, Navy, Sr., OF
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.