Lehigh baseball senior shortstop Tyler Young was the lone Mountain Hawk to make the 2024 preseason All-Patriot League team.
Voted on by Patriot League coaches and other representatives, Young received the honor after batting .314 in 2023, racking up 25 RBIs and accounting for 31 runs. Defensively, Young totaled 59 putouts and 121 assists with a .947 fielding percentage.
Young was 1 of 15 selections.
Since receiving the honor, Young said he wants to step into more of a leadership role on the team.
“I play with confidence and believe I’m the best player on the field no matter who we play,” Young said. “I want my teammates to be able to lean on me in big moments.”
Recent All-Patriot League players – outfielder Casey Rother, pitcher Luke Rettig, and first-baseman Joe Gorla — graduated over the last few years, emphasizing Young’s important presence.
“Tyler is a great player,” Sophomore pitcher Cole Leaman said. “He is a huge asset for our team and is ready to continue to bring it with his bat. He brings huge energy to every practice and lift, and is really growing into a strong leader.”
Young and the baseball team have high expectations for this season. After a strong start to the 2023 non-league season, the Mountain Hawks dropped their first six Patriot League matchups. The team could not recover from its slow start and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, going 10-15 in Patriot League play, with Lafayette ending the season one spot ahead as the last seed in.
After a disappointing end to a highly anticipated season, Young said the team is determined to win a title this go-around.
“The expectation is high,” Young said. “Winning a title is everything, and we aren’t going to back down from anyone. Our goal is to win a Patriot League championship and compete in a NCAA Regional.”
With this goal in mind, Lehigh has already gotten out to an impressive start, defeating Michigan State in the second game of the season on Feb. 17, and upsetting No. 20 Iowa, 8-4, the next day with Young accounting for three RBIs in the win.
In addition to winning the Patriot League Championship this year, Young said that his main goal is maximizing the abilities of his teammates and focusing on the general success of the team.
“My personal goal is to be able to compete at the highest level and help my team win,” Young said.
When looking back on his career, Young reminisces on his freshman year, when the Mountain Hawks competed in the 2021 Patriot League Championship.
Though the team fell to Army in the series, 2-1, Young cherished the gravity of the moment, which he wishes to replicate in 2024.
“I love playing in high stakes games, and those were the biggest games I’ve ever played in,” Young said.
The rest of the team has big expectations for Young as well. Sophomore catcher Owen Walewander said that Young’s drive on the field pushes the rest of the team to be great.
“His hard work and enthusiasm for the game is contagious,” Walewander said. “When I see (Tyler) Young working as hard as he does, and getting extra work in outside of practice, it makes me want to do the same. We all expect for him to have a fantastic senior season.”
After going 2-1 to open the season, the Lehigh baseball team will travel south to face Charleston Southern University in three consecutive games from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25.
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