Jake Whitlinger captains Lehigh baseball as leadoff man

Anthony Gonzalez, junior pitcher for the Lehigh baseball team, summed up senior Jake Whitlinger in one word: sparky.

He said Whitlinger is “the thermostat of the room” for the team, bringing an unmatched energy to the whole nine innings of each game. 

This energy was on full display in the team’s April 13, 2024 game against Bucknell University. Battling for a spot in the playoffs, Whitlinger made his mark early. He got on base with a leadoff single and immediately stole second, advancing to third after a throwing error. Standing on third, a sacrifice fly brought him home to score. This put the Mountain Hawks up early in the opening frame.

This was common for the senior known as “Whit” to teammates, who is a jack of all trades on both the offensive and defensive end.

Last season, Whitlinger recorded a 98.9 fielding percentage with 90 putouts and only one error. Offensively, he was Lehigh’s leadoff hitter. He batted .319, had 51 hits, scored 44 runs and drove in 18 runs. Whitlinger also legged out seven doubles, a triple and stole a team-leading 21 bases. He currently ranks fifth place in program history with 52 stolen bases.

These statistics led Whitlinger to earn the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year title on Jan. 30. 

“What’s interesting about this award is that we cannot vote for our own players,” coach Sean Leary said. “(Whitlinger) received this nomination from the other coaches in the league.”

Leary said Whitlinger has been a starter since his first year and has evolved into a respected leader among his teammates. Of his 35 seasons at Lehigh, Leary considers Whitlinger one of the best outfielders.  

Whitlinger’s passion for his leadoff role is clear. He said he loves setting the pace for the game early and providing valuable insights to his teammates on-deck.

“I get to set the tone for the team, help the guys in the lineup by seeing pitches, and once I get on base, I can disrupt the pitcher’s timing to give my teammates an advantage,” Whitlinger said. “I really love it.”

With his disciplined approach at the plate, he was statistically one of the hardest players to strike out in the Patriot League last season. In 160 at-bats, Whitlinger was only punched out 16 times.

He said his approach is to drive the ball and be a little picky early in the count. But, with two strikes, there’s a change in mindset, as he tries to put the ball in play to force the defense to make the play. 

“I think that’s something I put emphasis (on), because as a leadoff hitter, you don’t want to give free outs,” Whitlinger said. “The more you can put the ball in play, the better chance you have to get on base.”

Despite his impressive stats, Whitlinger said he values the relationships he’s built at Lehigh the most. He said he cherishes the time spent with teammates, especially fun bus rides and traveling to new places together.

“You don’t remember every game you play in, but it’s the memories off the field with those guys that stick the most,” Whitlinger said.

Gonzalez described Whitlinger as the “captain of the ship” and the player everyone looks up to. 

“The confidence we gain from having him in center field is second to none,” Gonzalez said. “He is able to elevate everyone else’s game with his.” 

Junior pitcher Shane O’Neill said Whitlinger is a constant source of positivity and is always ready to offer advice or encouragement.

He also described Whitlinger as the kind of teammate who pushes you to be better and leads by example.

“If the ball went up in the general vicinity of Whit, it was being caught,” O’Neill said.

The Mountain Hawks opened up their 2025 season against the University of Oklahoma with games on Feb. 14 and 15 in their first series of the year. Whitlinger lived up to his title, recording eight putouts.

For the remainder of the season, Whitlinger said he and his teammates are excited to compete, challenge themselves and have fun.

“We have the expectation of what we control, and we’re going to try and handle the best,” Whitlinger said. “It’s going to come down to playing our best baseball and just having fun.”