Owen Walewander catches two-way fire as Lehigh baseball’s primary catcher

With injuries to his pitching staff, Lehigh baseball coach Sean Leary emphasized a “next-man up” mentality to his players last season.

This mindset has carried over into this season, specifically with the team’s catchers — with senior catcher Andrew Noone graduating last year, junior Owen Walewander has become the team’s primary catcher and a key contributor on the offensive and defensive ends.

This season, Walewander has posted a .277 batting average and .836 on-base plus slugging, the third and second-highest marks on the team respectively. 

Despite falling to the College of the Holy Cross in a doubleheader on March 22, Walewander made a two-way impact in both games. He launched his second home run of the season over the right field wall in the second inning of the first game to put points on the board for the Mountain Hawks. He later threw out two runners trying to swipe a bag throughout the doubleheader.

Leary said Walewander’s improvement over the past year has been one of the best he has ever seen in a player.

Leary also said Walewander’s body language and approach on the offensive and defensive end has shifted to showcase more confidence in himself. 

“He gets behind the plate or at bat, and you can just see he believes that he is going to do something positive,” Leary said. “He has become a leader and a frontline producer for the team this year.” 

Even in a position not normally known for high offensive production, Walewander has raised his batting average more than 100 points from the .174 average he had as a sophomore. He also has logged the third-most extra-base hits on the team, recording seven doubles and two homers.

Leary said Walewander’s contributions go beyond just hitting, as his leadership behind the plate has been impactful. As the team’s primary backstop, Walewander has thrown out 10 runners, the most in the Patriot League.

“He knows how much his teammates rely on him and how much the pitchers appreciate his performance behind the plate,” Leary said. “That confidence and responsibility have carried over, making him a pretty terrific offensive player for us as well.”

Beyond his performances on the field, first-year pitcher Jake Mulvehill said Walewander is a role model who has helped him adjust to college baseball. 

He also said Walewander has been a vocal leader who can rally and motivate the whole team when needed.

“He pushes us in the right direction and has really helped lead this team,” Mulvehill said. “He always knows if the team needs a pick me up or needs more fire under our butts to get focused.” 

Walewander said he believes the team’s strong chemistry is the reason it’s able to stay competitive. 

“Having a close team dynamic allows us to play freely and trust that we’re great,” he said. “We know that we have each other’s backs, and that’s what makes a difference in tough games.”

Lehigh is 15-14 this season and currently sits in fifth place in the conference. Moving forward, Walewander said he believes staying focused will be the team’s key to success.

“You have to take it one game, one inning, one pitch at a time and stay present in the moment,” Walewander said.