Daytona Beach, Fla. – Baseball is back at "The Jack" as the Wildcats embark on their second season as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference The Wildcats will look to build on a successful year-one that saw them fall a game away from the SWAC title game.
 
B-CU will open the 2023 campaign with a three-game series with the Patriot League's Lehigh University.
 
Game Information

Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19
Opponent: Lehigh (In 2021 – 26-24, 12-13 Patriot League)
Time: 7 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 10 a.m. EST
Location: Daytona Beach, FL | Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Live Stats: https://bcuathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/cateyenetwork
Tickets: https://t.co/iU2ZTs1sti
 
Wildcats Report
 
The Wildcats return 19 players from a season ago, adding 16 newcomers to the fold. Of those returners are All-SWAC First Teamers Louis Lipthratt and Irvin Escobar, as well as Second Teamers Nolan Santos and Joan Gonzalez.
 
Perfect Game also tabbed Nolan Santos as SWAC Pitcher of the Year. He was joined by Robert Moya, Hylan Hall, and Joan Gonzalez on PG's All-SWAC squad.
 
The Wildcats fielded the SWAC's best pitching staff a season ago, and are more than prepared to defend their crown in 2023.

The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the SWAC's East Division as voted on by conference head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Jonathan Hernandez opens his fifth season as Wildcats head coach. He crossed the 50-win mark for his career in penultimate contest of last year's campaign. Hernandez is undefeated in four Opening Day contests.
 
Scouting the Mountain Hawks
 
Lehigh finished last season with a 26-24 record, including a 12-13 finish in Patriot League play.  They hit .292 as a team last season and pitched their way to a 5.45 ERA. Mountain Hawk batters struck out only 398 times a season ago, the best mark in the conference. 47 homers also led the Patriot league.
 
The Mountain Hawks field serious star power at the top of their roster, led by two-time Patriot League player of the year Casey Rother. Joining him on the podium is Left Hander Luke Rettig, Patriot League Pitcher of the year.
 
Elsewhere for Lehigh, catcher Justin Butler and second baseman Riley Davis were also named to Patriot league preseason teams.

The Starters
 
Right-hander Louis Lipthratt, All-SWAC honoree and Friday night stalwart for the Wildcats a season ago, will take the ball Friday night. Lipthratt earned the win to open the season in 2022, pitching seven shutout innings with six strikeouts in his debut vs. Youngstown State.
 
Nolan Santos will also resume his roll of Saturday starter. The junior fireballer tallied a program-record 113 strikeouts a season ago, second in the SWAC.
 
Newcomer Daniel Gaviria will take over Sunday starting duties, the 6-1 lefty earned a 3.18 ERA in 16 appearances with Florida State College of Jacksonville. In 93.1 innings, he struck out 68, finishing the season with n 8-2 record.
 
 
All-Time Series
 
Only once have the Wildcats and Mountain Hawks met on the diamond previously, dating all the way back to March 18, 1999. The Wildcats took that contest by a final score of 6-0 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.


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