The Matchup
The Leopards continue Patriot League play at home this weekend, hosting Bucknell for a doubleheader on Saturday and then a single game Sunday. First pitch both days is slated for noon. Bucknell won the prior two contests between the two squads this season in Lewisburg, Pa. Lafayette leads the all-time series 122-83-1. 

Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer
This weekend the Leopards are Lacing Up 4 Pediatric Cancer to support the Go4theGoal Foundation to help kids battling cancer. Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer began in the fall of 2011, and since then, over a half million athletes have supported the cause.  A donation of four dollars will be made for every pair of laces sold, with 100% of all donations directly benefiting kids and families in the state where the funds are raised. Go4theGoal works to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial assistance, granting special wishes, developing unique hospital programs and funding innovative research. Learn more about Go4theGoal and how you can help to make a difference by visiting Go4theGoal.org.

A Familiar Face
A.J. Miller '11 has returned to College Hill as the Leopards' skipper in 2023. Miller who is a 2011 Lafayette graduate was the 2011 Patriot League Player of the Year, a All-Patriot League First-Team selection and tied the Lafayette program record for home runs with 22. Miller was a Charles L. Albert '08 award recipient and received the Paul E. Koch '28 award during his time in Easton. After leaving College Hill, Miller went on to play professional baseball for the Normal Cornbelters of the Frontier League and the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. He spent the previous seven years on the baseball staff at Lehigh University, holding titles of assistant coach, recruiting coordinator and associate head coach during his tenure.

Weekly Honors
Lafayette has won four weekly awards in the season to date. Freshman pitcher James Reese was awarded Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Week for his work on the mound against High Point. Junior Blaze Fadio was named Patriot League Baseball Player of the Week and freshman Ethan Swidler was selected as Patriot League Baseball Rookie of the Week for their performances at Southeastern Louisiana. Senior Alex Walsh was named Patriot League Baseball Pitcher of the Week for his effort against Davidson. These were the first weekly honors for the four members of the Lafayette Nine.

The Leopards
In their last Patriot League series, the Leopards defeated Lehigh in three of four contests. Sophomore Joe Skapinetz pitched 6.0 shutout innings and collected his first collegiate win in the series finale against the Mountain Hawks. Senior Seif Ingram recorded six hits in the series, along with four RBIs and a home run. Sophomore Easton Brenner also had a good weekend in Bethlehem, collecting four hits with seven RBIs and a home run. Senior Pete Ciuffreda hit his league-leading ninth home run of the season in the series against Lehigh.

The Opponents
Bucknell enters the weekend with an 14-14 record overall and a 7-5 record in the Patriot League after defeating Penn State 17-14 on Wednesday in a non-conference contest. The Bison finished the 2022 season with a 22-26 record and advanced to the Patriot League Championship Series. Senior Kyle Lyons has paced the Bison offense with .361 batting average. Sophomore Sean Keys leads the team with seven home runs and 32 RBIs, and has a .330 batting average. On the mound, senior Will Greer has anchored the Bucknell rotation. Greer has compiled a 3-3 record in 35 innings pitched, with a 5.14 ERA and 20 strikeouts in seven starts.