The Matchup
The Leopards return to Easton for their home opener and Patriot League opener against Lehigh. The Maroon and White won three of the five meetings of The Rivalry last year. The series started in 1869 and this weekend marks the 394th meeting between the two teams, with Lafayette leading the series 223-167-3.

Schedule Change
Due to the rainy conditions predicted for the Lehigh Valley on Saturday, the schedule of the Lafayette vs. Lehigh baseball series has been rearranged. The series is slated to begin with a doubleheader on Friday at noon at Kamine Stadium. The teams will attempt to play on Saturday (weather permitting), with the series finale scheduled for Sunday at noon. Sunday's action could become a doubleheader, depending on the weather in the region.

Pitcher of the Week
Junior Joe Skapinetz was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week on March 5. In the Leopards' second game of their three-game series against Delaware on March 2, Skapinetz came out of the bullpen and threw 5.2 innings in the 4-2 Lafayette win over the Blue Hens'. The junior right-hander tied a career high in strikeouts with 10, and did not give up a hit or a run in his appearance against Delaware. The Far Hills, N.J. native retired 16 of the 19 Blue Hen batters that he faced, on the way to collecting his first win of the season. This was the first weekly award for Skapinetz.

Preseason Honors
Junior Michael Zarrillo was named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Last year, the 2023 First-Team All-Patriot League selection batted a team-best .280, along with clubbing 10 home runs. Freshman Tristan Helmick was selected as the Preseason Patriot League Rookie of the Year by Perfect Game and D1BASEBALL. The Fort Washington, Pa. native comes to Lafayette from La Salle College High School, where he recorded a 6-1 record as a senior in 48.1 innings pitched, along with a 2.30 ERA.

The Leopards
For Lafayette, senior Blaze Fadio continued to produce on offense, tallying two hits, including an RBI-double, in Lafayette's last game, a loss to Rutgers.  In that game, sophomore Ethan Swidler also had a two-run single. Junior Ben Petrone leads the Leopards in batting, with a .290 average on the season. The Princeton, N.J. native also has a team-leading five home runs.

The Opponent
Lehigh enters this weekend's series with a 12-6-1 record.  Last time out, Lehigh dropped a high-scoring contest to Penn, 12-11. In the game, both Andrew Kohl and Owen Walewander hit three-run home runs, while Justin Butler hit a two-run home run.  It was Butler's league-leading ninth homer of the season. Lehigh is led in batting by Rafe Perich, with a .397 average. On the mound, Teddy Tolliver has recorded two wins and pitched a team-best 25.0 innings.