Lafayette Leopards | |
---|---|
2025 Lafayette Leopards baseball team | |
Founded | 1865 |
University | Lafayette College |
Head coach | A. J. Miller (3rd season) |
Conference | Patriot |
Location | Easton, Pennsylvania |
Home stadium | Hilton Rahn '51 Field at Kamine Stadium (Capacity: 500) |
Nickname | Leopards |
Colors | Maroon and white [1] |
College World Series appearances | |
1953, 1954, 1958, 1965 | |
NCAA Tournament appearances | |
1948, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1990, 2007 | |
Conference tournament champions | |
2007 [2] | |
Regular season conference champions | |
1990 (ECC), 2007 |
The Lafayette Leopards baseball team represents Lafayette College in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the Patriot League. They are currently coached by Allen J. Miller. They play home games in Hilton Rahn '51 Field at Kamine Stadium. The Leopards have advanced to the College World Series four times. Lafayette has also qualified for the NCAA tournament ten times, but only twice since 1966.
Kamine Stadium is the home of Lafayette baseball. The stadium was renovated in 2003, establishing permanent seating and a permanent press box. It is a natural grass field with an official capacity of 500. [3]
Baseball is the oldest sport at the college, with a club team competing on a College Hill since March 1860. The team's first official game was a 44–11 win on November 8, 1865, against amateurs from Easton. The first recorded intercollegiate match was a 45–45 tie in a baseball game against Lehigh in October 1869 and its first win against Lehigh 31–24 shortly thereafter.
Aside from its traditional Ivy League and local rivals, Lafayette developed a rivalry with North Carolina and South Carolina in the late 19th and early 20th century. Games were played on March Field, and were later played at Fisher Stadium. Once the Metzgar Athletic Complex was built in the late 1960s, the team moved its field to what is now known as Kamine Stadium.
Lafayette has made four appearances in the College World Series in the 1950s and 1960s, the final round of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Coached by former major leaguer Charlie Gelbert, the Leopards made it the semi-finals in 1953 before bowing to the University of Texas, finishing third; in 2016, the 1953 team was inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame. [4] Lafayette eliminated Stanford and Boston College, with their only losses coming against Texas. Lafayette did not win a game in its other trips in 1954, 1958, and 1965.[ citation needed ]
Lafayette won the East Coast Conference in 1990 and Patriot League title 2007 to earn a trip to the NCAA Regionals.
The most noted Lafayette baseball player is former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who played on the team in the early 1970s.[ citation needed ]
The Leopards have sent 13 players to the Major Leagues. [5] 21 Lafayette players have been drafted in the Major League Baseball draft.
Player | Years at Lafayette | Years in MLB | Position | Clubs |
---|---|---|---|---|
George Barclay | 1896–98 | 1902–05 | OF | St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Beaneaters |
David Bednar | 2014-16 | 2019-24 | P | San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates |
Charlie Berry | 1922–25 | 1925–38 | C | Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox |
Ben DeMott | 1908–10 | 1910–11 | P, OF | Cleveland Naps |
Mike Gazella | 1920–23 | 1923–28 | IF | New York Yankees |
Frank Grube | 1924–30 | 1931–41 | C | Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Browns |
Ty Helfrich | 1910–15 | 1915 | 2B | Brooklyn Tip-Tops |
Les Hennessy | 1912–13 | 1913 | 2B | Detroit Tigers |
Frank Hiller | 1939–42 | 1946–53 | P | New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants |
Lep Long | 1907–11 | 1911 | P | Philadelphia Athletics |
Jeff Mutis | 1986–88 | 1991–94 | P | Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins |
Fritz Scheeren | 1913–14 | 1914–15 | OF | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Dick Wright | 1909–15 | 1915 | C | Brooklyn Tip-Tops |
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