PJP grad James Bleming leads the way at Lehigh
It’s a nice situation when a coach has a senior shortstop that is reliable and does a great job both at the plate and in the field. Lehigh coach Sean Leary has that luxury in James Bleming.
Bleming, a 6-foot senior from Royersford (Pope John Paul II), started all 50 games at shortstop last year and has started all 31 thus far this season. He’s hitting .300 (33-for-110) with two doubles, two triples and two home runs. He’s scored 15 runs and knocked in 21. And, he’s 8-for-8 stealing bases. In the field, he’s made nine errors on 151 chances (.940).
“This season James has really thrived now that he is in his second full year as our starting shortstop,” Leary said. “He is playing with a lot of confidence which is key for our team because we rely on him for his production both offensively and defensively.”
The coach likes the fact that Bleming has been steady throughout the season.
“To have a veteran in that position is a benefit for any team because of the stability and consistency that they bring to the table,” Leary said. “James has been a huge plus this year especially with a team that has many new starters. We hope that it continues as we move deeper into league play.”
Heading into this season, Bleming had played in 143 games with 129 starts and had a three-year average of .274 with 23 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 83 runs scored and 62 RBI.
The Mountain Hawks are 12-19 overall and 2-8 in the Patriot League after a 15-7 non-league home loss to Delaware last Wednesday in Bethlehem.
RACHEL STYPINSKI (BOYERTOWN) » The Kent State senior fell short in her bid to earn a berth in the NCAA Division I Gymnastics Championships after she finished tied for 24th on uneven bars at the Regionals on April 7 in Columbus, OH. She posted a score of 9.800. Prior to the Regionals, Stypinski was named regular-season All-American for the second straight year by the National Association of College Gymnastics for Women. She was selected for her work on balance beam and bars. She is also a three-time MidAmerican Conference Gymnast of the Year.
SARAH TAYLOR (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The junior is competing in the 5,000 meter run this spring for the South Carolina women’s outdoor track team. She finished third at the Gamecock Invitational on April 7 in Columbia with a time of 18:34.68. Taylor opened the outdoor season by finishing ninth in the 5k at the Weems Baskin Relays on March 23-24, also in Columbia, with a time of 18:37.19. She ran just one 3,000 meter race during the indoor season after competing with the Gamecocks’ cross country team last fall. CHRIS KACHMAR (UPPER PERKIOMEN) » The 6-foot2, 178-pound junior righthander has a 2-1 record with a 3.99 earned run average in eight starts for the Lipscomb baseball team, the Bison 15-16 overall and 3-3 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Kachmar has worked 47.1 innings and has given up 44 hits and 22 runs, 21 earned. He’s walked 20 and leads the team with 54 strikeouts. He spent his first two seasons pitching Owen J. Roberts Boyertown Perkiomen Valley Methacton Spring-Ford Norristown
Pope John Paul II Upper Merion Phoenixville Upper Perkiomen Pottsgrove Pottstown 3 3 3 2 1 0
Division
W 4 2 3 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 4 3 L 0 1 2 2 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 0
League
W 4 2 3 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 4 3 L 0 1 2 2 3 4 for Palm Beach Community College, helping the team post a 38-15 record last season.
AMANDA KULP (METHACTON) » The junior center fielder continues to be a solid performer for the St. Joseph’s softball team, the Hawks 14-19 overall and 2-7 in Atlantic 10 Conference play after splitting a nonleague doubleheader with Lehigh last Saturday in Philadelphia. Kulp is third on the team in hitting with a .301 average on 31 hits on 103 at-bats. She has a double, two triples, five runs batted in and is tied for first in runs scored with 16. She has nine stolen bases on ten attempts and in the field has made just two errors on 69 chances (.971). CAROLINE MCLAUGHLIN (POPE JOHN PAUL II) » The senior opened her outdoor track season with the West Chester women’s team by capturing the 400 meter hurdles at the Golden Ram’s Quad Meet on March 31 in West Chester. Her time was 1:04.27. She also finished fifth in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.65. McLaughlin faced a tougher task on April 7 against a number of Division Owen J. Roberts Upper Perkiomen Upper Merion Norristown Pottstown Boyertown
Liberty Division
Owen J. Roberts Methacton Perkiomen Valley Norristown Boyertown Spring-Ford
Frontier Division
Pottsgrove Pottstown Phoenixville Upper Merion Upper Perkiomen Pope John Paul II 2 2 1 0 0 0 4 5 4 4 4 6 I hurdlers, finishing 24th at the 49 Classic in Charlotte, N.C. with a time of 1:05.30. Sophomore Susanna Shier (Phoenixville) competes in the pole vault and junior Bridget Walt (Phoenixville) runs the 800 for the Golden Rams. MIHAELA CODREANU (METHACTON) » The Rhode Island women’s tennis team is suffering through a 1-16 season but the Rams have gotten solid play from the sophomore. In a 7-2 Atlantic 10 Conference loss to St. Joseph’s on March 31 in Kingston, R.I., Codreanu won her No. 2 singles match and her No. 1 doubles match. On the season, she’s 8-14 playing No. 1 or No. 2 singles and is 6-10 at No. 1 doubles and 1-1 at No. 2 doubles playing with four different partners,
DARNELL RANDALL (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) » The East Stroudsburg sophomore finished second in the long jump and third in the high jump at West Chester’s Quad Meet on March 31 in West Chester. His long jump (22 feet, 9 ¼ inches) is a personal record and a PSAC qualifier. He hit 6 feet, 4 ¾ inches in the high jump. At the 49er Classic on March 15-17 in Charlotte, N.C., Randall finished fourth in the high jump with a personal record 6 feet, 6 ¾ inches, the height also a PSAC qualifier.
RYAN HAMILTON (METHACTON) » The junior is playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Eastern men’s tennis team, the Eagles 3-3 overall and 1-2 in MAC Freedom play after a 5-4 league victory over Delaware Valley last Wednesday in Doylestown. Hamilton took his singles match 6-1, 6-0 and teamed with sophomore Karl Finkbeiner of Emmaus to score an 8-3 victory in doubles. He’s 3-3 in singles and 4-2 in doubles. Freshman Thomas Lesher (Perkiomen Valley) is playing No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles for the Eagles. SAVANNAH TOTH (DANIEL BOONE) » The Lebanon Valley junior catcher has a 16-game hitting streak after collecting a hit in each game as the softball team split a non-league doubleheader with Gettysburg last Thursday in Annville, the Flying Dutchwomen 11-9 overall and 7-4 in MAC Commonwealth play. She went 4-for-6 in a doubleheader split with Messiah last Wednesday. Toth is hitting .362 (25-for-69) with six doubles, seven runs scored and 16 runs batted in. Behind the plate, she has made just one error on 85 chances (.988) and has thrown out five would-be bases stealers.