Bleming in the swing of things for Lehigh baseball
JAMES BLEMING (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> James Bleming just keeps getting better and better playing with the Lehigh University baseball team.
The 6-foot shortstop and leadoff hitter is batting .370 after seven games for the 2-5 Mountain Hawks. He has 10 hits in 27 at-bats with a double, triple, three RBI and seven runs scored. In the field, he’s made just one error on 33 chances (.970).
Bleming, a Pope John Paul II grad, had a solid freshman season but really blossomed last season when he hit .311 (59for-190) with 12 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 28 RBIs and 33 runs scored as Lehigh posted a 25-29 overall record and a 9-10 mark in the Patriot League.
“James has been outstanding thus far this season,” coach Sean Leary said. “Offensively, he is swinging the bat very well and he has been consistently getting on base and setting the table for the middle of our lineup. On defense, he has been excellent. His work ethic is second to none and in turn, he has improved in every facet of his game.”
The coach feels that Bleming has emerged as one of the elite players in the Patriot League.
“James will be an integral part of our success this spring,” Leary said. RACHELSTYPINSKI(BOYERTOWN)>> The 5-foot-2 junior continues to sparkle for the Kent State women’s gymnastics team. The Golden Flash defeated Bowling Green 195.725-194.450 in a Mid-American Conference match onMarch 3 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Stypinski captured her fifth straight all-around title of the season with a score of 39.325. It was her second best allaround score topped only by a 39.525 against William & Mary. Against Bowling Green, she finished first in floor exercise
(9.500), the uneven bars (9.850) and balance beam (9.825). That performance gave her 49 victories for her career.
PAULMAJOR(SPRING-FORD) >> The senior had a breakout junior season for the Delaware men’s lacrosse team and the 5-foot-10, 165 pound attack is off to a good start this season for the Blue Hens who are 5-2 after a 12-9 victory over Manhattan last Tuesday. Major has two goals and four assists and had a goal and three assists in a 15-9 victory over Virginia Military on Feb. 28. He has scored 39 goals with 14 assists in his career including 28 goals and eight assists last season.
DANIEL DOWNS (DANIEL BOONE) >> The 6-foot-5 junior middle hitter has 106 kills, 45 digs, 36 blocks and seven service aces for the Penn State-Altoona men’s volleyball team that has a 13-4 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the North Eastern Athletic Conference after 3-0 victories over Lancaster Bible and Wilson on March 4 in Chambersburg. He also has a solid .341 hitting percentage and had 18 kills, six digs and two blocks in the victories over Lancaster Bible and Wilson.
KATELYN CRESSMAN (POPE JOHN PAUL II) >> The sophomore scored four goals for the 1-2 Seton Hill women’s lacrosse team in a seasonopening 20-8 victory over Wheeling Jesuit on Feb. 24 and came back with two goals in an 11-9 loss to Millersville on March 5. The midfielder had a big freshman season with the Griffins. She played in all 18 games and had 15 goals and six assists for 21 points with 11 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Ten of her goals came from the free position.
KRISTEN HABBEL (BISHOP SHANAHAN) >> The 5-foot-4 junior guard, of Phoenixville, started 26 games for the Johnson & Wales women’s basketball team which finished the season 19-8 and was beaten 9190 in double overtime in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference semifinals on Feb. 23. Habbel averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds and was second on the team in assists with 84 and had 44 steals. She had a season-high 15 points in a 76-60 victory over Mount Ida on Feb. 14.
NATHALIE SELL (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The sophomore midfielder has scored four goals for the 3-0 Millersville women’s lacrosse team which has outscored foes 42-20 in the early going. Sell, who had two goals in 13 games as a freshman, picked up two scores in an 11-9 victory over Seton Hill on March 5 and picked up two more goals in an 18-4 triumph over Shepherd last Tuesday. The Marauders opened the season with a 13-7 victory over Georgian Court on March 3. All three games were played in Millersville.
TAYLOR CROWN (PHOENIXVILLE) >> The sophomore shortstop is hitting .467 (7for-15) for the 2-4 Eastern softball teamwith four runs scored and an RBI. She was 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in a 13-8 victory over Baruch March 3 in Virginia Beach, Va. In the field, she’s made one error on 15 chances (.933). Sophomore Melissa Irick (Perkiomen Valley) is hitting .306 for the Eagles and is 1-1 in two games and one start on the mound. Senior Haleigh Williams (Spring Ford) is also a member of the pitching staff.
HARLEY BARRETT (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) >> The sophomore goalkeeper picked up the first two victories of her career to lead the Coastal Carolina during a trip to California last week. She came in at the 27:06 mark and gave up two goals but settled down and the Chanticleers rallied for an 11-7 victory over UC Davis on March 6. She finishedwith four saves. That effort earned Barrett a start against Fresno State last Wednesday and had 12 saves in a 13-8 victory that lifted the teamto 3-0 to start the season.
ERIN MCELWEE (PHOENIXVILLE) >> The senior earned All-Landmark Conference in three events after helping the Susquehanna women’s swim team capture its seventh straight league title on Feb. 17-18. McElwee earned an individual honor after winning the 100 backstroke (58.54). And, she swam legs on the winning 200 medley relay that posted a meet record time of 1:46.39 and the winning 400 medley relay that posted a league record time of 3:52.18. She also finished third in the 200 back (2:10.22) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:14.61).
KYLEWELLER(BOYERTOWN) >> The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior first baseman is off to a great start for the 4-5 Neumann baseball team. He’s hitting .429 with 12 hits in 28 at-bats. He has two doubles, five runs scored and seven RBIs and had three hits in an 8-7 loss to Rowan on March 8 and a hit and two RBIs in a 9-5 victory over Albright on March 9. In the field, Weller has made just one error on 66 chances (.985). Junior outfielder Joey Pedorenko (Pope John Paul II) is also playing with the Knights. He’s hitting .167 (3-for-18) in six games and three starts.