PHILADELPHIA – The final game before Ivy League play gets started this weekend, the University of Pennsylvania baseball team remains in the Lehigh Valley area on Wednesday, facing Lehigh in Bethlehem at J. David Walker Field. First pitch set for 3 p.m.
 
The Quakers are fresh off a three-game sweep of Lafayette over the weekend, the team's first of the year. Meanwhile, the Mountain Hawks have won three consecutive games and are 6-2 at home so far.
 
GAME 14: Penn (4-9, 0-0 Ivy) at Lehigh (10-6, 0-0 Patriot)
March 19 | J. David Walker Field | Bethlehem, Pa.
Watch on Lehighsports.com | Live Stats
 
The Lehigh Series
Penn and Lehigh traditionally meet during the third Wednesday of March before conference play gets going and are matching up for the 123rd time.
 
The Quakers lead the all-time series, 86-32-4, and are searching for their eighth straight victory over the Mountain Hawks dating back to 2013. Penn is going for its fifth straight win over Lehigh in Bethlehem.
 
Last year, Penn prevailed 12-11 in a slugfest at Tommy Lasorda Field. The lead changed six times throughout, while Davis Baker got the last laugh with a game-winning solo blast in the eighth inning. Every member of the Penn starting lineup tallied at least one hit with multi-hit games for Nick Spaventa (3-for-5) and Jarrett Pokrovsky (3-for-5).
 
We Got That Sweep!
Penn recorded its first three-game series sweep when it took down Lafayette in all three contests over the weekend in Easton. In fact, it's the Quakers' first series sweep since taking all three games against Brown last year on March 22-23.
 
In Friday's series opener at Lafayette, Penn's offense exploded for a dozen runs in a 12-7 victory. Qwynn Ahearn hit his team-leading third home run with a grand slam in the sixth inning. He drove in five runs and scored three runs. Ryan Taylor was 3-for-5 at the plate in the leadoff spot, hitting a triple and scoring three runs. John Cerwinski earned his first of two saves in the series after recording the final four outs.
 
In Saturday's opening game, Ahearn (3-for-5) finished a home run shy of the cycle, while freshman Sebastian Haggard recorded his first collegiate win, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in five innings of work. The Penn offense also recorded three triples in the outing, one each for Taylor, Baker, and Ahearn.
 
Penn was homer happy in the series finale, launching three long balls in a 7-6 victory. Pokrovsky began the game with a two-run shot to left field in the second, Spaventa tied the game at 5-5 in the sixth on a solo homer, and Gavin Degnan provided the winning run in the eighth with a solo shot to left. Cerwinski recorded the final two outs to pick up his second save as the game was called after eight innings for darkness. Katz got the win by tossing four innings of relief, allowing just one run on two hits with four strikeouts, while Degnan was 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and three runs scored.
 
So Close Against Rutgers
Penn dropped a close contest to Rutgers last Tuesday at Tommy Lasorda Field, falling 3-2 in 11 innings.
 
Baker led the offensive charge with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate, while pitchers Josh Katz and Andrew Miehe threw scoreless innings.
 
The Scarlet Knights got a go-ahead run in the 11th inning on a suicide squeeze bunt that allowed them to come away with the win.
 
All About Ahearn
We may be looking at Penn's next offensive ace in Ahearn, who has dazzled at the plate to open the season.
 
Missing most of last season due to injury, he has returned this season rejuvenated and swinging a hot bat as we get started with Ivy League play this weekend.
 
The sophomore catcher is slashing .333/.667/.415 in just 11 games, leading the team with three home runs and a team-high tying 10 RBIs. In the field behind the dish, Ahearn has 86 putouts and nine assists in 96 chances, committing just one error.
 
With a slugging percentage of .667, Ahearn is ranked third among Ivy hitters and 185th nationally.
 
At The Plate
Now that we have more of a sample size against teams like Delaware and Lafayette, Penn's offense is coming into form as conference action gets going this weekend against Harvard.
 
Ahearn (.333) and Taylor (.326) are the only Quakers hitting above .300 to begin the year, while Asa Wilson (.294) and Gavin Collins (.273) are right behind.
 
Ahearn leads the team with three home runs—launching the Quakers' first grand slam of the year at Lafayette—and has driven in 10 runs. Degnan, Spaventa, and Baker all have two homers to begin the year.
 
Two players Penn would like to see get going to begin Ivy play are Baker (.208/.434/.288) and Connor Chavez (.148/.278/.233). Both have struggled at the dish and were key contributors to the Quakers' NCAA regional run in 2024.
 
As a team, Penn ranks first in the Ivy League and 75th nationally in triples (5) and first and 35th in triples per game (0.38). The Quakers also pace the conference in doubles per game (2.15).
 
On The Mound
It's safe to say at this point in the year that the Quakers have started to figure out their back-end of the bullpen.
 
John Cerwinski (0-1, 3.52 ERA) and Thomas Shurtleff (0-2, 1.42) have seemingly filled the voids left by Eli Trop and Carson Ozmer. Both Cerwinski and Shurtleff have two saves so far this season.
 
Tommy Delany (1-1, 10.50) has made six appearances out of the bullpen, recording three strikeouts and three walks.
 
Josh Katz (1-2, 13.50) got the mid-week start last week against Rutgers, but ended up pitching a ton in relief on Saturday at Lafayette to earn the win. Marty Coyne (1-1, 10.50) has made two starts in five outings.
 
Penn pitching leads the Ivy League in K/9 at 9.4, ranked 91st in the nation.
 
Scouting The Mountain Hawks
Lehigh has enjoyed a solid start to its 2025 campaign, taking three of four games against UAlbany over the weekend in Bethlehem. The Mountain Hawks are 10-6 overall and 6-2 at home ahead of their first Patriot League weekend at home against Holy Cross and Army West Point.
 
On Tuesday at Coppin State, Lehigh scored its most runs in a single game since 2018 when outlasting the Eagles, 25-16, in Baltimore.
 
Four Lehigh hitters are batting above the .300 mark to begin the year including Owen Walewander (.370), Edwin Betances (.345), Aidan Quinn (.333), and Jake Whitlinger (.300).
 
Quinn was named Patriot League Player of the Week on Monday after batting .417 (10-for-24) with a home run, five doubles, a triple, seven runs scored and 10 RBIs. That also included a game against Saint Joseph's earlier in the week. In the four-game series against UAlbany, Quinn hit .461 with three doubles and four RBIs.
 
On the mound, the Mountain Hawks are led by Cole Leaman (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Noah Gyauch-Quirk (0-0, 1.50), and Grady Golier (1-0, 1.59). Liam O'Hearen (2-1, 3.46) has struck out a team-high 18 batters in 13.0 innings of work.
 
Follow The Action
Wednesday's game will be streamed live on Lehighsports.com with live stats provided.
 
For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.