Holy Cross baseball head coach Ed Kahovec was named the Patriot League's 2024 Gene Depew Coach of the Year, as announced by the conference on Wednesday, May 8. Additionally, six members of the team earned a spot on the All-Patriot League second team: senior starting pitcher Alex Bryant, sophomore starting pitcher Danny Macchiarola, freshman catcher Colin Brown, junior first baseman Chris Baillargeon, junior shortstop Jimmy King and sophomore outfielder Jack Toomey. 

This marks just the fifth time overall and first time since 2013 since a Holy Cross baseball coach has earned Coach of the Year honors. Kahovec helped guide the Crusaders to a berth and the No. 3 seed in the 2024 Patriot League Tournament after Holy Cross was selected to finish last in the preseason coaches' poll. 

Despite a number of injuries to key starters, Holy Cross recorded its most Patriot League wins since the 2019 season with a 14-11 mark in league action -- an eight-win improvement from 2023. The Crusaders finished the regular season at 25-25, their most wins and first .500 regular season overall since 2016. Under Kahovec's guidance, Holy Cross also posted an upset of No. 24 Kansas State. 

Kahovec guided a young team to success in 2024 – freshmen and sophomores combined for nearly 60 percent of the team's at bats and 64 percent of the team's innings pitched this year; seniors accounted for just 5 percent of the team's at bats and 24 percent of the team's innings pitched. 

The Crusaders' six All-Patriot League honorees are their most in a single season since 2015. 

Bryant recorded a 5.14 earned-run average in 61.1 innings of work this year. He led the Crusaders and the Patriot League throughout the regular season with 69 strikeouts, holding opponents to just a .243 average. He struck out 42 batters in conference play. 

Macchiarola's 63.0 innings pitched were a team high this season; in 12 starts, he posted a 6-4 record while recording a 5.29 ERA with 63 strikeouts – third-most in the Patriot League – and just 24 walks. He was even more stellar in Patriot League play, with a 3.63 ERA, 5-1 record and 50 strikeouts with just 12 walks.  

Brown impressed in his freshman campaign behind the plate, ranking second on the team with a .290 average and posting a team-best 11 doubles. He made 42 appearances as a catcher and designated hitter, driving in 23 runs with 30 runs scored. He was also hit 17 times on the year, the most of any Patriot League player this season. 

Baillargeon appeared in 47 games and hit .279 on the year, with six doubles, a triple and six home runs. He led the Crusaders with 37 runs scored and is tied for the team lead with 30 RBI. His 45 walks are the most by a Crusader in single-season program history, leading to a .459 on-base percentage, which ranks eighth in the Patriot League. In Patriot League play, he hit .286 with a .467 OBP 

King led the team with a .294 average on the season, starting 46 games at shortstop. He doubled seven times and homered once, while driving in 23 runs and scoring 31 runs. He ranks second in single-season program history with 21 stolen bases. In conference play, his average elevated to .313.

Toomey earned All-Conference honors for the second straight year after he was an All-Patriot League selection and Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2023. He patrolled right field in all 25 conference contests and in 41 games overall; across the season, he batted .271 with eight doubles, five triples and eight home runs, in addition to tying for the team lead with 30 RBI. His five triples lead the Patriot League and his .571 slugging percentage is the eighth-best in the conference. His eight home runs are the most in a single season by a Crusader since 2017, and he currently ranks tied for ninth in program history with 15 career home runs. 

The Crusaders will face No. 2 Navy in a best-of-three semifinal series starting on Saturday, May 11. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. 

2024 Patriot League Baseball Major Awards
Player of the Year – Sean Keys, Bucknell, Jr., 3B
Pitcher of the Year – Justin Lehman, Army West Point, Jr., RHP
Rookie of the Year – Chris Morabito, Bucknell, Fr., OF
Defensive Player of the Year – Eduardo Diaz, Navy, Sr., SS
Gene Depew Coach of the Year – Ed Kahovec, Holy Cross

2024 First Team All-Patriot League
SP: Justin Lehman, Army West Point, Jr.
SP: Matthew Ronnebaum, Army West Point, Sr.
SP: Tyler Grenn, Navy, So.
RP: Andrew Berg, Army West Point, So.
C: Derek Berg, Army West Point, Sr.
1B: Ethan Swidler, Lafayette, So.
2B: Billy Kender, Bucknell, Jr.
SS: Tyler Young, Lehigh, Sr.
3B: Sean Keys, Bucknell, Jr.
OF: William Parker, Army West Point, So.
OF: Jacob Corson, Bucknell, Sr.
OF: Jake Whitlinger, Lehigh, Jr.
At-Large – Michael Trommer, Bucknell, So.

2024 Second Team All-Patriot League*
SP: Tyler O'Neill, Bucknell, Jr.
SP: Alex Bryant, Holy Cross, Sr.
SP: Danny Macchiarola, Holy Cross, So.
SP: Cole Leaman, Lehigh, So.
RP: Nolan Jorgenson, Navy, Sr.
C: Colin Brown, Holy Cross, Fr.
1B: Chris Baillargeon, Holy Cross, Jr.
2B: Brock Murtha, Navy, So.
SS: Jimmy King, Holy Cross, Jr.
3B: Sam Ruta, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Braden Golinski, Army West Point, Sr.
OF: Chris Morabito, Bucknell, Fr.
OF: Jack Toomey, Holy Cross, So.
OF: Blaze Fadio, Lafayette, Sr.
At-Large: Rafe Perich, Lehigh, Jr.

*Additional players on the second team due to ties in the voting

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