BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte shortstop/pitcher Zach Lehman has been named the April 2026 Athlete of the Month by The Centre County Gazette.
Lehman, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior, has been having an outstanding season as a leader in the field, at the plate and on the mound for the 11-3 Raiders.
So far in 2026, Lehman is hitting .440 with 22 hits in 50 at bats with 15 runs, 14 RBIs, 6 doubles and a home run.
On the mound, he is 7-0 this season with 40.1 innings pitched with 13 earned runs, 9 walks, 67 strikeouts and a 2.26 earned run average.
In his last two starts, he took the win over Philipsburg-Osceola with five innings, three earned runs and seven strikeouts, and threw a two-hit shutout over four innings against St. Marys with eight strikeouts.
At the plate against St. Marys, he had two hits, including a double, and scored a run.
With the Raiders ranked No. 1 in the District 6 4A bracket and looking down the final games of their schedule, Lehman will be looked to often as his team vies for a place in the PIAA Tournament.
“Coming into the season, to be honest, we were looking for Zach to be a big contributor on the mound and at the plate this season,” Bellefonte head coach Jon Clark said. “As you know, he had a number of great performances last year, even in the game we went extra innings with the eventual state champion Indiana.
“We pride ourselves on guys who are not just one dimensional, and Zach is an all-around player. He has a great glove in the field, plays a really strong shortstop, and we knew about his bat — he was one of our leading hitters last year. We expected him to build off of what he did last year. And he has a great mentality on the mound. He wants the ball and he’s smart.
“It’s awesome that Zach will be an Athlete of the Month. He is very deserving of it. He is a hard worker and a good teammate.”
The Raiders now have six games remaining on their schedule before entering the D6 4A playoffs beginning with Bedford away on Thursday, April 30.
