EASTON, Pa. – James Van Der Beek, the television and film actor who died Wednesday after a battle with colorectal cancer, had a strong connection to the Lehigh Valley.

His father, Jim Van Der Beek, was a baseball star at Lafayette College in Easton in the early 1970s.

The elder Van Der Beek was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2007.

In 2020, his son made a video for Lafayette to welcome Tim Reilly as the baseball team’s new head coach.

“My father, Jim, holds the record for the most strikeouts in Lafayette College history. As a pitcher, not as a batter,” Van Der Beek said in the video.

“He also holds the record for the most amount of walks in Lafayette College history. Again, as a pitcher. But we lead with the strikeouts.”

Van Der Beek recalled visiting the Lafayette campus as a kid with this family. “My father has always been very proud of being a Leopard,” he said.

According to Lafayette College’s website, Jim Van Der Beek led the team to a flawless 11-0 record in his freshman season. In 1970 he ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts, averaging 13 per nine innings. He threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Rutgers in 1972.

After leaving Lafayette College, Jim Van Der Beek signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, advancing to the AAA level in the minor league system. He later retired from baseball and took a telecommunications job with SNET in Connecticut, which would later be known as AT&T.

One of James Van Der Beek’s last Instagram posts mentioned his father. On January 25, he noted that both his dad and his daughter were celebrating birthdays on that day. 

“You are marvels… and I’m so insanely grateful to have you in my life,” he wrote. “The world is a better place because the two of you are in it.”

Van Der Beek was best known for his roles in the TV show “Dawson’s Creek” and the movie “Varsity Blues.”

He announced in 2024 that he was being treated for colorectal cancer.

His death was announced by his family on Instagram.

James Van Der Beek was 48 years old. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and six children.