Unfortunately for Mike Leake, his best season as a college player came in the same year NCAA Baseball witnessed perhaps the most impressive season by a pitcher in history - Steven Strausburg down in San Diego.
Otherwise, people would be talking about the season Mike Leake put together this season, anchoring the staff of the Pac-10 Champion Sun Devils.
Mike Leake won Pac-10 pitcher of the year for the secon straight season and put up this ridiculous line:
Player ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK SFA SHA
8 Leake, Mike...... 1.23 15-1 16 15 7 2/1 0 124.2 71 19 17 20 143 15 1 2 419 .169 1 13 2 4 5
An amazing line by any standard. Issuing a walk only every 6.2 innings, striking out over 10 per game, shutting down every major program we have faced - Leake's 2009 season was really special - and would have been considered one of the better ones in recent memory if not for Steve.
Leake won the game over Oral Roberts, 4-1. 9 IP, 1 ER, 1 walk, 15 strikeouts.
He sits 92-94 with his 4-seamer, has a two seamer, a change, and a pretty nasty curve.
Leake will probably be drafted in a few weeks in the first round. Somewhere from 10-25. I am going to be cheering for him to make the majors and have a great career.
I love Leake and hope we can ride him to the championship.