What will Leake have left?
May 19th, 2008, 8:20 am · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Mike Leake
Since his arrival at Arizona State, Mike Leake’s calling card has been athleticism and versatility, and he has displayed the most of those traits this month. The sophomore has continued his usual stellar pitching, earning three wins and a save, while playing three infield positions and hitting his first collegiate home run.
That impressive display, however, comes with a warning: Leake’s workload has increased dramatically. Considering that the 175-pound Leake and his coach, Pat Murphy, acknowledged that he got by on adrenaline late last year — when his duties were primarily on the mound — are the Sun Devils asking for trouble down the road?
Leake, who pitched well in the 2007 postseason despite being physically spent, believes he will have enough endurance for the big games in June.
“I feel a little stronger,” said Leake (9-1, 3.24 ERA), whose 100 innings pitched this season lead the Pac-10. “A lot stronger, actually. I put on some weight, and that helped a lot. I hadn’t really done any working out before I got to college, and the strength work that I’ve done has really helped me stay in shape and be on track.”
What should also help, Murphy said, is Leake experiencing the rigors of a full college season in ’07. He now knows what to expect and can pace himself better.
“I see him a little run down,” Murphy said. “But everybody is run down at this point in the season. Mike is a great athlete, and I think he battles being fatigued a little differently. He’s a little more aware of it when he’s pitching.”
During an eight-game, 11-day, four-city stretch from May 2-12, Leake performed yeoman work. From a series at UCLA to games at Kansas State and Wichita State to a series against Loyola Marymount at Packard Stadium, Leake made two starts at pitcher and five in the field.
He worked 15 2/3 innings, including a 2 1/3-inning save at Wichita State, a game Leake started at shortstop. He batted 11-for-23, including the round-tripper at UCLA.
Leake’s non-pitching role has decreased since Ike Davis’ return from a 10-game absence due to a rib muscle strain. However, Murphy has said that Leake’s performance dictates that ASU play him in the field regularly.
Since he has always wanted to be more than a pitcher for the Sun Devils, Leake — who allowed five hits and a run in eight innings Friday against Washington — is not likely to turn down any assignment.
“I still have one more series to pitch (at Arizona this week),” Leake said. “If I go out there making sure that I’m rested and just worrying about making one pitch at a time, that’s the best I can do for the team.”
Murphy, a member of the NCAA Division I baseball committee, will attend the tournament selection meetings in Indianapolis this week via teleconference, beginning at 5 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. ASU begins a three-game series at Arizona on Thursday.
He traveled to Indianapolis last year.
“We met from 8 a.m. until 11:30 at night for three straight days,” Murphy said. “I had to get up and go to the bathroom just to see something outside the meeting room. And when they were talking about our team, I couldn’t be in there. This way, I can get on the call and work with (the committee), then go do our game.”
The 16 first-round regional sites will be announced on Sunday, with the full tournament field revealed on Monday. The Sun Devils are expected to be a national top-eight seed, which would guarantee them hosting privileges for the two rounds prior to the College World Series.
