Leake named National Pitcher of the Year

Arizona State University junior right hander Mike Leake has been named the National Pitcher of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com, the website announced today. Leake was also named to the First Team of the CBI All-American Team, where he was joined by teammate Jason Kipnis. LHP Josh Spence was named to the Second Team.

Leake (Fallbrook, Calif.) finished the 2009 season with a 16-1 record, the most wins of any pitcher in the nation. He struck out 162 batters in 142 innings, recording an ERA of 1.71 and throwing seven complete games. He was named the National Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and was a Unanimous First Team All-American. He turned in one of the greatest careers in Sun Devil baseball history, with a 40-6 lifetime record. The 40 wins is tied for the most ever by a three-year player at ASU and is tied for third most in school history. Leake was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year in each of the last two seasons, the first ever back-to-back winner. He was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, Howser Award and Pitcher of the Year award and was the 8th overall selection by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft.

Kipnis (Northbrook, Ill.) was also a Unanimous First Team All-American after being named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was a second round choice of the Cleveland Indians. Spence (Victoria, Australia) was named the National Newcomer of the Year by Rivals.com, was a First Team All-Pac-10 selection and was awarded Third Team All-American honors by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.