Leake named top Academic All-American

Arizona State University junior pitcher Mike Leake has been named the Academic All-American of the Year, ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA announced today. This is the third time in school history a Sun Devil has been named the Academic All-American of the Year for baseball. Casey Myers earned the distinction in both 2000 and 2001.

Leake (Fallbrook, Calif.) has a 3.42 grade point average as a Management major and earlier this month was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII for the second straight year. He is the 12th Academic All-American in program history and the seventh under head coach Pat Murphy. Petey Paramore was a Second Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American in 2008.

"This is another great example of how truly special this young man is," said head coach Pat Murphy. "Not only is he a dominant pitcher and a team leader, but he leads by example in the classroom as well. We have been extremely lucky to have him in our program over the past three years."

Leake, the team co-captain, is 14-1 so far this season, throwing six complete games and two shutouts. He sports a 1.24 ERA and has struck out 128 batters while walking only 18. The 14 wins and 128 strikeouts both lead the Pac-10 and are career highs. He has been named a Finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award and was the 2008 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year. Leake was the only student-athlete from the Pac-10 to earn Academic All-American honors.

Leake and the Sun Devils will host the Tempe Regional beginning Friday at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. ASU will take on Kent State following the Oral Roberts vs. Cal Poly match-up.