Leake plays first major league game
<p><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/leake_mike00.html">Mike Leake</a> became the 92nd Sun Devil to play Major League Baseball when he made his debut as the starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, April 11. Leake, who was the #8 overall pick in last season's draft, becomes the 21st player in MLB history to go straight to the big leagues and skip minor league ball. He started on the mound for the Reds at Great American Ballpark against the Chicago Cubs.</p><separator></separator><p>Perhaps no pitcher in Arizona State baseball history was as dominant as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/leake_mike00.html">Mike Leake</a> was over his three seasons in Maroon and Gold. A highly touted prospect out of Fallbrook, California, Leake arrived at ASU as the team's closer, but quickly established himself as one of the most dominating starting pitchers in the nation. Leake pitched in 63 games for ASU, making 47 starts and compiling an eye-popping 40-6 mark with two saves. He totaled 390.1 innings with an ERA of 2.91 and struck out 360 hitters. He is one of only two players in school history to record 10 or more wins in three straight seasons and his 40 career wins is tied for third most in school history and is the second most in the aluminum bat era. After winning 13 games as a freshman and 11 as a sophomore, Leake saved his best for his final season in Tempe. He went 16-1 in 2009, leading the nation in victories. His 1.71 ERA and 162 strikeouts led the Pac-10. Leake was named the ABCA National Player of the Year in 2009, becoming the first Sun Devil to earn the honor since Paul Lo Duca in 1993. He was an All-American all three seasons for the Sun Devils, including unanimous First Team honors in 2009. He also earned First Team Freshman All-American honors in 2007. He was named First Team All-Pac-10 in each of his three seasons and became the first player in Pac-10 history to win back-to-back Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year awards. He was twice named First Team Academic All-Pac-10 and was named the Academic All-American of the Year in 2009. He led Arizona State to a Pac-10 Championship in all three of his seasons, one of only two players to win three Pac-10 titles, and pitched in two World Series. He was the On Deck Circle Most Valuable Player in 2009 and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the Howser Trophy and the National Pitcher of the Year Award.</p><separator></separator><p><!-- STORY AD ENDS HERE --> Leake picked up his first Major League hit in his first at bat on Sunday.</p>