Pitcher of the Week - Week Three - Kevin Leady - Lake Erie Monarchs

The statistics are in, and the Pitcher of the Week for the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, a wood-bat baseball league for college athletes, has been announced. It comes as no surprise that the man of the hour is Kevin Leady of the Lake Erie Monarchs. He currently has the lowest ERA in the league at 0.36.

Leady, a native of Luckey, OH and junior at Bowling Green State University, says that being the league leader isn’t his priority.

“I don’t really worry about it,” he says. “I just try to give our team the chance to win, the best chance of winning.”

Judging from the three wins credited to Monarchs with the help of Leady’s excellent pitching this season, the chances are good. Considering that in the last 11 innings he’s pitched, Leady’s given up only one earned run, the chance he’s giving his team is exceptionally good.

Head Coach of the Monarchs, Chris Arvay, attributes Leady’s success to an unshakeable focus on the game, and a genuine joy in playing it.

“He just stays focused on what he wants to do and what he wants to accomplish. He competes every time he’s on the pitcher’s mound because he loves baseball and loves being around it.”

A love of the game certainly puts a little extra effort into the pitching, especially his change-up, which Leady says is the pitch he has the most handle on.

There are still big differences, though, between the Great Lakes League and college baseball, which Leady seems to appreciate. Namely, the wood bat.

“It seems like with a metal bat any pitch can be hit out. It’s tougher with a wooden bat. And sometimes when a pitch gets hit back at you, it’s so fast it’s scary with metal,” Leady says.
Facing batters in any league can be a nerve-wracking experience, but Kevin Leady looks to be holding up under pressure, even when his change-ups come flying back at him.