Hawk Item — Finished his career with 21 saves, the second-most in a single season in school history… also made 70 career appearances, which are the fifth-most all-time… his 14 saves in 2019 are a single-season record.
2021 — Went 0-1 with a 4.72 ERA in 12 appearances… one of five team captains… had 14 strikeouts to two walks over 13 1/3 innings… didn’t allow a run his final four appearances, spanning 5 2/3 innings… tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings without allowing a baserunner at Michigan State (5/30)… tossed two shutout innings, allowing one hit and fanning four against Illinois on Senior Day (5/16)… struck out the side, needing just 10 pitches, to earn his first save of the season in the win over Penn State (5/8)… it was his 21st career save, second-most all-time… is one save behind Kurt Belger’s record 22 saves… struck out the side to close out an 8-1 win and clinch a series win in game three at Rutgers (4/17).
2020 — Season canceled by Big Ten Conference and NCAA on March 12 due to concerns of coronavirus (COVID-19)… Iowa’s closer… NCBWA Preseason Second-Team All-American… Collegiate Baseball Preseason Third-Team All-American… named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List, given to the nation’s top relief pitcher… ranked as the 20th-best reliever in college baseball by D1Baseball.com… named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List… went 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in seven appearances with four saves, which are second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally… appearance total is tied for third in the Big Ten… hasn’t allowed a run in six of his seven appearances… tallied his fourth save, pitching a perfect ninth against Kansas (3/11)… notched his first win, allowing two hits in a victory over No. 20 North Carolina (2/29)… tallied his third save against Duke (3/1)… pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, needing just eight pitches, to record second save against No. 18 Arizona… notched his first save, tossing a perfect ninth in season-opening win over Kent State (2/14)… blew his first save since 2018 season in loss to Pitt (2/16).
2019 Honors — Second-team All-Big Ten relief pitcher… named to the NCBWA Midseason Closer of the Year List. 2019 — Went 2-3 with a 3.37 ERA with 14 saves in 14 chances… 14 saves are the most in a single-season in school history… has 16 career saves, fifth-most all-time… made 28 appearances, logging 34 2/3 innings… save total was second in the Big Ten, while 28 appearances were 10th most… tied for fifth in saves in Big Ten games (5) and tied for fifth in appearances (13)… didn’t surrender a run during a 12 appearance stretch, spanning 14 innings from March 24 to April 28… notched his record-setting 14th save in the Big Ten Tournament opening win over top-seeded and 21st-ranked Indiana (5/22)… got final four outs to notch 13th save and tie school record against Michigan State (5/10)… recorded his 12th save, getting the final six outs and fanning three batters in a series-clinching win over No. 18 UC Irvine (5/4)… notched his 11th save of the season against Western Illinois (5/1)… tallied his 10th save at Ohio State (4/26)… ninth save came in midweek win over Northern Illinois (4/16)… recorded his eighth save to clinch series win at Purdue (4/13) with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings…notched his seventh save, going 2 2/3 innings, scattering two hits and fanning two in game two against Rutgers (4/6)… earned a win and a save in series sweep of No. 23 Illinois (3/29-31)… tossed 1 1/3 innings, allowing one run in opener for his second win and got final three outs in series finale to earn his sixth save… notched his fifth save against Bradley (3/26), freezing the final batter with the bases loaded… earned his first win in game two against Cal State Northridge, logging two shutout innings (3/17)… also got the final three outs in game two of the doubleheader to tally his four save… notched saves in back-to-back games at No. 19 Oklahoma State (3/1, 3/2)… pitched 1 1/3 innings — fanning one — to notch his first save at Hawaii (2/23).
2018 — Went 2-1 with a 4.64 ERA with two saves in 21 appearances… had 23 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings of relief… notched his second win, tossing a career-long six innings at Western Illinois (5/15)… scattered two hits and had a career-high six strikeouts without walking a batter… was sidelined for two of the three games against Ohio State (4/7-8) after suffering a broken nose and subsequent concussion on a comebacker at Illinois (4/1)… recorded his first career save, tossing a perfect ninth in the road win at No. 22 Illinois (3/30)… got four outs in the game three win before exiting the contest after taking a one-hopper off his face (still fielded his position and backed up first base with a broken nose)… picked up his first career win against Toledo (2/16), getting two outs with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning in an eventual walk-off Hawkeye victory.
2017 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree… named to Dean’s List during fall semester. 2017 — Went 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two appearances… allowed one run on three hits over two innings.
2016 — Played at North Central College in fall of 2015.
High School — Went 2-0 with a 2.41 ERA as a junior with 17 strikeouts… had a 3-4 record with a 2.73 ERA with 53 strikeouts as a senior… played for Let It Rip Reign from 2013-15 and Chicago Clout in 2016, helping team to the NAGF Regional Championship… high school coach was Paul Babcock.
Personal — Born March 5, 1997… son of Mike and Julie Leonard… has two younger siblings, Jake and Caden… majoring in interdepartmental studies.