Baseball: Leonard shines, leads Panthers early in season

On the road Saturday against the Memphis Tigers, Pitt baseball third baseman Joe Leonard had… On the road Saturday against the Memphis Tigers, Pitt baseball third baseman Joe Leonard had an average game. Well, average for him.

And as the Panthers’ record improved to 5-1 with Sunday’s 11-3 win over Toledo, Leonard continued to assert himself as the top hitter — not just on his team, but also in the Big East — by driving in three runs and scoring twice.

Leonard’s .487 batting average ranks fourth in the Big East. And his 18 RBIs are top in the conference.

“You try to start off hot,” Leonard said. “I really don’t have something I look for [at the plate]. I just go with what I get pitched and hit it.”

The 6-foot-5 junior hadn’t planned to have such a hot start.

The Dawson, Pa., native averaged nearly four RBIs per game in Pitt’s three-game series against Wofford last weekend. He drove in six runs — four of which with a grand slam — in the team’s season-opener, an 18-6 romp over the Terriers on Feb. 19.

Leonard’s power against Wofford started Pitt’s season on the right foot, but his quality at-bats have propelled the Panthers to their torrid start. Leonard said head coach Joe Jordano’s implementing preseason situational hitting drills improved his offensive skills.

“We do a lot of different situational hitting and do a lot of two-strike hitting,” Leonard said. “I’ve been up with two strikes a lot this year, and I’ve been able to get hits.”

Still, Jordano said, Leonard always had the talent to drive in runs.

“I remember specifically seeing Joe at a pro-style workout in Greentree,” Jordano said. “He had great size and great hands, both offensively and defensively. I recall saying to myself, ‘This guy has got to be a Pitt Panther.’”

Jordano recruited Leonard out of Connellsville High School, where the then-teenager hit above .400 every season, including during a senior year that saw him hit .500 with six home runs. If that weren’t enough, he also played basketball.

Despite his previous success, Leonard said he didn’t expect he’d replicate that prowess at the plate in college.

“I didn’t think I would,” he said. “It feels good.”

He said that while the results might be the same, he has matured since high school.

“I definitely got a lot stronger,” Leonard said. “In high school, it’s a lot of free swinging. Here you have more of an approach.”

That approach allowed him to lead the Panthers in hitting as a freshman with a .335 average.

“He has been rock-solid for us since he played his first game,” Jordano said.

This year, Leonard stepped up to fill the void left both on the field and in the clubhouse by out-going Panther Chris Sedon. The Detroit Tigers drafted Sedon last summer in the 10th round of the MLB draft.

Jordano said that Leonard leads the team in the clubhouse just as Sedon did.

“Joe leads by example, as did Chris,” he said. “Both players are not very vocal, but both let their actions speak volumes.”

In addition to his high batting average earning him third in the lineup and ensuing publicity, Leonard excels defensively at third base, Jordano said.

“Defensively, Joe is arguably one of the best that has ever played in a Pitt uniform,” Jordano said. “His offense gives him recognition, but his defensive play makes him a complete player.”

The number of RBIs for Leonard reflects his teammates’ ability to get into scoring position for the slugger. Senior leadoff hitter Danny Lopez sits right behind Leonard in the batting average column, hitting .393 in Pitt’s six games this season.

As long as he and his teammates keep hitting, Pitt will keep winning, Leonard said.

“We’re going to be pretty good,” he said. “We can hit. We can score a lot of runs, and our pitching’s been holding up so far.”

But how high can Leonard’s batting average go?

“I definitely don’t have a set average to reach,” Leonard said. “But I think if I keep doing what I can, things will take care of themselves.”

And although nobody expects him to finish above .500, Jordano thinks Leonard has a great season in him.

“All I expect from Joe is to be Joe,” he said. “He is blessed with great talent, but he does not rest on his talent alone — he strives to be the best. Overall, I believe he is among the best players in D-I baseball.”