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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Ryan Leonards
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Home Phone: -- Leonards named All-American Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • July 10, 2010 Ryan Leonards recently picked up one more honor for his baseball skills. The former Notre Dame multi-sport standout was named a second team MaxPreps Small Schools All-American earlier this week. Leonards was one of 60 small school All-Americans chosen by the MaxPreps staff. The players were selected from schools across the nation with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students. “I had no idea about that award,” said Leonards, who has signed to play baseball at UL. “That’s really, really amazing. I don’t really know what to say. I’m kind of speechless.” The honor capped a stellar prep career for Leonards, who was the Class 3A Player of the Year and The Daily Advertiser’s All-Acadiana Player of the Year as a senior. Leonards, a shortstop and pitcher, led Notre Dame to the Class 3A state title this season after hitting .517 with 13 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs and 45 RBIs. On the mound, he went 9-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 65.1 innings of work. “He’s so well-rounded,” UL coach Tony Robichaux said. “He’s a good kid with a high baseball IQ, a good student, a good person off the field and a very humble kid for having so many accolades. “That’s all going to help make him such a good player at the next level. We recruited him because of his ability to get better, not because he’s good now.” Winning apparently is natural for Leonards, who as a quarterback helped Notre Dame win the Class 3A state football title and post an undefeated season last fall. He finished 27-0 as a starting quarterback for the Pios. Leonards, though, is ready to give up football and solely focus on baseball. He is playing American Legion baseball this summer for the Crowley Millers, who compete in the sub-regional tournament this weekend at UL’s M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field. In addition to playing baseball for the Millers, Leonards is also working this summer at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station in Crowley. Robichaux is unsure exactly where Leonards will fit into UL’s plans for the 2011 season. With his versatility, the freshman could end up at a number of positions. Leonards has improved as a pitcher, Robichaux said, by doing a better job of keeping the ball down and changing speeds on his pitches. There’s a chance he could play in the field and pitch next season. According to Robichaux, Leonards is gifted enough to play shortstop, second base, third base and in the outfield as well as pitching. “He was a very good shortstop, hitter and fielder when we signed him, but he’s gotten so much better as a pitcher,” Robichaux said. “He has continued to develop and worked in a pitching system that is a lot like the one we use. He is versatile and can run, so he’s going to be able to steal bases. “He’s going to be fun to work with, and we’re fortunate to have him.” Extra bases
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