The Delta College Mustangs baseball team has dominated this season with a stellar 31-2 record.
While the pitching staff as a whole has carried this team, freshman left hander Cameron Leeper stands out.
In 79.1 innings pitched, Leeper has racked up 91 strikeouts and averages 10 strikeouts a game while posting a 1.59 ERA.
Leeper’s 11 wins ranks him No. 2 in the state, and his 91 strikeouts are ranked No. 1.
“When he’s out on the mound, he’s really, really competitive. He wants to strike every single guy out, that’s just how he is,” said catcher Colin Theroux.
Delta’s pitching coach Mat Keplinger also ad- mires Leeper’s competitive nature.
“He’s a great competitor, he wants the ball in the biggest situation. The bigger the stage, the bet- ter he gets,” said Keplinger.
In February, Leeper’s numbers consists of 36 strikeouts, 12 hits allowed and 3 earned runs in 27 innings, which lead to the California Community College Athletic Association naming him its Male Athlete of the Month.
Leeper’s catching and pitching coach not only ap- preciates the young hurler’s on-the-mound abilities but also his humorous, yet all-business personality off it.
“He’s a clown, there’s not a guy on this team that doesn’t like Cam, he jokes with everybody, he’s really good friends with everybody,” said Theroux.
Keplinger acknowledged the young pitcher’s work ethic.
“He’s an absolutely hard worker, anything you ask him to do, he’ll do it. He loves being on a baseball field, whether it be on the mound, (or) shagging during BP, he loves the game,” said Keplinger.
Leeper’s hard work has allowed him to grow from raw talent into a student of the game.
“He’s grown into a pitcher, he came in kind of more of a thrower, along with that his mental game has improved so much and that’s allowed him to pitch instead of throw,” said by Keplinger.
“When he came in, in the fall he was really all over the place mentally, when things weren’t go- ing right, he would just dive down and his perfor- mance would go down. He’s really done a good job on working on his mental game,” said by Theroux
Leeper has earned admiration from his peers but he sends it right back as he gives credit to his team and coaches for his success.
“The coaching staff has helped me out a lot. The team’s great, (I) couldn’t pitch without them, without them making the plays I wouldn’t be pitching as good as I am,” he said.
When speaking on his experience this year, Leeper appreciated the time he’s shared with his team instead of his stats.
“The team’s great, the season’s going great, the team helps us a lot on the field, because we’re so close with each other, it just brings us all together and play the game the right way,” he said.
