SAN DIEGO – San Diego State left-handed pitcher/infielder Brian Leonhardt (San Diego, Calif./Eastlake HS) was named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-District Baseball Team for his combined performance in the classroom and on the diamond, as announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators, formerly known as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
With his selection, Leonhardt earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which is open for voting by CSC membership until May 24. First, second and third-team CSC Academic All-America honorees will be revealed on June 6.
The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada, recognizing the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his current institution.
A graduate student majoring in education counseling, Leonhardt has maintained a 3.67 cumulative grade point average, garnering Mountain West all-academic accolades following the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Now in his fifth season with the Aztec program, Leonhardt owns a career .270 batting average with 10 home runs, 28 doubles, 129 RBIs and 86 runs scored. The Eastlake High School alumnus has also made 45 pitching appearances with 14 starts in a Scarlet and Black uniform, posting a 2-4 record with a 5.91 ERA and 77 strikeouts.
Leonhardt enjoyed his best season at the plate in 2021 when he was part of a prolific Aztec offense that finished second in the nation with a .335 team batting average during the regular season and was slotted third with 9.1 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black ranked eighth in the country that year with a collective .413 on-base percentage and 13th with 420 runs scored overall.
During the 2021 campaign, Leonhardt registered career highs in batting average (.305), RBIs (47), hits (46), runs scored (29) and walks (20). In addition to his RBI total, which was tied for third in the Mountain West, he also set personal bests in slugging percentage (.404) and on-base percentage (.348) while sharing the top spot in the nation with nine sacrifice flies.
This season, Leonhardt has been primarily used as a pitcher, appearing in 13 games without a decision while recording a 3.86 ERA and 19 strikeouts. He pitched a career-high five innings at UC San Diego on April 10, notching a season-best seven strikeouts.
Leonhardt and the Aztecs open a four-game homestand in the final week of the regular season, playing host to UCSD tonight at 6 p.m. PT, before welcoming New Mexico to Tony Gwynn Stadium for a key Mountain West series, May 18-20. SDSU needs just one win vs. the Lobos to secure a spot in the 2023 MW Championships, set for May 25-28, in Fresno, California.