Morehead State baseball fans, take a good look at junior pitcher Aaron Leasher this season. You may not get to see him suit up for a senior year. A 6-foot-3, 190-pound left-hander, Leasher is drawing the interest of Major League scouts. Slated to be the Eagles' series-opening ace, Leasher got his and MSU's season off to a solid start Friday in a 5-2 win over Jacksonville. He notched the win with seven innings of one-run, four-hit ball, striking out six and walking none. "We really think, and the scouts think as well, he's got a chance to be a significant draft pick this spring," MSU Coach Mike McGuire said. "He's got a tremendous upside. He's left-handed; that helps as well. Really proud of the development he's seen over the last three years. I think he's worked very hard on his own, he's worked well with Coach (Graham) Johnson. I think the two of them both need a lot of credit for the development he's made." A business management major, Leasher hails from Mt. Pleasant, Mich. There, his mother, Deborah Ross is a high school marketing teacher. His father, Gary Leasher, is a facility supervisor at Central Michigan University's student athletic center. Leasher's older brother, Ethan, is a basketball coach at Davenport University in Michigan. A sister, Devin, is a senior at Michigan State University. Growing up in Mt. Pleasant, Aaron focused his athletic endeavors on basketball. He played AAU basketball under Ethan and four years of high school ball. "I loved basketball growing up and that was definitely the first sport that I ended up putting most of my time into in high school," he said. "And then I had a really good junior year baseball-wise, and the summer following that I realized baseball was probably the path for me." That junior season, Leasher finished 8-1 with a 1.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Mt. Pleasant won a region title and was ranked No. 2 in Michigan's Division II. Leasher's teammates included another left-hander, Evan Hill, who went on to the University of Michigan and was a 24th round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers last year. Hill became a mentor of sorts, and Leasher would even "bounce ideas off him" when it came time to pick a college. As a senior, Leasher earned first team all-state honors and helped the Oilers to a state title. He went 10-3 with a 0.75 ERA, striking out 131 over 91 innings. Central Michigan University, about a five-minute drive from his home, was among the schools seeking Leasher's services. He says he liked the coach and the pitching coach, but he was looking for a change. "I lived in Mt. Pleasant my entire life. I just wanted to get out of there. I wanted to have a different college experience, meet new people," he said. "Obviously, I fell in love with the coaching staff and everything (at MSU), so that definitely was big for me, too. (Central Michigan) is in Michigan, so the weather is not baseball weather year around. I mean, Kentucky weather's a lot better." A former McGuire assistant, Jeff Stanek, was MSU's first contact with Leasher. Stanek liked what he saw. In addition to weather and a chance to practice outside more than is possible in Michigan, Leasher liked where the Morehead program was headed. His first year with the Eagles, MSU won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and advanced to NCAA regional play. McGuire says Leasher had a good arm, but was very raw. Used primarily in middle relief, Leasher worked in 17 games, including four starts. He wound up 2-3 with a 9.71 ERA. He struck out 38 in as many innings. The following summer, he played for the Bend (Ore.) Elks of the West Coast League. McGuire says Leasher matured and improved by bounds that summer, and it carried over into the fall. Leasher moved into the starting rotation as a sophomore. Over 15 games, including 13 starts, he compiled a 5-4 record with a 4.57 ERA and two complete-game shutouts. His strikeout total of 107 ranks third in program history. The maturing process continued over last summer and fall. Leasher has added a bit of velocity since his freshman year, increasing from the 85-88 mph range to 88-91. More than that, though, he has learned how to pitch. "I think in high school, just like most pitchers coming into college, they're throwers," Leasher said. "They just know how to throw, and usually they throw harder than everyone and that kind of works for them. So, coming in here, I definitely became a smarter pitcher and understood situations better. Actually know how to go at hitters and attack hitters. And not just one time through the lineup, but a couple times through the lineup." His repertoire has grown. "It's the command of the fastball," McGuire said. "But, also, he developed a good slider, and the slider was his go-to pitch last year. And I think you've seen this year that the changeup's become a very good pitch. He worked really hard this fall to make that a plus pitch." "So now he's a true three-pitch mix guy and can get outs with all three pitches, and can throw all three pitches in different counts. I think that's a credit to him. It didn't happen overnight but he's put the work in and we've seen the development." Scouts have taken notice. Several were in touch with Leasher during the fall season. "They just kind of have meetings with you and kind of want to get in contact with you to see what kind of person you are," Leasher said. "You can't really read into it too much. At the end of the day, you have to go out there and perform. That's the main thing, so that's been my focus from the fall on." Leasher says he has personal goals for this season, but those take a back seat to the big goal - simply for the team to win games. Do that, he says, and personal goals take care of themselves. "Definitely win the (OVC) regular championship, OVC Tournament championship and then get back to an NCAA regional like we did our freshman year," he said of those goals. "I think this team is definitely capable of that." If that's the case, Leasher will be worth your look. |
Story provided by: MSU Athletics