RILEY LEATHERMAN
Wayzata • baseball
Don’t be fooled by Leatherman’s slender build. At 6-2 and 175 pounds, he can uncork a 93-miles-per-hour fastball.
A pitcher, Leatherman is a big reason the Trojans are off to a 7-0 start and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association. The Trojans are looking to make amends for losing in the Section 6 championship game last year.
“Any time the game is on the line, he’s the one who gets the ball.,” Wayzata coach Bob DeWitt said. “Riley is an absolute competitor.”
Leatherman, committed to North Carolina for college, is 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA in his three starts. He has yielded only nine hits in 13⅔ innings while striking out 18 and walking six. Opponents are hitting .188 against him.
“I’ve felt pretty good so far this year,” Leatherman said. “I’ve been getting a lot of swing-and-misses.”
Leatherman leans on a fastball, a slider and a changeup.
“He can throw three pitches for strikes and can throw them in any count,” DeWitt said. “He’s aggressive, intelligent and knows what it takes to win. North Carolina is getting themselves a great pitcher, an outstanding young man and a future leader.”