22  Ben Leuthard Class: Senior Hometown: San Diego, Calif. High School: Mission Bay Height / Weight: 6-6 / 230 Position: RHP Birthdate: 09/15/1980 Experience: 3V B-T: R-R

Versatile athlete who will see duty as a relief pitcher this season after playing the past three years at San Diego State in the outfield, at first base, and as a designated hitter...Last pitched at San Diego State as a freshman in 1999 when he made a pair of relief appearances...Possesses one of the strongest throwing arms on the team...Played last summer for JP Longball in San Diego…During summer 2001, competed for the Torrington Twisters in the New England Collegiate Baseball League... Selected by the New York Mets in the 42nd round during the 1998 major league draft and was also drafted last June by the Houston Astros in the 48th round.

SDSU 2002: Redshirted for the Aztecs during the 2002 campaign after undergoing hernia surgery in December 2001.

SDSU 2001: Named the Aztecs’ Most Improved Player for the 2001 campaign...All of his playing time came in the outfield or as a DH...Named to the all-tournament team at the MWC Tournament when he went 6-for-16 with five RBIs, a double, triple and three runs scored...Hit the farthest home run at Tony Gwynn Stadium during the regular season when he blasted one over the left-center field fence against Texas Tech on Feb. 17...Went 2-for-2 with a home run and four runs batted in against Air Force in Colorado Springs on April 7...Had a 13-game hitting streak from Feb. 16-March 16...Had a solid series against Utah in Salt Lake City, banging out seven hits in 13 at-bats (.538 avg.)...Batted .421 in conference play.

SDSU 2000: Appeared in 34 games at first base, outfield and designated hitter...Had a stretch in mid-April when he hit safely in 12-of-14 games, batting .390...Best day at the plate was a 3-for-4 outing including a home run at UNLV on April 9...Played in 13 conference games, hitting .375 with an on-base percentage of .447.

SDSU 1999: Started 40 games as a freshman in 1999, primarily at first base...Batted .299 with seven doubles and five home runs...Hit home runs in three consecutive games (at Brigham Young April 15-16; at Wichita State April 21)...Also made two appearances as a relief pitcher...Co-Winner of SDSU’s Top Freshman award.

High School: Four-year baseball letterwinner at Mission Bay High School in San Diego...Played for the Buccaneers under coach Dennis Pugh...Named to the all-San Diego County second team and San Diego Union-Tribune all-academic squad as a senior...Chosen to the all-state team two years...Hit .427 with six home runs and 30 RBIs...First team all-CIF and all-Western League selection...Was the Western League co-Player of the Year that same season...His RBI total was one shy of the San Diego County season record.

Personal: Benjamin Gerald Leuthard was born Sept. 15, 1980, in San Diego...Son of Gary and Ellen Leuthard...Hobbies include music and video games...Lists his favorite athletes as pro baseball player Marvell Wynne, Carmelo Martinez and Dickie Thon...Kinesiology major with career plans to go into teaching and coaching.

Leuthard’s SDSU Career Statistics
Year     G-GS   AB   R   H  2B  3B  HR  RBI  BB  SO  SB-A   AVG
1999    46-40  154  24  47   7   1   5   22  14  28   2-3  .299
2000    34-23   84  10  21   3   0   2   13  10  19   2-2  .250
2001    41-37  139  19  46  12   1   3   26  10  29   2-2  .331
Totals 121-100 377  53 114  22   2  10   61  34  76   6-7  .302