Aaron Leitner
Men’s BaseballWould you rather score a three-pointer or have a three-point play you earn by being sent to the line?
I think I would rather score a three-point play with a foul and a free throw. You always feel strong when you can finish a shot and get fouled. Feeling strong doesn’t happen to me very often!
If you could give incoming student athletes one piece of advice, what would it be?
To learn how to balance your sport, academics and drinking and partying. You never want to lose one of these three things, and the best part about playing a Division III sport is the fact that you can do them all.
What has been your best experience with LU basketball?
My best experience on the basketball court has to be my freshman year when we were ranked No. 1 in the country and were undefeated going into the national tournament. However, the past two conference championships are a close second and third.
What are your plans for next year?
Hopefully I’ll continue playing basketball somewhere in the world. I don’t want to stop playing and enter the “real world,” so I will try to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.
If you could have a beer with any one person, who would it be?
I think I would have to choose Steve Kerr. He has been my idol since the fifth grade and he seems like a pretty cool dude. Plus, he has the purest jump shot in the history of the game of basketball.
Ryan Kroeger
Men’s Basketball
What was your most memorable moment this season?
My most memorable moment came when I was pitching at Carroll. I pitched the first seven innings of the game, and when I left, we were up by four runs. Going into the ninth, we were winning 10-6. Three runs scored right away to make the score 10-9 with the bases still loaded and no outs. We switched pitchers and Frank came in to pitch. He struck the first guy out, the second guy hit a dribbler to him and he flipped it home, and the last guy popped out to second. All Carroll would have had to do was hit a ground ball somewhere or hit a fly ball to the outfield to tie it, but Frank shut them down.
What are your goals for next season?
My goals are to continue improving on my skills that I have acquired this year. As a team, I would like to win more games than we did this year. Also, I want to win conference, which would allow us to make the conference tournament. As an individual, I want to be pitcher of the year. I also have a goal of first team all-conference pitcher again and to set the school ERA record.
What is your favorite pitch to throw?
My favorite pitch to throw is a changeup. However, it has to be set up with a good fastball the pitch before. It gets hitters off balance and takes the ball off the sweet spot on the bat. It is fun to throw because hitters are lunging forward and look awkward.
Who is your favorite professional baseball player?
My favorite professional baseball player is CC Sabathia. He is a pitcher and throws left-handed like me. I admire the passion he plays with and his desire to win. The fist pump he gives after recording big outs highlights his passion and desire. When he played for Milwaukee last year, he brought a spark to the team.
If there were one rule in baseball you could change, what would it be?
If I could change one rule in baseball, it would have to be that batters shouldn’t get an unlimited amount of foul balls once they get two strikes. There is nothing more frustrating to a pitcher than making extra pitches because the batter keeps fouling them off.
What are your plans for next year?
Hopefully I’ll continue playing basketball somewhere in the world. I don’t want to stop playing and enter the “real world,” so I will try to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.
If you could have a beer with any one person, who would it be?
I think I would have to choose Steve Kerr. He has been my idol since the fifth grade and he seems like a pretty cool dude. Plus, he has the purest jump shot in the history of the game of basketball.