OF/1B, 6 ’1” 218 , B: R T: R
UC-Santa Clara
Hometown: Tucson, Az
 OF/1B Evan LeBlanc helped the UC Santa Clara Broncos to a 27-29 record this spring by having a solid ’07 campaign. LeBlanc, in 50 games, batted .302 with 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 17 RBI, and stole 8 bases. However UC Santa Clara isn’t the first program that LeBlanc has contributed overall success with. In 2006 LeBlanc played ball at Yavapai CC and lit up several offensive categories batting at an amazing .463 with 4 home runs. Yavapai finished the year 56-12 and finished as the runner up in the NJCAA national-title game, and there was no better way to cap off a great season as LeBlanc was named ACCAC Player of the Year.
How did you get into baseball?
“My Dad was always a huge baseball fan and of course he got me into it so I’ve been playing the game basically my whole life. My family and I are huge Detroit Tigers fans and we had a chance to go to a playoff game in Oakland last year, which was so much fun.”
Who are your favorite players?
“When I was younger it was Jackie Robinson, from all the old films he was so much fun to watch. Jim Edmonds is another favorite player of mine; I think he’s made some of the greatest plays in baseball.”
How has your game developed from high school to college?
“It was all just a big learning process. In high school the game goes much faster, but when I got to college the pitching was very competitive, and I had to learn to read breaking pitches. I also had to learn to be patient at the plate, develop my strengths, and work on hitting away fastballs.
Do you do anything special before a game?
“I listen to some of my favorite songs on my IPOD, but actually I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it’s a routine I’ve had for a long time.”
Why did you transfer to UC-Santa Clara?
“Well actually I originally signed with Arizona, however that didn’t work out to well and my best friend from high school was going to Santa Clara at the time. He continued to tell me how great of a program it was and actually they scouted me in high school before so I made the decision to go there.”
How is Santa Clara different from Yavapai CC?
“Well Yavapai was part of a all-wood bat conference. That was a difficult transition right out of high school. The pitching is different as well cause when you get to play division one baseball, everyone is great at that level.”
What is your fondest memory from your playing days?
“Actually I have two, at the age of 13 I played with USADF and we ended up winning the Baseball World Series, and we received big championship rings, which was special. The other memory was playing in the national championship game with Yavapai last year, even though we lost, there were so many fans to watch us so it was very thrilling.”
What is one word that describes yourself as a player?
“That’s a tough question, but I guess I would say confident.”
Where do you see yourself as a ball player in the next five years?
“Like every player, I want to be playing pro ball. As long as I stay healthy I think I may have a shot, but realistically it is so difficult to get to that level.”
If your stuck on a deserted island, what two items would you need?
“Food, I’m a huge eater, I got to always have some sort of food, and probably my IPOD cause I love music and its something I need every day.”
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