Excellent defensive catcher with a strong, accurate arm … Has shown the ability to hit the ball to all fields with power … Tech’s No. 2 catcher in his first two seasons on the Flats, typically starting 1-2 games per week behind the plate … Had a breakout season as a backup in 2009 … Will be the starter in 2010 … Named a captain for the 2010 season. Member of the ACC Honor Roll in 2008 and 2009.
2009
Played in 25 games this season, making 20 starts behind the plate and one as the designated hitter … Hit .306 on the season with five home runs and 14 RBI … Had five multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games one the season … Went 2-for-3 with a walk in the final game of the series against Lipscomb (2/22) … Had a pinch-hit RBI single against Maryland (3/7) … Went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in Tech’s 10-7 win over Maryland (3/8) … Hit a solo home run to begin a five-run fourth inning against Virginia Tech (3/22) … Tallied a career-high three RBI with a home run in Tech’s 11-6 win at No. 1 Georgia … Went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against Wake Forest (4/19) … Had three hits in each game against Western Carolina (4/21-22), going 6-for-8 with three RBI and two runs scored in the two-game series … Went 1-for-2 with his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in a 10-3 win over Southern Miss. in the NCAA Atlanta Regional (5/31).
2008
Started 19 games behind the plate and played in 26 games total on the year … First career hit left the yard for a solo home run against Kennesaw State (3/5) in a 2-for-2 performance against the Owls … Third hit of his career was a two-run home run against Alabama State (3/26) … Walked and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning in Tech’s 3-2 victory at Boston College (3/30) … Singled and scored a run in the Jackets’ 4-1 win at North Carolina (4/6).
High School
Three-year starter for coach Dean Adams at Grandview High School … The only three-year captain in Grandview baseball history … Rated the No. 1 player in Colorado during his senior year … Named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American after earning all-state, all-Colorado and all-league honors in 2007 … Also tabbed all-league in 2006 … Member of the 2007 Top-50 Colorado Showcase Team … Holds the Grandview career records in average (.456), hits (82), doubles (19) runs (67), RBI (83), and home runs (13) … Set the Grandview single season records for average (.516) and runs (31) in 2007 after breaking the Grandview single-season mark with seven home runs in 2006 … Had a .774 slugging percentage and .614 on base percentage in 2007 … A four-year Principal’s Honor Roll student and four-year Academic Award Winner at Grandview … Named Colorado High School Honorable Mention Academic All-State in 2007 … Graduated with a 4.04 GPA and was the recipient of the 2007 Grandview High School Exception Student Award.
Personal
Full name is Cole Vance Leonida … Born December 25, 1988 … Son of Dennis and Sandra Leonida … Father was a member of Northern Colorado’s 1974 College World Series team … Uncle Chuck Kniffin played in the Phillies Organization and has served as the pitching coach for both the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks … Majoring in management at Georgia Tech.
Career Statistics
Year Avg GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD% 2008 .145 26-19 55 9 8 2 0 2 3 16 .291 7 3 16 1 .277 0 1 0-0 138 12 1 .993 2009 .306 25-21 72 16 22 3 0 5 14 40 .556 11 2 15 1 .407 1 1 0-1 171 17 2 .989 2010 .296 62-61 240 52 71 14 1 11 56 120 .500 24 7 56 2 .370 5 5 4-5 473 37 4 .992 TOTAL .275 113-101 367 77 101 19 1 18 73 176 .480 42 12 87 4 .363 6 7 4-6 782 66 7 .992
