Skip To Main Content

University of Illinois Athletics

2021 Baseball Roster

8 Grant Leader
grantleader123" target="_blank" aria-label="Instagram"> grantleader123" target="_blank" aria-label="Twitter">

  • Position RHP
  • Class Freshman
  • Height 5-9
  • Weight 175
  • Hometown La Grange Park, Ill.
  • High School Lyons Township
  • Instagram grantleader123
  • Twitter grantleader123

Biography

Career Highs

  • Innings pitched: 3.2, Ohio State, Mar 06, 2021 
  • Strikeouts: 6, at Indiana, May 18, 2021 
  • Walks allowed: 4, at Elon, Mar 08, 2020
  • Batters faced: 15, Ohio State, Mar 06, 2021
  • Field chances: 2, at Indiana, Apr 10, 2021
  • Putouts: 1, 4 times - last Purdue, Apr 19, 2021 

Freshman - 2021

  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Pitched in seven games with one start
  • 0-1, 14.29 ERA, 11.1 IP, 8 BB, 14 SO
  • Recorded a career-high 6 SO at No. 25 Indiana 5/18/21
  • First career start vs. Michigan 5/2/21

Freshman - 2020 (COVID-19 Shortened)

  • Appeared in four games out of the bullpen

High School

  • No. 3 right-handed pitcher in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report
  • No. 94 right-handed pitcher in the nation by Prep Baseball Report
  • No. 10 recruit in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and No. 22 by Perfect Game
  • No. 266 recruit in the nation by Prep Baseball Report and No. 497 by Perfect Game
  • Three-year letterwinner 
  • Played for head coach Kevin Diete at Lyons Township
  • 2019 Perfect Game Central Region All High-School first team
  • 2017 Conference Pitcher of the Year 
  • 2017 Area Code Underclass Games 
  • 2017 USA Baseball 17U NTDP
  • Three-time all-conference 
  • 2019 Lyons Township Athlete of the Year
  • James Stevenson Memorial Award winner
  • 65 strikeouts in 42 innings as a senior
  • 8-3, 0.89 ERA, 90.1 IP, 144 SO between his sophomore and junior seasons
  • Played with fellow Illini Xavier Watson (Area Code 2017), Kellen Sarver (Reds Scout Team 2016), Aidan Maldonado and Caleb Larson (Reds Scout Team 2017), Andrew Pogue and Brody Harding (Reds Scout Team 2018), Danny Doligale (Top Tier 2016-2018)
  • National Honor Society
  • Volunteered at Feed My Starving Children and Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club
  • Committed to Illinois on his 16th birthday

Personal

  • Born Jan. 23, 2001
  • Son of Eric and Anne Marie Leader
  • Mother, Anne Marie, played tennis at Minnesota from 1986-90
  • Older sister, Greta
  • Plans to major in accounting or finance
  • Plans to work on the business side of a baseball performance company following his playing career
  • Chose Illinois over Northwestern, Michigan, Wake Forest, Duke, Houston, Saint Louis, and Iowa
  • Chose Illinois because, "Illinois was the best combination of athletics and academics, and the coaching staff is phenomenal. It felt like home when I stepped on campus."

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 8

    2020Freshman

    RHP
    5'9" 165 lbs
    8
  • 8

    2021Freshman

    RHP
    5'9" 175 lbs
    8