Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a new feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos throughout their career to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com.

LA JOLLA, Calif. – This Monday, UC San Diego baseball right handed-pitcher Cameron Leonard shares his collection. 

Leonard hails from Hemet, Calif. and is majoring in Psychology. He is a captain on the baseball team and serves as a representative of Triton Athletes' Council (TAC). After a strong start to the 2020 season, Leonard earned a spot on the CCAA All-Star Team. 

1. The Walk Off

In the final game of our regional playoff game I was lucky enough to get handed the ball. If we win we would be going back to Cary, North Carolina for the second time in a row. As a freshman, I was so excited to pitch in this crucial situation. Sadly, I ended up giving up the lead mid game. This game in particular is the most memorable game I’ve ever been a part of. Partly because of the lead I blew, but mostly because of the incredible effort the team took to rally behind me to come back from the deficit to walk off in the bottom of the 9th, sending us to the world series. The dog pile was truly a memorable one and definitely not the last of my Triton career. 

2. Rebuilding

Skip ahead one year to my sophomore year, where I am establishing myself as a reliable pitcher amongst a staff of really talented dudes! This year was the toughest for me, mentally and physically. I got injured in the fall and rehabbed my way back to health throughout most of the season. Once healthy again I had to, more than ever, make sure every outing was meaningful and my best effort as I was trying for a starting spot. As the season progressed and I regained my strength and confidence, the team was looking very good going into the conference tournament. 

3. 3x

Here we are back at Azusa Pacific holding a regional trophy for my second time and some of the other guys third time. Something really special about this photo is that the coaching staff, except our head coach, is entirely new to the team. This speaks volumes about the team chemistry we had and the way this team just out right competed. This victory sent us to the newly added ‘Super’ regionals, which we then won to send us to Cary, North Carolina for the third time in a row.

4. Friday Nights

This year was a major year for me personally. I worked hard in the off season and into the fall to get the Friday night starting spot. I was throwing better and better every start, but unfortunately we got cut short after only having three conference starts. I was constantly working on bettering my pitches in between starts and improving my endurance. I ended the short season with good stats but am guilty of asking myself what could have been? At the end of the day, this season just makes me even more excited for the next one!

5. Memorable Team

In this photo we are watching a Lucchetti bomb rocket DEEP over the right field fence. I chose this photo because I wanted to talk about the team. Coming into this year in a captains position, myself along with the others, wanted to build a strong team chemistry. In years past I have experienced teams that were so talented but lacked any connection with one another. From day one, to 5am wet log rolls, to our last game together, we had each other's backs through anything. As a pitcher that gives me all the confidence in the world to go out and compete to my best ability. I think the entire team felt the comradery which was the foundation for all the success we were having. Huge thank you to the seniors, and to all the guys returning… the best is yet to come. 

Stay tuned for future editions of “Fab Five” from other UC San Diego scholar-athletes. Below are previous “Fab Five” collections: 

• Zeinab Torabi (women's track and field)
• Isabel Lavrov (Softball)
   

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as amember of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I.  The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in DivisionsIII and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.