Former Southern Indiana pitching ace Jennifer Leonhardt is transferring to Louisville, the school has announced.
Leonhardt, who led the Eagles to the 2018 Division II National Championship, joins the Cardinals as a graduate transfer. Thanks to the NCAA’s extended eligibility waiver for spring sport athletes, she has one season of eligibility remaining. A Louisville native, Leonhardt will compete during her senior season while beginning dental school.
One of Division II’s top hurlers during her career at USI, Leonhardt finished her Eagles career as the program’s all-time wins leader, recording 83 career victories. She also holds the USI program records for strikeouts and complete-game shutouts, and ranks in the top six in program history in an additional four statistical categories.
A second-team All-American in both 2017 and 2019, Leonhardt was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 Division II Softball Championship after going 12-1 with a 1.35 ERA during the postseason that year. When the 2020 season came to an abrupt end, Leonhardt owned a 1.63 ERA and a 7-3 record and had assembled 76 strikeouts in just under 69 innings of work.
In addition to her exploits in the circle, Leonhardt recorded more than 500 at-bats during her time at Southern Indiana, notching a .327 career batting average with 165 hits, 87 RBIs, and a .369 on-base percentage. Her batting average improved by more than three dozen points every year of her career, culminating in a .386 season’s mark when the 2020 campaign ended.
The Louisville softball program finished the abbreviated 2020 season with a 10-13 overall record. The Cardinals’ pitching staff collected a 3.48 team ERA with ninety strikeouts in 147 innings of work. As a unit, the staff allowed 35 extra base hits and an opponent’s batting average of .260.
