Leiff Clarkson

Position:
IF
Ht./Wt.:
5-11 / 185
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Union, Ky.
High School:
Ryle HS

2016 King of the Hill Individual Champion
WKU Dean's List (Fall 2015, Spring 2017)

2017 (RS Senior): Concluding a career that featured 170 games played and 130 starts, Clarkson finished the 2017 season as the WKU active leader with 36 career multi-hit performances ... Two of his three two-hit games came in back-to-back starts at Middle Tennessee on March 24 and 25, going a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored and a pair driven in ... Earned the final start of his career on Senior Day and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in a 7-6 victory vs. Florida Atlantic on May 14 ... Made 16 total starts on the year, four at second base and a dozen at the hot corner.

2016 (RS Junior): Clarkson endured an up-and-down year in a season that saw him move into the outfield for the first time in his career. He made 22 of his 32 starts in left field, which were the final 22 contests of the season, after starting in his familiar role at shortstop to open the campaign. When Clarkson made his first-career start at Rice on April 15, he had a batting average of .163, which he saw finish at .218 after collecting a hit in 17 of his 22 starts in the outfield. His best weekend at the plate came at Nick Denes Field against UTSA at the end of April, where he racked up a hit in each contest and four total to go along with five runs and two doubles from the leadoff spot. In midweek action before the series against the Roadrunners, Clarkson collected a pair of hits against Belmont before tallying a season-high three at Evansville. He finished the season with 29 hits, 16 runs scored, four runs batted in and three doubles in 40 total games played.

2015 (RS Sophomore): Clarkson led all WKU hitters with a .327 batting average in 47 games as WKU’s primary second baseman ... He made 43 starts at second base and one start at shortstop and fielded the middle infield at a .947 clip ... Clarkson was WKU’s best hitter in non-conference (.339) and conference (.319) action, and pounded out nine of his 13 RBI and four of his six doubles from the nine-hole in C-USA games ... He ranked third on the team with 15 multiple-hit games and ranked second with three three-hit performances, all of which came against C-USA foes ... Clarkson was fifth on the team with 50 hits and was WKU’s second-best hitter in two-out hitting situations with a batting average of .353. Eight of his 13 RBI also came in two-out hitting scenarios ... His best outings of the season came in a doubleheader sweep at Louisiana Tech where he combined for five hits, three runs and an RBI in the come-from-behind series win.

2014 (RS Freshman): Clarkson was an invaluable piece to WKU’s left side of the infield in 2014, making 20 starts at third base and 18 starts at shortstop while batting .316 with 11 RBI from the nine-hole ... After being primarily used as a pinch runner early in the season, Clarkson responded when his number was called on March 12 at Georgia when starting shortstop Cody Wofford went down with an injury. He went 2-of-3 against the Bulldogs and started the remainder of WKU’s 38 games the rest of the way ... He was a bright spot for the Hilltoppers, ranking second on the team with a .370 batting average in conference play while stealing five bases and laying down five sacrifice bunts ... Clarkson had the best game of his young career against Texas State on March 23, going 4-of-4 at the plate with two RBI ... He was one of WKU’s best hitters in two-out situations, tallying 19 of his 42 hits in two-out situations with an average of .358 ... Clarkson scored 22 runs for the Hilltoppers and finished the year with nine doubles and 13 multiple-hit performances.

2013 (Freshman): Clarkson redshirted during his first season on the Hill.

At Ryle HS: Stole 17 bases with Ryle High School in 2011 and helped the Raiders to a 27-12 record in his senior year in 2012, which included a district championship...Lettered all four years with Ryle, including three years as a starter...Named team MVP, while also earning all-district and all-region honors...Played summer ball with the Ohio Force.