Liberty pitcher John McLeod will play baseball for Wake Forest University next season.

“I’m really excited,” McLeod said. “Academically it’s more than what I was picturing and it’s obviously a great place to play baseball.”

McLeod, a left-hander who also plays first base, was a key part of the pitching staff for the Patriots as the team won 20 games and a KingCo 3A/2A title last season.

He made the KingCo all-league first team.

Wake Forest scouted McLeod at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. in August of 2009. The annual tournament features eight teams made up of 160 of the top junior and sophomores around the country.

For now though, McLeod’s focus is on leading Liberty into the upcoming baseball season as a favorite to repeat as KingCo champions.

“I’m ready to go,” he said. “It’s going to be a great season, we’ve got the whole pitching staff returning.”