Every now and then, Rocky Mount High pitcher Jim Leggett dozes off and dreams of playing in a state championship series.

His mind flutters back and forth over what pitches he might throw in certain situations and the right-hander prepares himself to throw the game of his life.

Then Leggett wakes up and realizes his fate.

He has already pitched in the state championship and his Gryphons are the best team in the NCHSAA 3-A classification.

Leggett was always prepared during his senior season. His ability to earn victories when his team needed him the most boosted the Belmont Abbey signee to the Telegram's 2008 All-Area Pitcher of the Year award.

"If I have a big game coming up, I'm thinking about it for five days," Leggett said. "I just love competition, I guess."

Leggett took the mound last season as the Gryphons' best starter from the beginning of the season until the end. He finished with an 8-3 record, including a 1.53 ERA. He did not throw extremely hard, overcame a torn labrum in his right shoulder and finished as the Gryphons' alltime leader in career victories (28).

He allowed only one run in a complete-game 1-0 loss to Wilson Fike in the NEW 6 Conference No. 1 seed game. Leggett earned wins in the second round against Southern Lee and against Wilson Fike in the regional semifinals, shutting out the Golden Demons in a complete-game, 5-0 win.

His brightest moment came in game one of the North Carolina High School Athletics Association 3-A state title series at Five County Stadium. Leggett threw 109 pitches and allowed three earned runs over seven innings in Rocky Mount's 7-4 victory over East Rowan.

In his last four starts, Leggett pitched 26 of 27 innings the Gryphons played.

Leggett did not end up in heart-pounding game situations by accident. Rocky Mount coach Pat Smith said he and his staff often arranged the Gryphons' starting rotation so that Leggett would start in big games.

"He's a winner," Smith said. "We were going to pitch him in the biggest games and we did that from start to finish. He never beat himself."

Leggett did not over-analyze the game. Sure, he spent time mentally preparing himself, but he kept things simple enough on the mound. Grip the ball, throw the ball, get ahead in the count and make the opposition "different hitters" by mixing speeds.

"You have to make the hitter uncomfortable," said Leggett, who threw a fastball, curveball and a plus changeup. "If they are uncomfortable, they can't be the same hitter. I felt the same way this year as a hitter."

The labrum injury, of which he recently had surgery, cooled a few Division I teams from recruiting him, but Leggett's personality does not allow him wish for something different. He said he would rather go to Division II Belmont Abbey where he can be a part of a top-25 program.

"It's just more fun to me to win," Leggett said.

He no longer has to dream about such.

It's a reality.

Jessie H. Nunery can be reached at 407-9951 or jhnunery@coxnc.com