May 1, 2007

Notre Dame junior shortstop Brett Lilley has been named to the BIG EAST baseball weekly honor roll for the second time this season, after reaching base 12 times and factoring into nine different Irish runs during the 3-1 week of April 23-29, as the Irish posted a midweek win over Ball State and took 2-of-3 at league leader Rutgers. Lilley hit 4-for-9 during the week with three walks and five times hit-by-pitch, for a lofty .667 on-base percentage. He also extended his impressive errorless streak to 21-plus games, spanning 98 fielding chances (before a tough error in the series finale at RU), with his other stats for the weekend including four RBI, five runs, a double and a sacrifice fly.

Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) currently ranks 10th in the BIG EAST with a .375 season batting average while ownging a .515 on-base percentage that ranks second-best among BIG EAST players and 17th in the nation. He also ranks sixth among BIG EAST players in runs scored (46) and second in triples (3) while his 22 HBPs trail only Creighton’s Robbie Knight (24) among all D-I players (from nearly 300 teams).

The Irish capped their 8-2 homestand with the win over Ball State, as Lilley hit safely in his only official at-bat while being hit-by-pitch three times. He then hit 3-for-8 with five other times on base (3 BB, 2 HBP) in the Rutgers series (4 RBI, 4 R, 2B, SF). Lilley reached safely five times (2-for-2, 3 BB) and had a hand in seven of ND’s runs (4 RBI, 3 E, 2B, SF), as the Irish opened Rutgers series with 15-3 win. The 4 RBI marked just the third time in Lilley’s career that he has totaled more than 2 RBI in a game. He added a hit and HBP in game-2 of the RU series and then scored a key run in the 6-4 finale (HBP).

Lilley currently leads the BIG EAST with a .538 on-base pct. in league games, also owning a league-best 9 HBPs in BIG EAST play while ranking ninth in conference batting avg. (.390) and 10th in walks (11). He has made just two errors in the 17 BIG EAST games.

In addition to his ranks among the conference leaders, Lilley owns team-best totals in six different categories: batting avg. (.375), on-base pct. (.515), runs (46), hits (57), HBPs (22), triples (3) and games started (43). He also ranks second on the team in walks (23), third in slugging pct. (.46) and fourth in sac. bunts (4). Situationally, Lilley owns a team-best .493 leadoff on-base pct. and is hitting .381 vs. righthanded pitchers (best on the team), in addition to ranking second on the team in batting with runners in scoring position (.333), third in 2-out batting (.308) and fifth in batting vs. LHPs (.359). His +25 season plate-discipline ratio (22 BB + 23 HBP – 20 Ks) also is best among the 2007 Irish players.

Lilley’s impressive .515 on-base pct. would rank sixth in Notre Dame history and second-best since the early 1990s (behind Craig Cooper’s .522 in ’06). His 23 HBPs are the fourth-most in ND single-season history while his 73 career HBPs are good for sixth in the NCAA record book. Lilley also already ranks among the Irish career leaders in on-base pct. (2nd; .484), sac. bunts (7th; 28) and fielding assists (11th; 399, one out of the top-10) – in addition to being two shy of reaching the 200 career hits milestone. Eric Danapilis (.494; ’90-’93) is the only player in Notre Dame history with a higher career on-base mark.

Lilley previously was named to the BIG EAST honor roll in late March, after batting .571 (12-for-21, HR, 2 3B, 4 BB, .907 slugging, .604 on-base) in a five-game stretch that included midweek games with Cleveland State and Western Michigan and the first BIG EAST series of the season (vs. South Florida).