Feb. 11, 2007
The 2007 Notre Dame baseball team will have plenty of contributions from newcomers, as nearly half of the players on the roster (15 of 35) are new to the program this season. All but one of those newcomers are freshmen, with the lone exception being graduate student Matt Weglarz – a catcher/first baseman who graduated from Missouri State in 2006 with one year of eligibility remaining.
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Collegiate Baseball magazine’s annual list of the nation’s top recruiting classes ranked the current Notre Dame freshmen as the 30th-best incoming class, from among more than 300 teams on the Division-I level. Baseball America had a similar ranking for the Notre Dame freshmen, as BA released a top-25 list and then mentioned Notre Dame’s class as the “best of the rest” among Midwest schools. Neither of the above rankings took into account the addition of Weglarz, who literally walked into the office of head coach Dave Schrage last fall and announced his desire to continue playing college baseball while pursuing his MBA studies.
Although Schrage and his current staff did not recruit the current Notre Dame freshmen, it should be noted that Schrage signed one of the nation’s top classes during his final year at Evansville – as the Baseball America list of top classes ranks the current Aces newcomers as the 21st-best recruiting class in the nation. Schrage impressively brought two Midwest players to Evansville who are on Baseball America‘s list of college baseball’s top-50 freshmen for the 2007 season, as righthanded pitcher Wade Kapteyn (Lansing, Ill.) is 8th on that list while third baseman/RHP Jared Baehl (Poseyville, Ind.) is listed as the nation’s 41st-best freshman.
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Schrage and his Irish staff most recently signed an impressive first class at Notre Dame – players who will join the program in the fall of 2007 – and that class already is being forecasted among the nation’s top-15 (with the possibility to ultimately be ranked higher; see update on the 2006 fall signees later in the week).
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Notre Dame’s current freshman class will play a key role throughout the 2007 season, with four of those players – third baseman A.J. Pollock, corner outfielders Billy Boockford and Brayden Ashdown, and catcher Ryan Smith – likely to be in the starting lineup at some point during the first weekend of the season.
Brief bio. capsules of the 15 newcomers are included below (click on their names for links to their official preseason bios, which also are linked via the roster page at und.com).
#4 A.J. Pollock (3B; Hebron, CT) – probable starter at the hot corner whose strong all-around fall season included smacking a home run in the Blue-Gold Series (as part of his MVP performance; 5-for-9, 5 RBI in 3 GP); combines great hands, strong arm and classic infield instincts; clutch performer with a quick linedrive swing; possibly team’s fastest baserunner; named state player of the year, after batting .462 in his senior season at RHAM High School (4 HR, 27 RBI)
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#15 Matt Weglarz (C/1B; Kansas City, MO/grad. of Missouri State) – righthanded power hitter who provides veteran experience to the catcher position; .293 career hitter at Missouri State; 2nd team all-Missouri Valley Conference in 2005 (.333, team-best 49 RBI); Academic All-America candidate who graduated from Missouri State with 3.48 cumulative GPA, as a business major (posted 3.42 in his first semester as an MBA student at ND)
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Billy Boockford (OF; Glen Ellyn, IL) – probable starter in right field who combines strong arm with ability to his for average and power; good baserunner for his size (6-2, 195); three-sport standout who set season batting record at Glenbard West HS (.565, as a senior, with 41 RBI and 6 HR)
Brayden Ashdown (OF; Tucson, AZ) – athletic option in left field who rates among team’s top defensive outfielders; has a compact linedrive swing from the right side; named to baseball hall of fame at Catalina Foothills HS (hit .329 with .529 on-base pct. as a senior)
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Eric Maust (RHP; Alpharetta, GA) – two-sport standout who was backup punter on 2006 ND football team; will be in the mix for a starting role on 2007 Irish staff; savvy pitcher who effectively locates three pitches for strikes (mid-80s fastball), does good gob controling the running game and fields his position well; also was a centerfielder and quarterback at Blessed Trinity HS, where he set school single-season records for ERA (1.35), Ks (83) and wins (12) … also holds school record for hits in a season (56; his .496 batting is 2nd-best), plus football records for career passing yards (1,743) and season punting avg. (39.8)
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Ryan Smith (C; Waldorf, MD) – key newcomer who will combine with Weglarz as top options behind the plate; an outgoing leader and good communicator on the field, with a strong arm and improving offensive skills; homered in Blue-Gold Series; tabbed for All-America honors as a senior at Westlake HS, after batting .446 with 7 HR and 37 RBI
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Steven Mazur (RHP; Round Rock, TX) – strike-throwing middle reliever who had pair of solid outings in the fall Blue-Gold Series; has improved the repitition on his mid-80s fastball and slider; averaged 13.0 Ks/9 IP in his career at Stony Point HS, also setting team records as a senior for ERA (1.17), Ks (85) and wins (6)
Andrew Scheid (RHP; Highlands Ranch, CO) – highly-rated prep pitcher who could emerge as key middle reliever on 2007 staff; has 6-6, 200-pound frame with high arm slot on mid-80s fastball and hard breaking ball; played for Regis Jesuit HS and Cherry Creek Connie Mack (posted 3.16 ERA with 53 Ks in 48.2 IP during summer of ’06)
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David Mills (OF/LHP; Battle Creek, MI) – two-way player who provides speed on the bases and a quick lefthanded stroke, as a candidate for a corner outfield spot; also a lefthanded reliever with good deception on his low-80s fastball and tough breaking ball; an all-state performer as an outfielder and pitcher for Lakeview HS team that won 2006 state title, setting team single-season records for hits (51; on .408 batting), runs (51), strikeouts thrown (103) and ERA (0.49)
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Michael Wright (OF; Lockhart, TX) – exciting addition to the outfield who will combine with senior Danny Dressman to give the Irish two quality options in center field; lefthanded hitter noted for his bunting ability, clutch linedrive hits, plate discipline and havoc he creates on the bases; hit .500 with a .595 on-base pct., as a senior at Lockhart HS
Ryne Intlekofer (IF; Moorpark, CA) – hard-nosed middle infielder noted for his hustle and quick back; likely to see time at second base; hit .340 as a senior at Moorpark HS, where he also starred for the football team; has several family connections to Notre Dame, including two grandfathers who attended the university (one of whom played on the 1930 ND freshman baseball team)
Ryne Intlekofer
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Austin Pearce (OF; Lake Oswego, OR) – switch-hitting corner outfielder who can hit for power from both sides of the plate; former all-state quarterback who combines 6-2, 210-pound frame with strong work ethic; hit .494 as a senior at Jesuit HS while leading football team to state title
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Herman Petzold (IF; Saint Clair Shores, MI) – middle infielder who boasts good baseball instincts and solid baserunning ability; earned spot on team during 2006 fall walk-on tryouts; a .331 career batter at De LaSalle HS
Dylan Blake (IF; Coon Rapids, MN) – good-sized infielder (6-4, 200) who could play on the left side or even at first base; walk-on member of the team who made strong progress at the plate in fall season; hit .526 with 30 RBI as a senior at Coon Rapids HS
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Will Harford (IF; Chicago, IL) – walk-on utility player who could play on left side of infield or at catcher; a tough out who puts the ball in play; hit .390 as a senior at Notre Dame HS before postgraduate year at the Kent (CT) School (hit .477 as team MVP)
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