May 17, 2011
Senior shortstop Mick Doyle has been a regular in the Notre Dame lineup for the past three seasons and enters the final week of the regular season having started all 46 games for the Irish. The LaGrange, Ill., native is hitting .204 on the season with seven doubles, a home run and 13 RBI. He is second on the team in stolen bases with 10 swipes in 13 tries. Doyle is catching fire at the right time. He is batting .370 with a double, home run and five RBI in the month of May. The 6-1, 200-pound infielder has seen action at second base, third base and shortstop during his Notre Dame career. This season, he has made just three errors at shortstop, good for a .983 fielding percentage – the best of any everyday shortstop in the BIG EAST Conference. Doyle and his Irish have won five of their last six games (all in the BIG EAST) and take a 21-24-1 overall record into the final week of the season. They will close out the home schedule on Tuesday, May 17, hosting Michigan State in a 5:35 p.m. game at Frank Eck Stadium. Notre Dame then closes out the BIG EAST schedule with three games at Louisville this weekend. The Irish magic number to clinch a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament is two. Earlier, und.com’s Vicky Jacobsen talked with Doyle about his Notre Dame baseball career.
Did you have a favorite baseball team or player when you were growing up? My favorite team growing up was the Chicago Cubs.
When did you first start playing at shortstop and what originally drew you to the position? I first played shortstop when I was nine years old. I wouldn’t say I was drawn to the position. I was put there as a youngster and was pretty good at it and I’ve been playing there ever since.
What is your favorite park to play in? This summer I had a chance to work out at Fenway, which was amazing. My favorite college park to play at is Louisville.
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would you choose? I would trade places with Dave Matthews. He’s my favorite artist and I think it’d be cool to captivate thousands of people all at once.
Do you have any hidden talents? No; I have absolutely no hidden talents.
If you had to live on one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? I would live on the side-by-side Chipotle burrito with pinto beans, double chicken, mild salsa, sour cream, cheese, and corn.
What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is “Good Will Hunting”; it’s got a little bit of everything in it.
What do you think is the most difficult baseball play to execute correctly? The hardest play to execute is the suicide squeeze.
What is the most helpful advice a coach has ever given you? The most helpful advice I’ve gotten is, “Don’t think, just read and react.”
What lessons have you learned from baseball that you have been able to apply to the rest of your life? As a hitter, you are a hall of famer if you are successful 3/10 times, which means you fail 7/10 times. In baseball you have to constantly pick up yourself and you can NEVER give up.
What three adjectives would your teammates use to describe you? They would say I’m passionate, competitive, and a hard worker.
What accomplishment are you most proud of? I’m proud that my 11-year old little sister, Kathleen, wrote a paper about how she wants to be like me and play a sport at Notre Dame when she grows up.
What is the strangest thing that has happened during one of your games? The weirdest situation was at Coastal Carolina when a student walked his dog onto the field during our pregame and refused to leave the field until he was escorted away by the police.
Do you have a pre-game routine? No, I don’t have a pregame routine.
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Notre Dame? I chose Notre Dame because it offered the best combination of athletics and academics.
What was your favorite class from your time at Notre Dame? My favorite class has been Advanced Corporate Finance with Jeffrey Hart.
What is your favorite memory from your Notre Dame career? My favorite memory is my game-winning hit in San Antonio this year.
What is one thing you want to accomplish before the season ends? I want to play in the NCAA Regional.
What do you plan to do after graduation? After graduation I would like to continue to play baseball professionally, but if I do not get that opportunity I will work for William Blair, a middle market investment bank in Chicago.
What will you miss most about Notre Dame after graduation? The thing that I will miss the most after I graduate will be my teammates.