#21 Brett Graffy Baseball Roster

Member of highly-regarded junior pitcher groupwho likely will serve as key long reliever and spotstarter in 2008 season … has rare commodity of effectivelycommanding four pitches, including a hard boringfastball and tight slider … an athletic pitcher witha projectable 6-1, 195-pound frame to go along withquick arm, clever pitching approach and aggressivepresence on the mound … has shown ability to throwhis pitches for strikes in any count … a crafty pitcherwho knows how to set up hitters … low-ball pitcherwho averaged 12.5 groundouts per 9.0 innings, plus a1.5 groundout/flyout ratio, during his first two seasonswith the Irish (90 GOs in 964.2 IP) … enters 2008season with a 4.87 career ERA, 5-2 record and 37strikeouts in 64.2 innings and 26 appearances (22 inrelief) … his other career stats include 27 walks, 65hits allowed and a .266 opp. batting avg. (also 2 HRsallowed, 5 wild pitches, 5 hit batters) … his careerstats out of the bullpen: 4.20, 4-1, 22 GP, 49.1 IP, 46 H in180 ABs, .256 opp. avg., 25 R/23 ER, 23 Ks, 17 BB, 4 WP,3 HB) … has allowed 6-of-11 inherited runners toscore in his Irish career while his first batters faced(as a reliever) have hit 5-for-21 (.238, 2 RBI, 2 R, HB, 2Ks) … joined his classmates Kyle Weiland, Sam Elamand David Phelps on staff of the Cape Cod League[apos]sFalmouth Commodores (0.89, 0-2, 2 SV, 17 GP, 20.2 IP,14 H, 12 BB, 24 Ks) … Falmouth went 22-22 beforetopping the Bourne Braves in the CCL playoffs (7-2, 5-3) and then losing the title series to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (2-8, 0-2) … pitched in that final gamevs. YD (loss, 2 IP, 2 R/1 ER, BB, K), after entering in the6th in relief of Eastern Kentucky[apos]s Christian Friedrich(who is coached at EKU by former ND closer JohnCorbin) … played in summer of [apos]06 with DupageCounty Dragons of Central Illinois Collegiate League(4.36, 1-3, 8 GP/5 GS, 33 IP, 32 Ks, 10 BB, 40 H/.301 opp.avg., 3 HB, 4 WP) … did not play in the 2007 fall Blue-Gold intrasquad series, due to illness … allowed onlyone earned run as winning pitcher in decisive game-3of [apos]06 BGS, striking out six in 5.0 IP as Gold[apos]s starter in8-3 game (2 UERs, 1 H, 3 BB) … joins four others on[apos]08 team in extending Notre Dame baseball[apos]s deep tiesto Chicago area … one of 146 Illinois natives whohave earned a monogram with Notre Dame baseball… assumed #21 jersey worn most recently by 1B/LHPJoe Thaman ([apos]04) … posted 3.17 GPA in [apos]05 fall semesterand a 3.53 in the fall of [apos]07 … could face several formerteammates in 2008 season: Western Michigan[apos]sEthan Holingsworth (Dragons), Danny Wells ofSouthern Illinois (Joliet Catholic) and Seton Hall aceKeith Cantwell (Commodores).

AS A SOPHOMORE: Proved to be one of staff[apos]stop long relievers, with 11 of his appearances comingout of the bullpen (his 15 total games pitched tied forthird on the staff) … compiled 5.68 ERA and 3-2record, plus 24 Ks, 17 walks and 42 hits allowed (.280opp. avg.; 2 HRs) in 38 IP (3 HB, 3 WP) … owned second-best opp. 2-out batting avg. (.156) on staff … consistentlow-ball pitcher who ranked third on team intotal groundouts (53), GO/flyout ratio (1.7) and GPs/9IP (12.6) … ranked fourth on staff for opp. batting byrighthanded hitters (.257) and leadoff on-base pct.(.350) … allowed 4-of-7 inherited runners to scorewhile ranking as one of staff[apos]s top relievers when facingthe first batter (his first batters faced, in relief, hitonly 1-for-11 with a pair of RBI and a run scored) …proved to be more effective pitching out of thebullpen (4.76 ERA, .267 opp. batting avg. in 11 reliefappearances) than as a starter (when he compiled a7.05 ERA with .297 opp. batting) … his other bullpenstats in [apos]07: 2-1, 22.2 IP, 23 H in 86 ABs, 14 R/12 ER, 10Ks, 11 BB, 2 WP, 2 HB) … his four starts also included:1-1, 15.1 IP, 19 H in 64 ABs, 12 ER, 14 Ks, 6 BB, WP, 2 HB… had long relief stint in opening-week game withTexas State (4.1 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 K; 0-6, in San Antonio) …lost start versus home team Coastal Carolina (3 IP, 3R, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 HB, 2 BK, 3 Ks; 0-4, in Myrtle Beach) andthen suffered loss in relief at Stetson (3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, K;4-5) … helped close spring break with 5-2 win overDayton, at Florida Gulf Coast (2.1 IP, 2 H, BB, K) … alsopitched in 17-9 win over Western Michigan (2 IP, H, 2BB, 2 Ks) … notched win as starter in planned rotationversus Oakland (3 IP, H, 3 Ks; 7-3) … pitcher ofrecord in 3-2 win over IPFW (UER, H, 3 BB, K) … addedanother win with 4.0 strong relief innings versusIllinois-Chicago (UER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks; 4-3).

AS A FRESHMAN: Emerged as contributing middlereliever en route to 3.71 ERA (sixth on staff) in 11GP (2-0) … ranked fifth-best on staff with .245 opp.batting (23 H) while showing good control (13 Ks, 6BB, 2 WP, 0 HB, 0 HR) … his .095 opp. batting by lefthandedhitters was best on staff, as was his 12.5GOs/9 IP (his 2.03 BB/9 IP was second-best) … had1.48 groundout/flyout ratio (fourth on staff, as was his.250 opp. batting with runners on) … his 9-inn. averagesincluded 7.8 hits (fifth-best on staff), for impressive’WHIP’ of 9.8 (BB+H/9 IP) … allowed 2-of-4inherited runners to score while his first batters facedhit 4-for-10 (HB, R, 2 Ks) … made debut on springbreak trip in San Antonio, with inning versus Iowa (16-2) … his first BIG EAST appearance came atGeorgetown (IP, 2 H; 12-2) … added 2.0 shutoutinnings vs. Valparaiso (2 H, BB, K; 12-0) and 5.1innings for his longest outing of season, picking up 6-4 win over Chicago State (R, 3 H, BB, K) … touched fortwo runs in 11-8 loss to Bowling Green that haltedteam[apos]s record-setting win streak at 23 games (6 H, 3Ks, WP) … his final four outings included 3.0 IP vs.Cleveland State (R, 3 BB, 2 Ks, WP; 12-1), a long stintin 7-6 loss at Seton Hall (5 IP, R, 2 H, HB, 2 Ks), ashutout frame in final regular-season game (12-1 roadwin over Villanova; K, HB) and two batters faced inNCAAs at Kentucky (H; 4-10).

PREP & PERSONAL: Lettered twice in baseballat Joliet Catholic Academy … posted 3.21 ERA assenior captain (303, 59 Ks), with win in regional playoffs… Baseball America rated him 96th amongnation[apos]s top prep prospects while Team OneBaseball[apos]s listed him as #2 overall prep prospect inIllinois … went undefeated in postseason play duringprep career, including regional-final wins in [apos]04 and [apos]05… compiled 3.28 ERA, 6-1 record and 44 Ks (53.1 IP, 49H) for [apos]04 state runner-up team (36-8), earning firstteam all-area … notched [apos]04 postseason wins inregional, super sectionals and state quarterfinals(saved semifinal) … named to [apos]04 state all-tournamentteam (2-0, 2 SV) … beat rival Providence in [apos]04regional final (5.2 IP) … added complete game insuper-sectional vs. Sandburg (R, 4 H, 7 Ks), closed 2-1quarterfinal win over top-ranked St. Rita (2.2 IP) andsaved semifinal vs. St. Charles East (2.2 IP) … threw 1-hit shutout of St. Rita in first varsity start … participatedin [apos]04 Perfect Game National Showcase (St.Petersburg, Fla.), Team One North Showcase at NotreDame (rated #3 prospect), [apos]04 World Wood BatTournament (Marietta, Ga.) and Perfect Game WorldWood Bat National Championship (Ft. Myers, Fla.) …played for [apos]04 Top Tier and Major League Beginningsclubs … invited to PG AFLAC Showcase in Baltimorebut unable to attend … led New Lenox Hawks to [apos]02CABA Quality national title … one of two recipients of2000 Illinois State Principals Award (recognizing leadership,academics and athletics) … selected for [apos]04National Youth Leadership Forum (Washington, D.C.)… hails from Joliet Academy system that producedformer ND football walk-on Rudy Ruettiger (whosestory inspired the movie ‘Rudy’), recent Irish footballlinebacker Mike Goolsby, former ND lefthanderMichalak, and former Irish catcher Chuck Lennon(now executive director of ND[apos]s Alumni Association)… born March 12, 1987, in Clearwater, Fla. … son ofPaul and Cindy Graffy … full name is Brett Paul Graffy… a history major, in the College of Arts and Letters.