June 11, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior Evan Sharpley was selected on the third day of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Sharpley was selected in the 50th round, pick #1493 overall, by the Seattle Mariners. Irish signee Charlie Markson was also taken on day three of the draft. The outfielder from Whitefish Bay, Wisc. was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 44th round with pick #1320 overall.
“I’m thrilled for Evan,” said head coach Dave Schrage. “He has so much raw power, as much as any player I’ve ever coached. I’m still a little surprised nobody picked him earlier in the draft. He really has the potential to play professional baseball.”
“Obviously, it’s exciting to get drafted,” said Sharpley. “Sure, everyone would like to get picked earlier, but I’m still going to get a chance to play professional baseball which is something that very few really get to experience and I hope to take full advantage of the opportunity.”
Sharpley (Marshall, Mich.), the only athlete in Notre Dame history to throw multiple touchdown passes and multiple home runs in the same academic year, batted .223 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 2009. The first baseman had a breakthrough junior campaign in 2008. Sharpley hit .324 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBI. He became the 20th player in Irish history to eclipse 10 home runs in a season. Sharpley led the Irish in long balls and slugging percentage. In fact, his 13 homers and .691 slugging percentage rank 12th and 13th, respectively, in Notre Dame single-season history.
Sharpley was twice named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll in 2008, including earning league player of the week honors following an incredible weekend at Georgetown. He started the first and third games of the series (added a pinch hit appearance in the second game) and batted .545 (6-for-11) with three home runs and nine RBI. He registered a pair of three-hit games. In the opener, Sharpley went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, two runs scored and six RBI in the 25-1 rout. The six RBI remains the second most in Notre Dame single-game history. It was the most RBI for an Irish player since A.J. Pollock also drove in six on April 21, 2007 against West Virginia. Sharpley then closed the weekend and sealed the sweep with another 3-for-5 performance, including a pair of home runs and three RBI, as Notre Dame shutout the Hoyas, 6-0.
For the weekend, Sharpley posted an absurd 1.455 slugging percentage and .545 on-base percentage. He was the first Irish player to smack three or more home runs in a BIG EAST series since Craig Cooper had three in a series against Rutgers in 2006. The nine RBI for the weekend was also the most for a Notre Dame player since Cooper had nine that same weekend against the Scarlet Knights.
Sharpley might possess as much raw power, especially to the opposite field, of any player in the draft. The left-handed hitter smacked 18 career home runs and 14 went to either center or left field.
Sharpley was the fourth and final Notre Dame player to get drafted. He joined junior A.J. Pollock (Arizona Diamondbacks, 1st round), senior Sam Elam (New York Yankees, 8th round) and senior Jeremy Barnes (Philadelphia Phillies, 11th round).
Year Avg GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG% BB HBP SO OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD%2006 .364 7-2 11 4 4 1 0 0 4 5 .455 4 2 1 .588 0 0 0-0 14 0 0 1.0002007 .036 15-7 28 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 .071 1 1 12 .100 0 0 0-0 53 4 1 .9832008 .324 51-33 136 22 44 11 0 13 40 94 .691 14 1 47 .388 1 0 1-1 219 24 5 .9802009 .223 41-24 94 19 21 3 1 5 15 41 .436 21 3 40 .381 0 0 0-0 215 17 5 .979TOTAL .260 114-66 269 46 70 16 1 18 61 142 .528 40 7 100 .369 1 0 1-1 501 45 11 .980
— ND —