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Brett Graffy |
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Member of highly-regarded junior pitcher group
who likely will serve as key long reliever and spot
starter in 2008 season ... has rare commodity of effectively
commanding four pitches, including a hard boring
fastball and tight slider ... an athletic pitcher with
a projectable 6-1, 195-pound frame to go along with
quick arm, clever pitching approach and aggressive
presence on the mound ... has shown ability to throw
his pitches for strikes in any count ... a crafty pitcher
who knows how to set up hitters ... low-ball pitcher
who averaged 12.5 groundouts per 9.0 innings, plus a
1.5 groundout/flyout ratio, during his first two seasons
with the Irish (90 GOs in 964.2 IP) ... enters 2008
season with a 4.87 career ERA, 5-2 record and 37
strikeouts in 64.2 innings and 26 appearances (22 in
relief) ... his other career stats include 27 walks, 65
hits allowed and a .266 opp. batting avg. (also 2 HRs
allowed, 5 wild pitches, 5 hit batters) ... his career
stats out of the bullpen: 4.20, 4-1, 22 GP, 49.1 IP, 46 H in
180 ABs, .256 opp. avg., 25 R/23 ER, 23 Ks, 17 BB, 4 WP,
3 HB) ... has allowed 6-of-11 inherited runners to
score in his Irish career while his first batters faced
(as a reliever) have hit 5-for-21 (.238, 2 RBI, 2 R, HB, 2
Ks) ... joined his classmates Kyle Weiland, Sam Elam
and David Phelps on staff of the Cape Cod League's
Falmouth Commodores (0.89, 0-2, 2 SV, 17 GP, 20.2 IP,
14 H, 12 BB, 24 Ks) ... Falmouth went 22-22 before
topping 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 game
vs. YD (loss, 2 IP, 2 R/1 ER, BB, K), after entering in the
6th in relief of Eastern Kentucky's Christian Friedrich
(who is coached at EKU by former ND closer John
Corbin) ... played in summer of '06 with Dupage
County 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 only
one earned run as winning pitcher in decisive game-3
of '06 BGS, striking out six in 5.0 IP as Gold's starter in
8-3 game (2 UERs, 1 H, 3 BB) ... joins four others on
'08 team in extending Notre Dame baseball's deep ties
to Chicago area ... one of 146 Illinois natives who
have earned a monogram with Notre Dame baseball
... assumed #21 jersey worn most recently by 1B/LHP
Joe Thaman ('04) ... posted 3.17 GPA in '05 fall semester
and a 3.53 in the fall of '07 ... could face several former
teammates in 2008 season: Western Michigan's
Ethan Holingsworth (Dragons), Danny Wells of
Southern Illinois (Joliet Catholic) and Seton Hall ace
Keith Cantwell (Commodores).
AS A SOPHOMORE: Proved to be one of staff's
top long relievers, with 11 of his appearances coming
out of the bullpen (his 15 total games pitched tied for
third on the staff) ... compiled 5.68 ERA and 3-2
record, plus 24 Ks, 17 walks and 42 hits allowed (.280
opp. avg.; 2 HRs) in 38 IP (3 HB, 3 WP) ... owned second-
best opp. 2-out batting avg. (.156) on staff ... consistent
low-ball pitcher who ranked third on team in
total groundouts (53), GO/flyout ratio (1.7) and GPs/9
IP (12.6) ... ranked fourth on staff for opp. batting by
righthanded hitters (.257) and leadoff on-base pct.
(.350) ... allowed 4-of-7 inherited runners to score
while ranking as one of staff's top relievers when facing
the first batter (his first batters faced, in relief, hit
only 1-for-11 with a pair of RBI and a run scored) ...
proved to be more effective pitching out of the
bullpen (4.76 ERA, .267 opp. batting avg. in 11 relief
appearances) than as a starter (when he compiled a
7.05 ERA with .297 opp. batting) ... his other bullpen
stats in '07: 2-1, 22.2 IP, 23 H in 86 ABs, 14 R/12 ER, 10
Ks, 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 with
Texas State (4.1 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 K; 0-6, in San Antonio) ...
lost start versus home team Coastal Carolina (3 IP, 3
R, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 HB, 2 BK, 3 Ks; 0-4, in Myrtle Beach) and
then suffered loss in relief at Stetson (3 IP, 2 R, 4 H, K;
4-5) ... helped close spring break with 5-2 win over
Dayton, at Florida Gulf Coast (2.1 IP, 2 H, BB, K) ... also
pitched in 17-9 win over Western Michigan (2 IP, H, 2
BB, 2 Ks) ... notched win as starter in planned rotation
versus Oakland (3 IP, H, 3 Ks; 7-3) ... pitcher of
record in 3-2 win over IPFW (UER, H, 3 BB, K) ... added
another win with 4.0 strong relief innings versus
Illinois-Chicago (UER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks; 4-3).
AS A FRESHMAN: Emerged as contributing middle
reliever en route to 3.71 ERA (sixth on staff) in 11
GP (2-0) ... ranked fifth-best on staff with .245 opp.
batting (23 H) while showing good control (13 Ks, 6
BB, 2 WP, 0 HB, 0 HR) ... his .095 opp. batting by lefthanded
hitters was best on staff, as was his 12.5
GOs/9 IP (his 2.03 BB/9 IP was second-best) ... had
1.48 groundout/flyout ratio (fourth on staff, as was his
.250 opp. batting with runners on) ... his 9-inn. averages
included 7.8 hits (fifth-best on staff), for impressive
"WHIP" of 9.8 (BB+H/9 IP) ... allowed 2-of-4
inherited runners to score while his first batters faced
hit 4-for-10 (HB, R, 2 Ks) ... made debut on spring
break trip in San Antonio, with inning versus Iowa (16-
2) ... his first BIG EAST appearance came at
Georgetown (IP, 2 H; 12-2) ... added 2.0 shutout
innings vs. Valparaiso (2 H, BB, K; 12-0) and 5.1
innings for his longest outing of season, picking up 6-
4 win over Chicago State (R, 3 H, BB, K) ... touched for
two runs in 11-8 loss to Bowling Green that halted
team's record-setting win streak at 23 games (6 H, 3
Ks, WP) ... his final four outings included 3.0 IP vs.
Cleveland State (R, 3 BB, 2 Ks, WP; 12-1), a long stint
in 7-6 loss at Seton Hall (5 IP, R, 2 H, HB, 2 Ks), a
shutout frame in final regular-season game (12-1 road
win over Villanova; K, HB) and two batters faced in
NCAAs at Kentucky (H; 4-10).
PREP & PERSONAL: Lettered twice in baseball
at Joliet Catholic Academy ... posted 3.21 ERA as
senior captain (303, 59 Ks), with win in regional playoffs
... Baseball America rated him 96th among
nation's top prep prospects while Team One
Baseball's listed him as #2 overall prep prospect in
Illinois ... went undefeated in postseason play during
prep career, including regional-final wins in '04 and '05
... compiled 3.28 ERA, 6-1 record and 44 Ks (53.1 IP, 49
H) for '04 state runner-up team (36-8), earning first
team all-area ... notched '04 postseason wins in
regional, super sectionals and state quarterfinals
(saved semifinal) ... named to '04 state all-tournament
team (2-0, 2 SV) ... beat rival Providence in '04
regional final (5.2 IP) ... added complete game in
super-sectional vs. Sandburg (R, 4 H, 7 Ks), closed 2-1
quarterfinal win over top-ranked St. Rita (2.2 IP) and
saved semifinal vs. St. Charles East (2.2 IP) ... threw 1-
hit shutout of St. Rita in first varsity start ... participated
in '04 Perfect Game National Showcase (St.
Petersburg, Fla.), Team One North Showcase at Notre
Dame (rated #3 prospect), '04 World Wood Bat
Tournament (Marietta, Ga.) and Perfect Game World
Wood Bat National Championship (Ft. Myers, Fla.) ...
played for '04 Top Tier and Major League Beginnings
clubs ... invited to PG AFLAC Showcase in Baltimore
but unable to attend ... led New Lenox Hawks to '02
CABA Quality national title ... one of two recipients of
2000 Illinois State Principals Award (recognizing leadership,
academics and athletics) ... selected for '04
National Youth Leadership Forum (Washington, D.C.)
... hails from Joliet Academy system that produced
former ND football walk-on Rudy Ruettiger (whose
story inspired the movie "Rudy"), recent Irish football
linebacker Mike Goolsby, former ND lefthander
Michalak, and former Irish catcher Chuck Lennon
(now executive director of ND's Alumni Association)
... born March 12, 1987, in Clearwater, Fla. ... son of
Paul and Cindy Graffy ... full name is Brett Paul Graffy
... a history major, in the College of Arts and Letters.
|
Graffy's Career Stats |
| Year | G/GS/CG | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | WP | HB | BK | AVG | HR | W-L | SV | ERA |
| 2006 | 11/0/0 | 26.2 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .245 | 0 | 2-0 | 0 | 3.71 |
| 2006 | 15/4/0 | 38.0 | 42 | 26 | 24 | 17 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 2 | .280 | 2 | 3-2 | 0 | 5.68 |
| Career | 26/4/0 | 64.2 | 65 | 37 | 35 | 23 | 37 | 5 | 5 | 2 | .266 | 2 | 5-2 | 0 | 4.87 |
