The Irish take on Western Michigan on Wednesday afternoon.
AT NOTRE DAME: One-year monogram winner that enters sophomore season with a 11.57 career ERA and 0-0 record, plus seven strikeouts, three walks and 13 hits allowed (.371 opponent batting average) in five appearances (no starts) and 7.0 innings (one home run allowed) ... in BIG EAST games, owns a 0.00 career ERA and 0-0 record, plus one strikeout, no walks and one hit allowed (.111 opponent batting average) in two appearances (no starts) and 2.1 innings ... averaging 9.00 strikeouts and 3.86 walks per 9.0 innings pitched as well as a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his career ... pitched exclusively out of Irish bullpen as a freshman ... will likely serve as a middle innings reliever and possible mid-week starter ... extremely athletic for his size ... an all-state defensive end in football and got numerous scholarship offers in basketball as well ... adopted a change to his delivery during fall practice and pitches more from a 3/4 arm slot ... does not possess an over-powering fast ball, but projects to add velocity with work in the strength and conditioning area ... must be able to pitch low in the zone and to contact to be successful ... carried a 3.311 cumulative GPA into the `12 spring semester.
FRESHMAN SEASON:Made five appearances out of the Irish bullpen ... went 0-0 with a 11.57 earned run average in 7.0 innings of work ... allowed 13 hits as his opponents batted .371 ... struck out seven and walked three ... averaged 9.00 strikeouts and 3.86 walks per nine innings ... posted a 2.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Notre Dame posted a 1-4 record when Hissa pitched ... did not allow a run in four of five appearances ... inherited five base runners upon entering the game and did not allow one to score ... retired three of the five first batters he faced ... went 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances (all in relief) in BIG EAST action ... allowed one hit in 2.1 innings of work as his opponents batted .111 ... struck out one and walked none ... left-handed hitters batted .389 (7-for-18) ... right-handed hitters batted .353 (6-for-17) ... batters hit .280 (7-for-25) with runners on base ... batters hit .600 (6-for-10) with the bases empty ... batters hit .182 (2-for-11) with two outs (over 50 points lower than the Irish as a team) ... tossed a season-high 2.0 scoreless innings in rout of Purdue on Feb. 19 ... allowed one unearned run and struck out three in 1.2 innings of relief against Iowa on Mar. 18 ... tossed 1.0 scoreless innings of relief against St. John's on Apr. 21 ... worked 1.1 scoreless and hitless innings of relief against Louisville on May 19 ... roughed up for nine runs, all earned, on 10 hits in 1.0 inning of work against Michigan State on May 17.
PREP & PERSONAL: Lettered four years in baseball for head coach Steve Lahti ... versatile athlete earned letters in baseball, football and basketball ... as a junior, was named first team all-conference, Daily Telegram Player of the Year and Maple Northwestern Most Valuable Player ... pitched 58.0 innings and struck out 91 batters ... led team with a .405 batting average ... in basketball, was named first team all-conference, Daily Telegram All-Area Team and Maple Northwestern Most Valuable Player ... in football, was named first team all-state as a defensive lineman, first team all-conference as a tight end, first team all-conference as a defensive lineman, Maple Northwestern Outstanding Lineman, Daily Telegram All-Area Team and Duluth News Tribune All-Area Team ... as a sophomore, was named second team all-conference and Daily Telegram All-Area Team in basketball ... as a freshman, earned honorable mention all-conference and Daily Telegram All-Area Team in baseball ... born January 9, 1992 ... son of John and Gina Hissa ... has a sister, Nicole, and brother, Timothy ... full name is Donald Allen Hissa ... enrolled in Mendoza College of Business but major remains undecided.
