Former two-way player who likely will focus on becoming one of current team's top late-game pitchers ... able to place his concentration on pitching due to the infusion of 12 new hitters on the 2008 Irish roster (plus the healthy return of injured position players Sean Gaston and Billy Boockford) ... turned in a series of solid outings during 2007 fall workouts while becoming rejuvenated and hopeful for a key bullpen role with the '08 staff ... pushed his fastball into the upper 80s during '07 fall ball while showing consistency with his slider and changeup ... has one year of eligibility remaining (following the '08 season), after not playing as a sophomore due to an injury that was suffered shortly before the 2006 season started ... underwent "Tommy John" reconstructive surgery on Feb. 22, 2006, and then went through rehabilitation phase ... a spunky presence who loves to play the game full-speed ... has made a name for himself as a clutch performer - offensively and on the mound - during his limited action with the Irish ... has developed good good mechanics, with great arm action and ability to keep the ball low with his fastball and changeup ... a talented all-around athlete with good arm strength ... uses a deceptive delivery, with effective mastery from a high 3/4 slot ... a strike thrower with significant arm speed and late break ... swings one of the quickest bats on the team, with ability to spray the ball around the field ... enters 2008 season with a 3.14 career ERA, a 5-1 record, two waves and 25 strikeouts in 28.2 innings (24 GP, 23 H/.233 opp. avg., 9 BB, 4 HB, 5 WP) ... a .269 career hitter with the Irish (57 GP/48 GS, 33 RBI, 20 R, 3 HR, 7 2B, 6 BB, 3 HBP, 28 Ks, 2 sac. bunts, SB) ... pitched for Texas Collegiate League's Weatherford Wranglers during the summer of '07 (4.30 ERA, 1-0, 5GP/3 GS, 23.0 IP, 27 H, 5 BB, 12 Ks) ... played during summer of '05 with the TCL's Euless LoneStars ... hit 10-for-23 (.435) in Blue- Gold Series intrasquad action, during the falls of 2004-06 (3 RBI, BB, SB, 2 Ks) ... pitched for Blue in game- 2 of the 2007 BGS (IP, H, 2 BB, K; 3-1 loss) ... ranked as top hitter for victorious Gold team in '06 BGS, batting 6-for-10 with two hits in each game (2 RBI, SB, 2 Ks, as DH) ... hit 2-for-4 in game-1 of '06 series, with clutch first-pitch, 2-out single into center field for 2-1 lead in the 6th (held up as gamewinning run in 7- inning game) ... tossed scoreless relief inning in '05 BGS but tagged with bad-luck loss (H, 2 UER, 2 BB; hit 2-for-9 in series with an RBI) ... picked up relief win for Gold in '04 fall intrasquad game (3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 4 Ks; hit 2-for-4 with a walk in that 10- 9 win) ... one of four Texans on the 2008 Irish roster ... the program's all-time monogram winners include 17 from Texas ... first Notre Dame player to wear number 23 since first team all-BIG EAST pitcher Danny Tamayo in 2001 ... posted 3.25 GPA during 2007 spring semester. AS A JUNIOR: Eased back into form while compiling a 2.38 ERA spanning nine relief appearances and 11.1 innings (3-0, save, 12 Ks, 3 BB, 7 H/.171, HB, 4 WP) ... pitched scoreless 6th inning to pick up relief win in early home game with Western Michigan (H;17-9) ... saved 3-2 win over IPFW (2 IP, R, H, BB, 2 Ks) ... closed out the top of the 10th (IP, K) to become pitcher of record in 1-0 win over Purdue (that thriller saw both starters take a no-hitter into the 7th) ... won the next week in 7-3 game with Ball State, after entering in midinning of the 5th (2.2 IP, 2 H, 4 Ks) ... helped Irish open series at league-leading Rutgers with 15-3 win (IP, H) ... also hit .206 (7-for-34) in 13 GP/9 GS (5 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, HBP, 9 Ks, SAC) ... singled in a run and scored another in 5-4 loss at Stetson (1-for-4, K) ... played key role as starting DH and cleanup batter two days later,with a 2-run single and pair of runs in 16-6 win over #7 Nebraska (1-for-3, BB, K; at Stetson) ... added 2-for-4 game vs. Duquesne, during spring-break trip in Clearwater, Fla. (RBI, R; started in LF/3-hole; 14-3). AS A SOPHOMORE: Missed all of the 2006 spring season, due to preseason elbow injury that required surgery. AS A FRESHMAN: Ranked as fifth-leading extra-base threat (.384 slugging pct.) on 2005 team, also ranking fourth in RBI (28) and fifth in home runs (3) - plus third in 2-out RBI (16), fourth in 2-out batting (.309) and fifth in batting with runners in scoring position (.317) ... owned .286 leadoff on-base pct. ... hit .274 vs. RHPs, .302 vs. LHPs ... compiled -14 plate-discipline ratio (3 BB+2 HBP- 19 K) ... other '05 stats included .283 batting avg. in 51 GP/39 GS (16 R, 7 2B, .303 OB, sac. bunt, SB and an error) ... emerged as key reliever, compil- ing 3.63 ERA in 17.1 IP (2-0, SV, 16 H/.258 opp. avg., 6 BB, 13 Ks) ... allowed only 2-of-9 inherited runners to score ... his starts included 20 in left (2 in RF) and 17 at DH ... hit mostly in 5-hole (18), plus starts in 6th (10) and 7th (9) spots (one each batting cleanup and 8th) ... hit .273 in BIG EAST regular season (15 RBI, 2 HR) ... batted .279 on road (5th on team; 15 RBI, 2 HR), .286 at home (13 RBI, HR) ... hit 2-for-11 at NCAA Gainesville Regional (3 GP/2 GS, R, 2B, K) ... helped beat Stetson in 7-4 NCAA elimination game (2- for-5, R, 2B) ... played lead role in late-season upset of #17 USC (3-for-5, 2-run HR, 2 R; 13-6) ... hit 4-for-10 to help sweep West Virginia in final week (2 RBI, R, BB) ... went 3-for-4 in first start, vs. Southwest Missouri (3 RBI, R, BB; 12-11), followed by 2-for-4 game at Evansville (2B; 3-10) and 2-for-5 vs. South Dakota State (RBI; 7-13) ... added 3-for-6 effort in game-2 vs. Georgetown (RBI, 2 R, 2B; 8-9) ... hit two-run blasts in 8th and 9th to fuel comeback in extra-inning loss at Rutgers (10- 11) ... went 3-for-4 in win over Bowling Green (RBI, 2 R, 2B, SAC; 14-2) ... worked out of jam to win 12- inning game over Purdue (0.2 IP, BB, K; 9-7) and saved win next day versus Valparaiso (1.2 IP, H, 3 BB, K; 9-8) ... helped beat Pittsburgh in BIG EAST winners-bracket game (IP, H, K; 4-2) ... logged nine straight appearances without being charged for a run (9.2 IP, H, 4 BB, 8 Ks). PREP & PERSONAL: Star player for Ft. Worth Country Day High School and summer-league Arlington Wizards - both coached by former big leaguer Cecil Espy (who played eight big-league seasons, with the Reds, Rangers, Pirates, Dodgers) ... played for Dallas Knights in summer of '04 (1.42 ERA, 42 Ks, 29.2 IP; hit .382) ... four times all-conference, all-area ... his senior season included 1.11 ERA (5-3, 81 Ks, 18 BB, 50 IP, 24 H, .174 opp. avg., save, 11 GP/8 GS) and .413 batting (3 HR, 3 3B, 8 2B, 19 RBI, 12 BB) ... his '03 summer included shutouts vs. Midwest Prospects (6 Ks, 5 IP) and Austin Advanced Baseball Academy (11 Ks, 0 H, 6.0 IP), at World Wood Bat Nationals in East Cobb, Ga. ... posted 2.25 ERA as a junior (6-2, 2 SV, .211 avg., 67 Ks, 13 BB, 32 H, 47.2 IP) while batting .338 (10 RBI, 4 3B, 5 2B) ... team MVP as freshman (conference champs) and senior (captain) ... hit .422 with '02 Wizards (14 RBI, 7 2B, 2 3B) ... played in three Perfect Game All-Star Games ... all-conference (league's top passer) in football as sophomore and junior ... named area's outstanding Hispanic youth leader of '03 ... a student ambassador executive ... visited campus on ND-USC football weekend (player hosts were Steve Sollmann, Javi Sanchez and Grant Johnson) ... his sister Lisa Langford played softball at Louisiana Tech ... born Aug. 17, 1985, in Dallas ... son of Anita Langford ... full name is Michael Anthony Langford ... a marketing major, in the Mendoza College of Business.