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Evan Sharpley |
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SENIOR SEASON (2009): Two-sport
talent who finally concentrated on baseball last
fall and success was evident ... tremendous
athlete with incredible raw power, packing
plenty of talent into his 6-2, 215-pound frame
... greatest power seems to be to the opposite
field ... enters the spring as the starting first
baseman ... first Irish player to ever throw
multiple touchdown passes and hit multiple
home runs in the same academic year ... hit at
a .280 clip during his first three seasons with
the Irish, totaling 46 RBI in 73 games played
(42 starts, 27 runs, .577 slugging pct., 13 HR,
13 2B, .362 on-base pct., 19 BB, 4 HBP, 60 Ks,
1-of-1 SBs) ... a .284 career hitter in BIG
EAST regular-season games (23-for-81, 29 GP,
21 RBI, 11 R, 6 HR, 5 2B, 9 BB).
JUNIOR SEASON (2008): Appeared in 51
games for the Irish and made 33 starts,
predominantly at first base (28), but also made
three starts at 3B and two at DH ... batted
.324 (44-for-136) with a team-high 13 home
runs and 40 RBI ... the 13 home runs ranked
tied for fourth in the BIG EAST ... the 13
bombs were the most by an Irish player since
Matt Edwards hit 14 in 2005 ... 10 of his 13
home runs went to center or left field ... one
of 20 players in Notre Dame history to hit 10
or more home runs in a single season ...
named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Mar.
24 ... added 22 runs scored, 11 doubles, 14
walks, one sacrifice fly and one stolen base ...
finished first on the team in home runs, third
in total bases, third in RBI, third in doubles,
fifth in games played and third in games played
as a sub ... situationally, he ranked fifth on the
team in batting versus right-handed pitchers
(.355), fifth in batting with two outs (.346) and
sixth in batting with runners in scoring
position (.311) ... ranked fifth on the team in
batting with runners on base (.315), fifth in
batting with the bases empty (.365) and
second in two-out RBI (20) ... finished eighth
on team in multi-hit (12) games and first in
multi-RBI (12) games ... had eight two-hit
games and four three-hit affairs ... had seven
games with two RBI, four games with three
RBI and one game with six RBI ... hit
primarily in the #4 (29) spot in the lineup ...
also batted one game in the seventh, eighth
and ninth spots ... hit .301 in BIG EAST
regular-season games (22-for-73, 11 R, 21
RBI, six HR, 5 2B, 9 BB, 1 HBP, 28 Ks, 1 SF)
... ranked fifth in slugging percentage in BIG
EAST games only (.616) and ninth in home
runs (6) ... ranked 124th in the NCAA in home runs ...
made his season
debut against
Liberty on Feb.
22, but went
hitless ...
registered a
critical pinchhit,
RBI double
against Iowa on
Feb. 23 ... went
3-for-3 with a
double, run
scored, three
RBI and gamewinning,
walkoff
solo home
run (first of his
career) against
Maine on Mar.
4 ... first walkoff
home run
for the Irish
since 2006 and
13th since 1996
... posted backto-
back two-hit
games against
Lehigh (Mar. 6)
and Texas A&M
Corpus Christi (Mar. 7) ... homered for the
second straight game against Lehigh ... added
an RBI double against TAMCC ... went 2-for-
3 with a run scored, double and two RBI
against Texas-Pan American on Mar. 16 ...
exploded for a career game versus Georgetown
on Mar. 20 ... went 3-for-6 with a double,
home run, two runs scored and career-high six
RBI (also an Irish season-high) ... the six RBI
were the second-most in Notre Dame singlegame
history ... added another three-hit game
against the Hoyas just two days later ... went
3-for-5 with two more home runs, two runs
scored and three RBI on Mar. 22 ... for the
weekend, he posted an absurd 1.455 slugging
percentage and .545 on-base percentage
(awarded BIG EAST POTW) ... 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 ...
homered for the third time in four games
when he went deep against Ball State on Mar.
25 ... struggled over the next six games (batted
just 1-for-16), but rebounded with a three-hit
game against Valparaiso on Apr. 8 ... went 3-for-4 with a run scored, double, home run and
two RBI ... went 2-for-3 with a walk and
double versus Villanova on Apr. 11 ... added
another multi-hit game against the Wildcats
on Apr. 13 (added a walk, double and two
RBI) ... put together his second of four hitting
streaks of at least four games from Apr. 18
through Apr. 22 ... batted .444 (4-for-9) with
a double, walk and four RBI in the weekend
series with West Virginia (Apr. 18-20) ...
belted a three-run home run (his ninth)
against Chicago State on Apr. 22 ... posted
another four-game hitting streak from Apr. 27
through May 3 ... drove in five over the
stretch and hit two home runs, including
another three-run home run against
Mississippi Valley State on Apr. 29 ... closed
the season with a five-game hitting streak (a
career-best) ... homered in three consecutive
games against Michigan (May 13), USF (May
15) and USF (May 16) ... batted .412 (7-for-
17) with three home runs, five RBI and six
runs scored in the streak ... went 2-for-3 with
a home run, two RBI and two runs scored
against Michigan on May 13 ... went 2-for-3
with a double and solo home run against USF
on May 16.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2007): Saw
limited time with the baseball squad while
also competing in spring football practice ...
his season totals included a double, two RBI,
a run scored, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and 12
strikeouts in 28 at-bats ... made seven starts
and came off the bench in eight other games
... committed an error in 58 fielding chances
at first base (.983) ... made four starts at first
base in first month of season, versus: Texas
State (0-6, in San Antonio), #12 TCU (BB; 4-
1, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Coastal Carolina (0-
4, in M.B.) and Iowa (1-8, at Stetson) ... made
three starts as DH, versus BIG EAST teams:
game-1 at Louisville (1-3), game-2 with
UConn (5-4) and the BIG EAST Tournament
opener versus Rutgers (3-13).
FRESHMAN SEASON (2006): Split time
with Irish football team while appearing in 15
games with the baseball team (with a pair of
starts) ... batted .357 (5-for-14, 4 RBI, 4 R, 4
BB, 4 2B, 2 HBP, 2 Ks) ... reached base 55
percent of the time ... made his debut at the
Metrodome in game versus Nebraska (first
base), also playing next day versus host team
Minnesota ... walked and scored while playing
first base in 16-2 win over Iowa (in San
Antonio) ... drew first start of season (DH) on
spring-break trip, reaching on an early HBP
before hitting RBI single for 8-4 lead on Iowa
(Hawkeyes rallied for 10-8 win) ... had RBI
double and walked in 12-1 win over
Cleveland State ... drew start in final regular
season game, reaching base four times to help
fuel 12-1 road win over Villanova (2-for-3,
RBI, 2 R, BB, HBP) ... gained postseason
experience as pinch hitter in BIG EAST
Tournament loss to St. John's (hit; 1-10) and
at Kentucky in NCAA Regional (BB, R, RBI;
4-10).
FOOTBALL (2008): Saw limited action as
Jimmy Clausen's backup ... appeared in three
games and completed 3-for-5 passes for 18
yards ... also rushed four times for three yards.
FOOTBALL (2007): Saw action in eight
games and started two ... completed 77-of-140
for 736 yards and five touchdowns ...
completed 55.0% of his passes ... recorded an
efficiency rating of 106.66 ... was 17-for-27 in
second career start at Notre Dame against
Navy (11/3) ... threw for 140 yards and two
touchdowns against the Midshipmen ...
provided a spark for the Irish upon entering
the game in the third quarter against Boston
College (10/13) ... led the Irish on a 79-yard
scoring drive in which he went 4-for-7 for 64
yards and a touchdown against the Eagles ...
came in during the second half for the Irish,
connecting on 16-of-26 passes against Purdue
(9/29) ... recorded a career high 208 yards
passing and two touchdown passes ...
connected with baseball teammate Golden Tate
for a 43-yard pass and 25-yard touchdown.
FOOTBALL (2006): Saw very limited
action as Brady Quinn's backup, appearing in
nine of 13 games with 21 minutes of play
(completed 1-of-2 passes) ... played in `06
games versus Penn State, Michigan, Stanford,
Navy, North Carolina, Air Force, Army and
LSU (in Sugar Bowl).
PREP & PERSONAL: Capped multiplesport
career at Marshall HS by receiving
Michigan male athlete of the year award (for
`04-'05) from Detroit
Athletic Club ... totaled 11
varsity letters (four in
baseball and football, three
in basketball) ... standout
shortstop who compiled
.459 career batting avg. at
Marshall while hitting 33
home runs (sixth-most in
Michigan high school
history) ... hit .488 with 10
HRs and 50 RBI while
earning first team all-state as
a senior (9 2B, 3 3B, 34 BB,
31 GP) ... also went 6-2 on
the mound in `05 (2.98
ERA, 53 Ks in 52 IP) ... first
team all-state in 2004 (.506,
school-record 15 HR, 45
RBI) ... two-time participant
in USA Baseball Showcase
(Joplin, Mo.) ... played on
AABC team that won 2004
championship ... member of
Concealed Security Dodgers
in summer of `04 ... hit .400
in Perfect Game Wooden
Bat World Championships
(East Cobb, Ga.) ... became
10th Michigan prep
quarterback to pass for more
than 5,000 career yards
(5,216; 11th in state history)and 50 TDs (61; 5th) ... selected to play in U.S.
Army All-American Game (dnp due to state
rules) ... first team all-state quarterback as a
senior (1,389 passing yards, 16 TDs) ... passed
for 1,942 as a junior (19 TDs), 1,840 as a
sophomore (26 TDs) ... served as shooting
guard on MHS basketball team ... one of 41
Michigan natives to monogram with Notre
Dame baseball ... joins sophomore OF/LHP
David Mills (Battle Creek/Lakeview HS),
sophomore infielder Herman Petzold (St. Clair
Shores/De LaSalle HS) and his brother Ryan
in giving the Irish four Michigan natives on
the `08 roster ... the program's other Michigan
natives have included All-America outfielders
Eric Danapilis (St. Joseph; `93) and Ryan
Topham (Portage; `05) ... recent Notre Dame
baseball players to wear #8 include home run
record holder (and football tight end) Frank
Jacobs and All-America infielder Brant Ust ...
his father Tom Sharpley played baseball at
Spring Arbor ... great uncle Jim Ninowski was
a quarterback at Michigan State and in the
NFL ... born Nov. 4, 1986, in Pontiac, Mich. ...
son of Nancy and Tom Sharpley ... full name is
Evan Thomas Sharpley ... a history major,
enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters ...
enters 2009 spring semester with 3.20
cumulative GPA that includes a 3.53 from the
2006 spring semester and a 3.56 from the `07
fall term.
Sharpley's Career Statistics
| Year | G-S | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | HP | SO | SF/SH | SB-SBA | OB | SLG | AVG |
| 2006 | 10/2 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0/0 | 0-0 | .550 | .429 | .357 |
| 2007 | 15/7 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0/0 | 0-0 | .100 | .071 | .036 |
| 2008 | 51/33 | 136 | 22 | 44 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 40 | 14 | 1 | 47 | 1/0 | 1-1 | .388 | .691 | .324 |
| Totals | 73/42 | 175 | 27 | 49 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 46 | 19 | 4 | 60 | 1/0 | 1-1 | .362 | .577 | .280 |
