Tag: Niko Kavadas

Former Notre Dame star named Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year

Hardly a surprise if you watched him with Notre Dame…

If you have followed Notre Dame baseball over the past few years it will come as no surprise to you that [autotag]Niko Kavadas[/autotag] had a successful first run in the minor leagues after being selected in the 11th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2021.

Just how good of a year was it for the former Fighting Irish slugger?

Kavadas hit .280 with a .990 OPS in 120 games split between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A for the Red Sox this season.  He led the entire Red Sox minor league system in slugging percentage (.547), OPS, and RBI (tied) while ranking second-best in home runs and on-base percentage (.443)>

Put all of that together and it’s easy to understand why Kavadas was named the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year on Monday.

Kavadas hit .280 with a .416 on-base percentage while slugging 46 home runs at Notre Dame from 2018-2021.  Check out some of the photos from his memorable career at Notre Dame below.

One Notre Dame player named to MLB Pipeline‘s Top-200 Draft prospects

It’s not who you think it is

The Irish have done well traditionally sending players off the the MLB, especially for a Midwest baseball team. Just last year pitcher [autotag]Tanner Kohlhepp[/autotag] and first baseman [autotag]Niko Kavadas[/autotag] were selected inside the first 11 rounds of the MLB Draft.

This coming season should see the same, as the Irish once again have a highly ranked squad and are facing off against North Carolina for a berth in the ACC Championship series. The NCAA Tournament looms large and so does the draft. Recently MLB Pipeline ranked the Top-200 draft prospects and had just one Notre Dame player on the list, and it’s not who many thought it would be.

Before looking at this list, my initial thought was where would pitcher [autotag]John Michael Bertrand[/autotag] land and if there was going to be another one of his teammates on this list. Well, the opposite happened and after looking over the list, it was why wasn’t JMB listed while [autotag]Jack Brannigan[/autotag] was.

This is no slight to Brannigan, who is a great player in his own right, but the ace of the Irish staff being left of this list is a big time omission. A left-handed power pitcher with a proven track record is what many teams should be looking for.

Back to Brannigan, who checked in as the 163rd player ranked and “has the best college arm in the Midwest” according to the scouting report. The two-way star is also projected to end up on the mound at the next level, but does want to start his professional career as a positional player. It surely will be interesting how teams handle that request.

Eithe way, the Irish have two very good draft eligible prospects but don’t be surprised to see a few other Notre Dame players get drafted as well.

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Former Notre Dame players in the minor leagues in 2022

Who should you keep tabs on this summer?

With Major League Baseball held up by a lockout, fans of America’s pastime might have to look elsewhere to get their fix for now. College baseball is the most obvious one at the moment since that season already has started. If fans have a little more patience, they will be able to keep up with the minor leagues in a month. Although there are much fewer teams than before, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of players to keep track of.

If you’re wondering if any former Notre Dame players are in the minors, you’re in luck. When the season begins, there will be quite a few players who once wore blue and gold working continuing their journey to baseball’s top level. If MLB gets its act together before it loses its whole season, you might see a few of these names with their parent club later this summer. Here’s who to look out for both this year and beyond:

Quick primer ahead of Notre Dame baseball’s season opener Friday

It’s almost time to play ball for the Irish

The NCAA baseball season begins for the Irish this weekend and the expectations are sky high. After a run to the Super Regionals last year, Link Jarrett has establish the program as one of the best in the Midwest quickly. In his first full season, the Irish finished first in the ACC’s Atlantic division, racking up a 25-10 conference record, 34-13 overall. Obviously we all remember their run in the NCAA tournament, but the brilliance spanned the whole season. Gone is slugging first baseman Niko Kavadas, but the Irish are still viewed as one of the best teams in the country heading into the 2022 season. Here is a quick primer of what to expect from this seasons squad.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Watch: Notre Dame alumnus Niko Kavadas hits first professional homer

The former Notre Dame slugger has made his mark professionally.

Niko Kavadas was the straw that stirred the lineup of a Notre Dame team that just missed the College World Series. Now, he’s starting to show off his power on the professional level. Kavadas, who signed with the Boston Red Sox after they drafted him in the 11th round, hit his first home run at the next level in his fifth professional game. It came during the Florida Complex League Red Sox’s 11-5 win over the FCL Twins:

Kavadas was a First Team All-American for the Irish in 2021, and he also made First Team All-ACC. The two-time captain’s 22 home runs set a program record and ranked among the national leaders. He hit 0.47 home runs a game to become the national leader in that category and was fourth nationally with 1.36 RBIs a game. He also led the Irish with 64 RBIs, and his .767 slugging percentage ranks second on the program’s single-season list.

Here’s to the beginning of what hopefully will be a long professional career for Kavadas.

Red Sox select Notre Dame slugger Kavados

It took longer than expected but it was still quite the landing spot for this Irish star

It took longer than most had thought but Notre Dame All-American first baseman Niko Kavadas finally heard his name called Tuesday, in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB draft.

The Boston Red Sox selected Kavadas with the 316th overall pick.  If Kavadas isn’t pleased with where he was drafted he does have one more year of eligibility to return to Notre Dame.

Kavadas set a Notre Dame single season record with 22 home runs in 2021 and was a big reason why the Irish came within one win of reaching the College World Series.

Related:

Notre Dame star Trey Mancini takes second at MLB home run derby

Red Sox select Notre Dame slugger Kavados

It took longer than expected but it was still quite the landing spot for this Irish star

It took longer than most had thought but Notre Dame All-American first baseman Niko Kavadas finally heard his name called Tuesday, in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB draft.

The Boston Red Sox selected Kavadas with the 316th overall pick.  If Kavadas isn’t pleased with where he was drafted he does have one more year of eligibility to return to Notre Dame.

Kavadas set a Notre Dame single season record with 22 home runs in 2021 and was a big reason why the Irish came within one win of reaching the College World Series.

Related:

Notre Dame star Trey Mancini takes second at MLB home run derby

Mississippi State outlasts Notre Dame, eliminate Irish in NCAA tournament

Even with the loss, it was a great season for the Irish

After the top of the first inning, it looked like Notre Dame had the momentum after a dominating game two win. It just wasn’t meant to be for the Irish, as Mississippi State posted double digit runs en route to a berth in the College World Series.

Starter Will Mercer didn’t bring his A-game and it seemed like every time the Irish would answer MSU, the Bulldogs had an answer of their own.

After falling behind 7-1 after two innings, the Irish offense faced their largest deficit of the NCAA tournament and just couldn’t dig themselves out of it. You have to love the fact that they didn’t ever fold, Link Jarrett’s team played their hearts out to the end. It just wasn’t enough, as the Bulldogs used their 6-run second to cushion their way to the CWS. Tanner Allen hit two homers for MSU,

Jarrett tried to keep his team within striking distance, even bringing back game one starter John Michael Bertrand, who was magnificent in his three innings. The Irish tried to mount a comeback but it was all for naught.

The highlight of the game for the Irish was undoubtedly their best players efforts, Niko Kavadas. He absolutely crushed a ball off Landon Sims that left Dudy Noble Field.

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It has been a fantastic first full season under Link Jarrett, that shouldn’t be lost after getting eliminated tonight. This team won’t be the same next year, but if this is the kind of effort and results behind Jarrett squads, its going to be a very prosperous era of Notre Dame baseball.

Must see: Notre Dame’s Kavadas massive blast leaves Dudy Noble Field

WOW

It has been a tough series for Notre Dame first baseman Niko Kavadas. After hitting 5 homers during regional play, the single-season home-run leader in Irish history was held in check for the majority of the super regional series against Mississippi State.

Kavadas took out all of his frustrations on this pitch, as he blasted it out of Dudy Noble Stadium.

The homer brought the Irish two-runs closer to the Bulldogs as they try and keep their season alive in the elimination game of the Starkville super regional.

No. 3 Notre Dame baseball closes regular season with sweep of Virginia Tech

Nothing like a sweep to close the regular season!

The No.3 Notre Dame baseball team closed the 2021 regular season on a high note as the Irish swept Virginia Tech in three-straight in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Saturday’s dominating 7-1 Fighting Irish victory put a bow on a regular season that saw the team go 29-10 overall and a league-best 25-10 in ACC play.

Pitchers Joe Sheridan, Alex Rao and Will Mercer allowed just one run combined on Saturday.

Notre Dame’s bats were a bit slow to get started but trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning, Spencer Myers had a two-run double before a Niko Kavadas RBI single put the Irish up 3-1.

David LaManna and Kavadas would each homer in the ninth inning to extend the Notre Dame lead to the final 7-1 score.

The Irish now turn to the postseason as they’ll be the top overall seed in the 2021 ACC Tournament in Charlotte where they’ll begin pool play on Tuesday with Virginia and Virginia Tech both being in their pool