Casey a Catch For Irish Baseball

The Irish baseball team is already off to a great start to the season this year. The new Notre Dame coaching staff has already landed a number of top recruiting targets and might not be finished. Whitefish Bay,Wisc. native David Casey is just one of the many top prospects committed to play for the Irish next season, and he couldn’t be happier about that fact.

David Casey might not have witnessed the best football game in Notre Dame history when he traveled to South Bend for his official visit for the Michigan game earlier this year, but he certainly was bit by the Notre Dame bug on that visit.

“It was just something else being able to stand on the sidelines for the Notre Dame/Michigan game,” Casey said of his official visit. “It was an awesome feeling. There’s so much tradition at Notre Dame. It’s an amazing place.”

“Jeremy Barnes,” the senior high school star said when asked who hosted him on his visit. “I really liked him a lot. He was another influential factor in my decision. He seemed like a really cool guy, and I liked all the other guys that I met too.”

“One of the main reasons I picked Notre Dame was the coaching staff,” Casey added. “They were phenomenal. Every one was a real cool. I really had no doubts at all. I knew it right away that I wanted to go to Notre Dame.”

The new coaching staff is led by first-year Irish skipper Dave Schrage, and Schrage appears to at least have the magic touch on the recruiting trail.

“I just liked how he was laid back,” Casey said of Schrage. “He was really easy to talk to. We talked about a lot of things outside of baseball. He seemed like a guy I could talk to easily if there was a problem. I just really liked his personality.”

The 2006 all-state player is quite the prospect and catch for Schrage, and he had plenty of top suitors chasing him.

“I play high school baseball in the summer. Last year I hit .533 with 44 RBI, 5 home runs and a .911 slugging percentage,” the 6-foot-4, 210 pound prospect said. “Pitching-wise, I really don’t have those stats right now in front of me.”

“Notre Dame, Nebraska and Minnesota were the final three,” he added. “There were some others, but those were the top three I was choosing from.”

But it was everything that Notre Dame stands for and what it can do for a student-athlete that eventually allowed the Irish to land Casey.

“I think it’s just everything that Notre Dame offers,” he said when asked why he chose the Irish. “They have unbelievable tradition. They have unbelievable academics. Notre Dame’s reputation and how they can prepare me for life after baseball. Their baseball program is right up there with the top programs. I just thought the combination of all those was a great combination for me.”

The left-hander says he plans for a dual-role while at Notre Dame starting next season.

“I’ve always been a first baseman and a pitcher,” he said. “Throughout my career I’ve played some outfield. Being a lefty, I guess there wasn’t many other options for me, so I’ve played those positions.

“I think mainly they want me to be there are first base for them, but I also think I can contribute on the mound for them when they need me.

“I definitely want to pitch. It’s one of the reasons I picked Notre Dame. Right now I definitely think I’m a pretty developed hitter, but I think in the future I can develop well as a pitcher, so I want to keep that door open.”

While Casey’s main role on the Irish team isn’t solidified at this time, his commitment to Notre Dame is.

“I’m really excited. I was glad to get it over with,” Casey said. “It’s a load off my mind. I just can’t wait to get to Notre Dame and start playing. I’m looking forward to my season, but I’m also really excited about going to Notre Dame. Everyone is really happy for me.”