Former DGN Star Jagielo Settling in at Notre Dame

Last year at this time, Eric Jagielo was tearing the cover off the ball as an all-state shortstop for coach Chad Issacson’s Downers North Trojans.

This year, everything is new for Jagielo—a new school, a new uniform, a new coaching staff and a new position. Yet despite experiencing an extreme makeover on the diamond, one thing hasn’t changed about Jagielo: His ability to make a difference with his bat.  

Jagielo, in his freshman season at Notre Dame, has become the Fighting Irish’s starting center field—he’s never played the outfield before—and is fast becoming one of their most productive hitters.

He leads the Irish in doubles, and is second on the team in both average (.300) and home runs (2). One of Jagielo’s two homers, a two-run shot, broke a scoreless tie in the ninth inning of a game against Kent State at the Caravelle Resort Classic in Conway, SC, last month. The Irish went on to win that contest, 2-0.

In Big East Conference play, Jagielo, a left-handed hitter, owns a team-leading .391 average.

Jagielo is hitting third in an Irish lineup that has a sophomore, second baseman Frank DeSico, leading off, and another freshman, Trey Mancini, batting cleanup. Mancini is Notre Dame’s leader in average (.326), homers (4) and RBIs (17).

Future looks bright for the Irish

Having three underclassmen hitting at the top of the order certainly bodes well for the Irish’s future.

“It’s definitely a fun experience,” said Jagielo after a recent practice in South Bend. “Just to be able to come in and contribute, not too many people have an opportunity to do this. It’s kind of cool (for him and Mancini) to be back-to-back hitters, and we’re going to be here for the next few years. I feel like it’s good for the program for everybody getting experience and being young.”

The whirlwind of change for Jagielo actually began last summer before he had even stepped foot on campus. Dave Schrage, the coach to whom Jagielo made his commitment to play at Notre Dame, was let go and replaced by former Boston College coach Mike Aoki.

Although he was surprised by the news, Jagielo had no intentions of going back on his commitment to Notre Dame.

“I chose the school and not the coaches,” he said. “I knew the baseball program had a chance to be a top program in the nation. But I chose the school and the tradition.”

In retrospect, all the coaching changes proved beneficial because Jagielo and his teammates were put on equal footing going into the fall season, since neither Aoki nor his staff knew any of the players.

“They (coaches) had a meeting at the beginning of the year,” Jagielo said. “They were going to look at all of us.”

Learning a new position

Jagielo played both first and third base last fall. He opened at first base when the spring season got under way, but was moved to left field and then to center. He’s going into only his third week at his new position.

Learning how to play center field has been particularly challenging for Jagielo because, as he notes, he’s basically the quarterback of the outfield.

“It’s definitely a learning experience,” he said. “I’m just starting to get real comfortable there. I’m working with the outfielder’s coach and learning everything there, but at first it was something that was definitely nerve-wracking.

“There’s just a lot more room to cover. The center fielder is the captain of the outfield. Your mind has to be in there for every pitch, and you’re checking in with the coaches. There’s more responsibility than with any other outfield position.”

Offensively, he’s learning the ropes at the college level, too.

“You learn new things with every at-bat and make mental notes so the next time you can do things better,” he said. “The biggest thing is just making adjustments.”

And if all of the above isn’t enough for a freshman, how about a full load of classes at Notre Dame—a school that doesn’t pay lip service to academics.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” said Jagielo, who is a business major. “You have to know how to manage your time and have your priorities straight. The academic advisors work really well with us to make sure we’re on top of things, not just to stay eligible. They strive for good academics.”

Jagielo hopes the Irish not only go deep into the NCAA tournament within the next couple of years, but advance to the College World Series. The Irish were 12-14 heading into the April 9-10 weekend. Thirteen of those games have been decided by one run.

“We have outstanding pitchers and our defense is very solid,” he said. “If we make timely hits, and keep pitching as we are, I think this team can make a run at it (the postseason).”

Jagielo, a first-team all-stater last spring with the Trojans, was selected in the 50^th round of the 2010 major league draft by the Chicago Cubs. He’ll be eligible for the draft again his junior year.

He doesn’t mince words when he says playing in the big leagues someday is a top priority.

“One of my No. 1 goals is to try to be out of (Notre Dame) after my junior year, get drafted again and try to go for a professional career and finish my schooling on the side,” he said.