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2015 Team Preview: Notre Dame Bulldogs

January 27, 2015

Shon Plack and Jeff Viles
Prep Baseball Report-Missouri

As we prepare for the upcoming 2015 high school season, we will be taking a preseason glimpse at programs from around the state.

Team: Notre Dame
Nickname: Bulldogs
Class: 4A
League: SEMO
Head Coach: Jeff Graviett
Twitter Handle:  @coachgraviett
2014 Overall Record: 24-4
2014 League Record: 5-1
2014 Post-Season Finish: Lost in quarterfinals to Westminster
MHSBCA Preseason Rank: 2

Number of Position Players Lost: 5
Number of Pitchers Lost: 2
Number of Returning Starters/Position Players: 5
Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 3

TOP RETURNERS (Commit)
Logan Callahan, 1B/DH, 2015 (College of the Ozarks)
Dean Crippen, 1B, 2015
Hunter Eftink, OF/LHP, 2015
Ross Essner, SS, 2016
Logan Heisserer, 2B, 2015 (Mineral Area CC)
Adam Pope, 3B/RHP, 2015
Graham Ruopp, RHP, 2015 (Mizzou)
Chase Urhahn, OF, 2015 (Mineral Area CC)

OUTLOOK
Notre Dame could have easily been the reigning state champions in Missouri Class 4 in 2014.  But, a bang-bang call at the plate in the seventh inning of the state quarterfinals against Westminster ended their season.  In 2015, the Bulldogs can be considered one the best teams in Missouri Class 4, and one of the top teams in the entire state.  Notre Dame will return a top arm in the state in Graham Ruopp, a 6-foot-2 190-pound Mizzou recruit.  Ruopp was 9-1 in 2014, striking-out 70 batters in 57 innings, finishing the season with a 0.92 ERA.  Senior outfielder and Mineral Area recruit, Chase Urhahn is pure hitter from the left side.  Urhahn batted .434 with 29 RBI and scored 31 runs as a junior.  The senior class will also feature two committed players in Logan Callahan (College of the Ozarks),  a 6-foot-3 230-pound 1B/DH and Logan Heisserer (Mineral Area) a 5-foot-9 155-pound 2B.  Seniors Dean Crippen and Hunter Eftink will see expanded roles for the Bulldogs in 2015, and will look for sophomore SS Ross Essner to play a key role in the teams success.  Notre Dame will be tested early as they host Missouri Class 5 state champion and #1 ranked Rock Bridge on March 21.  Both teams will have the chance to hoist the trophy at T.R. Hughes in early June, in their respective classes. 

CLICK HERE, to see the MHSBCA Rankings
CLICK HERE, to see the entire list of 2015 Missouri Team Previews

Coaches Preseason Questionnaire

We appreciate all of the help provided by high school coaches across the state assisting with our preseason coverage. If you have not already done so you can fill out our coaches' preseason questionnaire online by CLICKING HERE.

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