Jesuit’s Reinhart picks Notre Dame

Posted Sep 8, 2009 by Adam Adkins

Updated Sep 8, 2009 at 05:46 PM

Jesuit senior baseball player Chris Reinhart has verbally committed to Notre Dame, Tigers coach Richie Warren said Tuesday.

Warren said Reinhart, an infielder, had caught the eye of Notre Dame coaches during the summer and fall before his junior season, and that the Fighting Irish staff stayed with him since then.

Reinhart had an injury-plagued junior season. He entered the 2009 campaign as the Tigers’ No. 5 hitter and starting third baseman but tore his labrum in a preseason game. He opted against surgery in an effrot to help the team. While he struggled at the plate, hitting just .139 in 36 at-bats, Warren said Reinhart still made an impact.

“He obviously didn’t have a good year statistically speaking but he’s a leader in the clubhouse,” Warren said. “He decided against surgery, which would have ended his season, and decided to help the team as best he could. A lot of people buy into statistics, but he does a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score.”

Reinhart is the second Jesuit baseball player in as many seasons to commit to Notre Dame, joining 2009 grad Joe Hudson.

Reinhart is the fourth Jesuit senior to commit to a Division I program thus far, joining pitchers Daniel Gibson (Florida) and Willi Martin (Liberty) and infielder/outfielder Chris Pagliarulo (Boston College).