Notre Dame Baseball: Niko Kadavas won’t wait long in 2021 MLB Draft
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame Baseball team may have seen their season come to an end on Monday, but Niko Kadavas is just getting started.
Going into their Super Regional matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Notre Dame Baseball team had just put up a 50-spot in the South Bend Regional. The Most Outstanding Player in that regional, Niko Kadavas, put on a home run derby, blasting five home runs while helping the Irish to a 3-0 run.
Against Mississippi State, Kadavas continued to show why he is one of the better power hitters in the country, hitting one that maybe has not landed yet on Monday in Game 3. Overall, it was an incredible performance by Kadavas on a national stage, and a performance that should improve his draft stock quite a bit.
Kadavas has honed his craft this season, a season that will be his last in South Bend, breaking records, and crushing baseballs along the way.
Notre Dame Baseball with a historic run
Looking back at the 2021 season, Kadavas is a huge reason why the Irish were able to shock so many people and host a regional. Not expected to do much in a deep ACC, Notre Dame dominated during the regular season, and even though they lost in the ACC Tournament, they were still able to host in the first round.
Based on the fact they were a No. 10 seed, and Mississippi State was a No. 7, the Irish had to travel to Starkville to take on the Bulldogs. However, Notre Dame looked like the better team in both Games 1 and 2, falling flat in Game 3, and seeing their dreams of returning to Omaha for the first time since 2002 go up in smoke.
Still, it was an incredible season for Kadavas and his Irish teammates, as they got contributions up and down the lineup, and really turned some heads. One thing is for sure, Link Jarrett has this program moving in the right direction, and a return to the tournament is possible next season, but they will have to do so without the power of Kadavas.