BEWARE OF 'DOG: ND'S EFTINK BARKS, BITES

After taking a look at Josh Eftink's offensive numbers, there's no question that the strapping shortstop is Notre Dame's best hitter.

But when Notre Dame coach Chris Neff went on a lengthy spiel explaining Eftink's value on the team, he didn't mention his 11 home runs. Or his 45 RBIs. Or any of Eftink's mind-boggling statistics.

Words such as "clutch", "savvy", "leader" and "intimidator" came to Neff's mind.

Because of Eftink's talent, work ethic and desire to win, he indirectly demands the respect of his teammates and his opponents.

His opponents often walk him. His teammates watch him. And his team follows him.

After a team meeting early in the season, Neff asked Eftink and catcher Scott Reinagel to become the team's verbal leaders.

"Your teammates already love you because of your abilities," said Neff to the pair of juniors. "Now get vocal."

Eftink has done more than that.

"Now Josh is almost overbearing on the team now that we're in the playoffs," said Neff. "He's a nice guy and a humorous fellow. But as we've moved into district play, he's gotten a little (fierce). He gets that fiery, fiery look in his eye. He's gotten onto a few of his teammates.

"He gets more upset than I do sometimes. He's showing that `Hey, I'm going to lead you fellas. I'm going to make sure things are done right.' He's amazing."

Many times, though, Eftink lets his bat do the talking -- even before games.

Last Thursday for instance, Clearwater's team arrived early at Notre Dame and asked to use the batting cage. The Bulldogs obliged, but only after Eftink finished his batting practice.

"He's got his shirt off out there and his eye-black on," Neff described. "And he's in there killing the ball, doing nothing but putting the ball against the back screen. It was almost as if he was setting the tone, saying `This is what you've got to look forward to.' It was so intimidating. He was telling Clearwater `Hey guys, you're not going to come here and beat us today. We're going to state.'"

And Eftink backed up his B.P. performance by crushing a knuckle ball over the rightcenter field fence for an opposite-field, two-run homer.

It was his third homer in the postseason. Since district play has begun, in fact, Eftink has been unconscious. In his five postseason games, the No. 3 hitter is batting .667 with seven RBIs and nine runs.

"I'm just getting more comfortable with hitting as the season goes along," Eftink said. "I'm sitting back a lot better and seeing the ball better. I'm not hitting lazy fly balls. I'm hitting the ball hard, even when I make outs. You focus a lot more (in bigger games). You don't want to screw up, but you don't want to be tense, either."

Eftink certainly hasn't looked tense. And he hasn't tried to do too much, either.

Eftink has taken his walks when teams decide to pitch around him. He has drawn a team-high 26 walks this season, including five in five games this postseason.

Said Neff: "You hate to make comparisons like this because the situations are so different, but Mark McGwire used to see one pitch a night, maybe two. Josh is almost in that same situation.

"Josh is surrounded by good hitters, but not hitters who are feared. John (O'Rourke) doesn't scare you. Scott (Reinagel) doesn't scare you. Wes (Steele) doesn't's scare you. They're just solid hitters who will do some good things at the plate.

"But Josh frightens you."

"(Being walked) doesn't bother me as much this year as it has before," Eftink said. "We've got good hitters up and down this lineup. We've had different guys come through in about every game so far.

"My goal at the beginning of the season was to make it to state. I knew we had the team to do it and I knew that we'll have the team to do it next year. But I didn't want to wait that long."

While Eftink is taking his game to another level in the postseason, Neff said the standout could take his game to another level upon graduation.

"When I think of Josh and when I talk to some of my coaching friends in the area, you just don't compare him to the area players," Neff said. "I always think on a higher level -- the Division I level or the can-he-get-drafted level. He's just on a different level than the other kids in the area. I've always thought of him that way.

"Even when he's had bad games this year and frustrated himself, if you were a scout and you came to the game not knowing who we were, you'd know that he was the best baseball player on the field. You'd just know. He just carries himself in that way."

Teeth marks

Josh Eftink

Games: 28#

At-bats: 80

Plate Appearances: 109

Runs: 37*

Hits: 39

Singles: 19

Doubles: 7

Triples: 2#

Home runs: 11*

Runs batted in: 45*

Batting average: .488*

Slugging Percentage: 1.038*

Walks: 26*

Strike outs: 8@

On-base percentage: .651*

Total bases: 83*

* team leader

# tied for team lead

@ least on team