July 1, 2008
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame baseball player Brett Lilley, who helped the Irish to a pair of BIG EAST titles, has been awarded a 2007-08 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He graduated from the Mendoza College of Business in May of 2007 with an accounting degree and a final cumulative grade point average of 3.74. Lilley just completed his first year toward his master’s degree in accounting.
Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) was recently drafted in the 29th round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently playing for the Johnson City Cardinals (Rookie) of the Appalachian League. Lilley is hitting .293 with four RBI in 10 games.
In 2008, Lilley batted .297 with a team-best 62 runs scored, two home runs and 34 RBI. He has also added nine stolen bases. Lilley led the Irish with a .459 on-base percentage and 31 walks. He not only led the NCAA with 31 HBPs this season, but also owns the NCAA career mark of 109.
Lilley started all 231 games (every game in which he has played over his career) over the past four years. He started the final 111 consecutive games at shortstop. Lilley finished his career with a .336 batting average and is splashed all over the Irish career record book. He ranks fourth all-time in career on-base percentage (.479), tied for fourth in sacrifice bunts (30), tied for fifth in total sacrifices (38), seventh in games played (231), fourth in games started (231), fifth in at-bats (816), sixth in hits (274), fourth in runs scored (212), seventh in walks (122) and fifth in fielding assists (571).
Lilley, who was named ESPN The Magazine first team Academic All-American first team in 2007 and 2008, was the first Irish baseball player to ever earn first team distinction on multiple occasions. He is also the school’s 199th all-time Academic All-America selection.
A total of 58 (29 for men and 29 for women) one-time, nonrenewable grants of $7,500 each are available during each of three sports seasons (fall, winter, spring). The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.
The Association awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.
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