Written by Andy Caron ’28
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – When junior catcher Mark Quatrani stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded for what would be his final at-bat of a stellar weekend, Notre Dame was looking to finish off a dominant three-day stretch in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Irish had run-ruled Alabama A&M and UIC before meeting Tennessee Tech to end the weekend. Quatrani made sure the Irish would be leaving Cookeville with three run-rule victories. He blasted a grand slam to deep left field, extending the Notre Dame lead to 10 runs in the top of the eighth inning. “It was a great feeling,” Quatrani said. “It was really nice to get on the board for the team.”
Quatrani has been everything the Irish hoped for when they acquired him in the transfer portal this past June. The Philadelphia native spent his first two seasons in upstate New York at Cornell. Quatrani impressed in his first two seasons with the Big Red. He was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 along with receiving First Team All-Ivy honors in both his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Following his successful stint at Cornell, Quatrani described his decision to transfer to Notre Dame. “I was willing to give up the academic side of it to pursue a better baseball school, but Notre Dame reached out and it was the best of both worlds,” he said. “I felt like I could succeed here academically and baseball-wise.”
Before Quatrani suited up for the Irish, the junior stood out in the Cape Cod Baseball League this past summer. He posted a .831 OPS with 17 RBI across 21 games. The Cape Cod League is an elite-level summer league for college players and is highly regarded across the country.
When Quatrani finally put on the blue and gold, he wasted no time making an impact. Quatrani batted .556 with five runs scored in the Irish’s opening series win against FAU. When Notre Dame traveled to Jacksonville for the Live Like Lou Jax College Baseball Classic, Quatrani walked away with All-Tournament Team honors following an impressive weekend. The junior recorded four hits, including two solo home runs, in an extra-inning walk-off win against Indiana.
In what was already a spectacular start to the 2026 season for Quatrani, the righty outdid himself this past weekend at the Holiday Inn Classic. He batted .636 on seven hits, posted 10 RBI, and belted the aforementioned grand slam.
Following his grand slam, Quatrani was joined by his teammates outside the dugout. Quatrani spoke on what it means to be able to put on the Notre Dame uniform. “It’s definitely a big honor to be able to wear this uniform,” he said. “It’s definitely a special place here and a special culture. My grandmother was actually a big Notre Dame fan, so I think of her when I put it on.”
After an 11-1 home opener win against Eastern Michigan, Quatrani boasts a .514 season batting average alongside 19 hits, leading both respective statistics for the Irish. Quatrani will look to continue his hot style of play when the Irish (7-3) travel to Durham this weekend to open ACC play against Duke.