Notre Dame Pitcher Transfers to Canisius College

Canisius College baseball coach Mike McRae announced today that John Axford has transferred from the University of Notre Dame and will be eligible to play for the Golden Griffins, beginning in the 2005-06 season. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

A 6-foot-6, 190-pound, right-handed pitcher, Axford pitched three seasons for the Irish and posted a career record of 14-6 with 137 strikeouts and a 4.48 ERA in 144.2 innings. He was selected in the 42nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds and was a seventh-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the 2001 MLB draft before beginning his career at Notre Dame.
“We are excited about adding an arm with the experience and stature of John Axford to our pitching staff,” said McRae. “He should have an immediate impact on our starting rotation and our staff, both with his talent and leadership.”

Axford missed the entire 2004 season after undergoing “Tommy John” reconstructive elbow surgery and tossed just three innings in five appearances in 2005 before a shoulder injury forced him out of action.

As a freshman, Axford was a key member of the Irish's 2002 College World Series team and finished the campaign with a 5-2 record and a 3.95 ERA in 17 appearances, totaling 64 strikeouts in 70.2 innings and holding opponents to a .231 batting average. In the NCAA Tournament, he threw 4.2 innings in relief, allowing three hits and a run while striking out five, in a 12-5 loss at Florida State in the Super Regional. Axford pitched 1.1 innings and recorded a strikeout in the season-ending 5-3 loss to Stanford in the College World Series.
He started his sophomore season with a 9-0 record and a 2.21 ERA before finishing the campaign with a 9-3 mark, a 4.31 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 71 innings. The highlight of the season came when Axford set an Eck Stadium record for strikeouts by a Notre Dame pitcher as he fanned 12 Western Michigan batters in a 12-1 victory. He also pitched in the Cape Cod League during the summers of 2002 (Hyannis Mets) and 2003 (Cotuit Kettleers).

As a prep, Axford was ranked by Baseball America and The Toronto Star as Canada's top prospect for the 2001 MLB draft. In four years with Port Dover, Team Ontario and Team Canada, he threw 278 innings and struck out 432 while posting a 1.88 ERA and a 37-12 record.
Axford joins a class of 18 incoming players, including nine pitchers, for the Golden Griffins next season.

Print Friendly Version