Signings: Cougars' SS signs with Irish

He's signed to a school that appreciates both.

Brezovsky signed his letter-of-intent Wednesday to attend the University of Notre Dame. None of the schools interested in him (Wake Forest, Duke, Florida) are academic slouches, but there was just something special about Notre Dame, Brezovsky said.

"I took visits to all of them and they all were awesome," he said. "But I went to Notre Dame and the tradition they have there is so much better than anywhere else in the country."

The Fighting Irish went 50-18 last season, won the Big East championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament. It was Notre Dame's 13th straight 40-plus win season.

Notre Dame's coaches told Brezovsky he'd have a chance to play based on his preseason performance.

Brezovsky said the program backs that up with its actions.

"They don't over-recruit like some programs do," he said. "When they lose a number of players, they replace that exact same number, so you have a decent shot to play."

Barron Collier coach Ted Parsons says Brezovsky was essential to the Cougars' 26-7 season and trip to the Class 4A Region 3 title game. He led the team in average, hits, runs, stolen bases, on base percentage and triples and was named the team's co-MVP. He also served as the Cougars' closer.

"We knew he was going to be good, but we didn't know he was going to be that good," Parsons says.

"His bat was surprising and we knew he could play defense. He doesn't have overall power, but he's an excep tional average hitter with great bat speed."

Brezovsky's success as a student in the classroom makes him a great student of the game, Parsons added.

"It clicks with him," he said. "The things we try to teach him and other coaches try to teach him, he's able to digest that information quickly."