Estevan Moreno & Notre Dame Entering 2024 Campaign with Plenty of Motivation
Second baseman Estevan Moreno was thrown to the wolves in 2023 as he started 51 of 52 games played as a true freshman in year one of the Shawn Stiffler era.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder will be the first to tell you he had his ups and downs going through ACC play for the first time, but it also allowed him to focus on areas in need of improvement.
Moreno has spent much of his offseason working with assistant coach Logan Robbins at the plate following a year that saw him bat .209 with 37 hits, seven home runs and 24 RBIs.
“Just seeing the ball up and swinging at pitches I should be hitting and seeing the ball low and not swinging at those,” Moreno said of his offseason. “That’s been the main focus recently.”
In the field, Moreno is one of the best in the ACC as he posted a fielding percentage of .969 with 317 putouts a year ago.
Moreno points to his ability to move on from the last play, good or bad, and dial into the present for his success.
“I’d say the strength of my game is being able to forget what happened in the at-bat before or an error,” said Moreno. “I can put that in the past and be ready for the next ball.”
The Irish will have more depth in the infield this season, which will allow Stiffler to move Moreno to different positions. In addition to second base, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Moreno get work at the hot corner or even some shortstop.
“It excites me to be able to play a bunch of different positions,” Moreno stated. “Nothing really scares me about playing any position in the field. I’m ready for that.”
Notre Dame will open the season this weekend at Rice and Moreno believes the Irish are ready to trials of the season as it’s a close-knit group.
“We’re big on getting one percent better every day,” explained Moreno. “We’re big on wanting to come to the field and being ready. That’s a huge aspect. Everyone has each other's backs. We’re ready to go and get after it.”
The Irish added several graduate transfers to the program, which is always somewhat of an unknown when it comes to culture.
After fall ball and winter practice, Moreno has no concerns with chemistry as the new faces have embraced the work.
“The transfer guys have been great,” Moreno explained. “They’ve been able to be ready, come to the field and are ready to work. As soon as they got here, it went really smoothly. Having them come, having experience and knowing what the ACC is about, it’s great for them to be here.”
Moreno and his teammates are very aware not one Notre Dame player was picked to be an All-ACC selection in the various preseason lists. There’s some motivation there to prove people wrong, but it’s nothing new for this program.
“It’s a big chip on the shoulder and everyone kind of knows that,” said Moreno. “People don’t like us and people didn’t want to rate us high, which is fine. Once this season comes, I think they’ll know.”
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