Craig Biggio's son will play baseball at Notre Dame

Conor Biggio lived a dream earlier this year with his father by winning a state championship.

On Wednesday, the eldest son of Astros legend and St. Thomas High School baseball coach Craig Biggio lived another dream. Conor signed with Notre Dame— his favorite childhood university.

The 17-year-old senior second baseman, who was a part of the Eagles’ TAPPS 5A state championship baseball squad last spring, signed a national letter of intent to play baseball for the Fighting Irish at a ceremony on the St. Thomas campus Wednesday.

“It’s almost too much to handle,” Conor said. “I’m still trying to grasp the fact that we won a state championship. This just blows me away.”

Conor was one of two St. Thomas baseball players to sign a letter of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period for several sports. Senior pitcher/shortstop Patrick Leonard signed with Georgia.

Dad’s ‘greatest move’

Conor said he grew up rooting for Notre Dame since Seton Hall — Craig’s alma mater — didn’t have a football team (Seton Hall discontinued football in 1982).

“To be able to go there is a dream come true,” Conor said.

Conor’s younger brother, Cavan, is a sophomore and was also part of the Eagles’ 24-13 state championship team last year. Cavan also plays receiver on the football team, which made the TAPPS 5A playoffs and will host Addison Trinity Christian in the TAPPS 5A bi-district round at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Craig Biggio said it has been special to be a part of his sons’ lives in the last two years, since he spent so much time away from them while playing with the Astros.

“As a dad that’s been an absentee dad for most of (Conor’s) life until the last four years, it’s been great (to be a part of this),” Biggio said. “You can’t ever go back in time, even though we all wish we could, but I wanted to take advantage of these four years before they were gone.

“For me, it’s the greatest move I’ve ever made.”

Leonard spent his recent years in Florida before his family relocated to the Houston area this year, and he enrolled at St. Thomas.

The 6-3, 200-pound righthander hit .452 at the plate and went 6-1 with a 0.64 ERA on the mound last season. He was the San Augustine Record’s St. John’s County Player of the Year last year and was a preseason first-team underclassmen All-America selection by Perfect Game USA in the spring. He could be a selection in the 2011 MLB first-year player draft.

Bulldog mentality

Leonard said Georgia made him a verbal scholarship offer when he was a sophomore.

“I came back from my unofficial visit last fall, and I just fell in love with it,” Leonard said. “The SEC has some big bats, and it’ll be tough. But I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

sam.khan@chron.com

Houston-area signees

Girls Basketball

Name High school College

Ashley Bettis Channelview SF. Austin

Fallon Ellis Westbury Chr. Iowa State

Karyssa Hayter Cy Ridge St. Mary’s

Rachel Mitchell Atascocita Texas A&M

Jenny Nash Cy Woods Nichols St.

Amber Orrange Westbury Chr. Stanford

Chrishauna Parker Atascocita UTEP

Jazzmin Parker Mayde Creek TCU

Cassie Peoples Cy-Fair Texas

Taylor Schippers Con. Lutheran Okla. State

Megan Shafer College Park Rice

Tara Warren Cy-Fair San Diego

Boys Basketball

Dante Bachus Sam Houston Texas State

D’Angelo Harrison Dulles St. Johns

Dustin Hobaugh Clear Creek HBU

Nevin Johnson Spring Creighton

Sheldon McClellan Bellaire Texas

Anthony Odunsi Travis Iowa State

Terran Petteway Ball Texas Tech

Hasani Sumbry Westbury Chr. Incarnate Word

DJ Southworth Humble Incarnate Word

Softball

Cassandra Barefield Cy-Fair NW State

Jessice Bowden Pearland McNeese State

Victoria Brown Clear Lake Arkansas

Sara Clements Pearland East Texas Bapt.

Brittany Clopton Montgomery Texas A&M

Ke Shae Evans Clear Creek Prairie View

Caitlyn Gunn Clear Lake McNeese St.

Delaney Guy Klein Oak Baylor

Jennifer Hooker Katy Taylor UH

Sarah Kitterman Stratford Providence

Lauren Langner Pearland McNeese St.

Rachel Moore Cinco Ranch Nicholls St.

Gabby Smith Bellaire Texas

Victoria Granchelli Bellaire HBU

Michaela Granchelli Bellaire HBU

Kristen Rumley Cinco Ranch Dartmouth

Cassen Salamone Klein Oak Kansas

Kaitlyn Thumann Cinco Ranch Baylor

Audrew Winders Kingwood East Texas Bapt.

Baseball

Conor Biggio St. Thomas Notre Dame

Carter Burgess Memorial Rice

Phillip Casey Clements Miss. State

Christian Cokinos Memorial Galv. College

Mike Davis Westbury Chr. Texarkana CC

Ashford Owens Fulmer Cy Ranch UH

Aaron Garza Ball UH

Zach Gibson Clear Creek UH

Cody Glenn Westbury Chr. LSU

Brock Harston Pearland UTSA

Kameron Klatt Elkins Paris JC

Cole Lankford Lamar Texas A&M

Zechariah Lemond Waltrip Rice

Patrick Leonard St. Thomas Georgia

Chris Lopez Westbury Chr. Texarkana CC

Daniel Mendgen Westside Texas A&M

Mitchell Nau Klein Texas A&M

Austin Orewiler Ball Rice

Corey Ray Klein Texas A&M

Michael Resnick Westside TCU

Harris Rome Memorial TCU

Evan Rutter Klein Rice

Keegan Sanford Westbury Chr. UH

Kendall Stacks Seven Lakes UH

Wayne Taylor Memorial Stanford

Dillon Thomas Westbury Chr. Texas A&M

Connor VanDaveer Westside LSU-Eunice

Ryan Vruggnick Clear Brook UH

John Williamson Lamar Rice

Volleyball

Carla Armstrong Cy Woods SMU

Daniela Arenas Cy Woods Rice

Keelie Arneson Klein Oak NW State

Nicole Bardaji Seven Lakes Baylor

Katie Bertling Atascocita Midwestern St.

Shaundrea Boulden Klein Forest McNeese St.

Bridget Benditz Klein Oak La. Tech

Stacey Difrancesco The Woodlands NW State

Amy Devault Jersey Village UT-Arlington

Courtney Felinski Magnolia Georgia Tech

Kameryn Hayes Cy-Fair West Texas A&M

Jill Ivy Seven Lakes SF. Austin

Paige Johnson Magnolia SF. Austin

Liz Karnes Memorial Tulane

Hallie McDonald Klein Oak North Texas

Katie Messing The Woodlands Pepperdine

Savannah Myklebust FB Austin SMU

Caitlyn Odom Magnolia East Texas Bapt.

Malorie Pardo Pearland LSU

Katzy Randall Magnolia SF. Austin

Chelsea Rekeita Klein Collins UT-Arlington

Whitney Smith Seven Lakes Wyoming

Sarah Temperelli Tomball Miss. State

Sindhu Vegesena Klein Oak Harvard

Sarah Williams Conroe Henderson

Girls Soccer

Ali Meyers Clements Texas State

Analisa Walker Clements Northeastern

Lacrosse

Emily Newstrom Cy Woods Stanford

Swimming

Casey Clark Klein Rice

Hannah Cooper Memorial Kenyon College

Kelsey Leneave Conroe Texas

Cooper Robinson Katy Taylor TCU

Skylar Smith Foster Texas

Tennis

Haveen Beasley College Park Cal-Poly

Golf

Courtney Ferguson Clear Lake Okla. State