WORCESTER, Mass. - In this edition of Covering the Bases, Kevin Shea sat down with Worcester Red Sox first baseman Niko Kavadas to talk growing up in the shadow of and playing for the University of Notre Dame.

"It was an absolute blast," Kavadas said when asked about growing up in South Bend, I.N. and suiting up for the Fighting Irish. "It was really nice to be able to play in my backyard and have support from my family all four years."

Kavadas is in his second season with the WooSox.

"The season always has ebbs and flows," he said. "You're going to have highs and lows so it's just a matter of how long can you hang on to those highs and continue to draw them out and how quickly can you put your foot in the ground and make a change when something's not going well."