STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford running back Tyler Gaffney will give up his final year of eligibility in football to pursue a professional baseball career.

Gaffney ran for 449 yards and scored seven touchdowns as a junior last season for the Cardinal.

He played outfield for three seasons at Stanford and batted .301 with eight homers. He was a 24th round selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in June's draft and batted .245 with two home runs, 17 RBI and 48 runs scored in 54 games this past season.

Gaffney will return to Stanford to complete his degree in sociology.