May 30, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame junior catcher Amy Buntin was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s All-America second team, as announced by the NFCA Wednesday afternoon.
Buntin becomes the fifth Irish player in the last four seasons to cop an All-American honor and the first second-team performer since 2001. In all, Notre Dame has seen five student-athletes earn second-team accolades since 1995. Notre Dame has now accumulated 21 NFCA All-America honors including 16 third-team citations.
Buntin led the Irish to a 40-16 overall record (16-3 BIG EAST Conference) in 2012 and a trip to the NCAA Championship Tucson Regionals. The Irish finished second in the league’s regular-season standings and fell one run short to Louisville in the BIG EAST Championship title bout.
The Brentwood, Tenn., native and member of Notre Dame’s Rosenthal Leadership Academy was a second team all-BIG EAST choice and a second team NFCA all-Great Lakes Region performer during her junior campaign. Buntin also was named to the BIG EAST Championship all-tournament team and was twice part of the league’s weekly honor roll.
In her first season of seeing everyday action behind the dish, Buntin delivered with a team-best .360 batting average while also leading the squad in runs scored (45), hits (62) and RBI (60). Only four other players in program history have record 60 or more RBI in a single campaign.
Buntin was second among Irish players in slugging pct. (.619) and third with a .407 on-base pct. Buntin belted 12 home runs and was one of five players to appear in each of Notre Dame’s 56 contests.
The catcher was nearly flawless while acting as the back half of the Irish battery, checking in with a .990 fielding pct.
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