Pitcher Laura Winter leads the BIG EAST in innings pitched (107.2) and strikeouts (126) this season

Haus, Winter Receive BIG EAST Weekly Honors

March 18, 2013

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame sophomore Katey Haus and junior Laura Winter have been named to the BIG EAST Conference Softball Weekly Honor Roll, the league office announced Monday.

Haus (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) exploded offensively during Notre Dame’s 7-2 spring break that included a pair of wins at the Arizona State Diamond Devil Invitational (New Mexico State), a victory over Cal State Fullerton at the Judi Garman Classic, and a four-game sweep of Northern Illinois and Iona at the UC Riverside Highlander Classic. Haus raised her regular season batting average 61 points during the last six games, batting at a .474 clip with a home run, two doubles, nine RBI, a .737 slugging percentage, a .500 on-base percentage and three runs scored for the week. Haus became the first Irish player this season to record multiple RBI in three straight contests during the Highlander Classic (NIU, two times vs. Iona).

The Notre Dame third baseman went 3-for-4 with all three RBI, including a walk-off single, in a comeback 3-2 win in eight innings over Northern Illinois Friday, following that performance with a 2-for-4 outing, including a home run and two RBI, later in the day during a 12-0 shutout of Iona. The hot streak continued in Saturday’s opener against Iona, as Haus tied her career-high for hits (3) and set personal-bests in doubles (2) and RBI (4) in a 12-4 win over Iona. She added a pair of crucial assists in the field against the Gaels, making a great stab on a hard-hit ball up the third base line to start a 5-4-3 double play, the second turned by Notre Dame this season.

Winter (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo) continued her recent run of success in the circle during Notre Dame’s spring break road trip, posting a 3-1 record with a 0.48 ERA in four appearances last week. She has now won nine of her last 10 decisions (10-5 this season).

Winter began her week with a three-hit shutout of Cal State Fullerton Wednesday, striking out 11 Titan hitters on 87 pitches. Winter was equally effective in relief Friday against Northern Illinois, tossing seven shutout innings and striking out six Husky batters in a Notre Dame walk-off win in the eighth inning. She was rarely tested in a Saturday start against Northern Illinois, allowing two hits in eight innings for her third solo shutout of the week. Winter did see her streak of more than 48 innings without a walk allowed snapped in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday against the Huskies, issuing just her 16th free pass in 107.2 innings pitched this season.

Winter also chipped in five hits, including two doubles and two home runs, during three of Notre Dame’s five victories (Cal State Fullerton Wednesday, Iona Friday and Saturday). She currently leads the Irish offense with six home runs, and 14 of her 16 hits have gone for extra bases in 2013.

Notre Dame opens BIG EAST play at Seton Hall March 23-24 in South Orange, N.J.

2013 Notre Dame Softball BIG EAST Weekly Honorees

BIG EAST Player of the Week
Emilee Koerner: Feb. 25

BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Laura Winter: March 11

BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Katey Haus: March 18
Laura Winter: March 18
Emilee Koerner: March 4
Jenna Simon: Feb. 11

–ND–