Jan. 18, 2016

Irish Baseball Academy Sign-Up

By Russell Dorn

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame baseball program has finalized the 2016 version of the Irish Baseball Academy set for this spring. Clinics are slated for Monday nights from February 15 through April 4 (none on March 7) and are open to all youths middle school age and younger.

Participants will be grouped according to age and will receive training from members of the baseball team and staff. Instruction will center on all aspects of hitting including mechanics, pitch recognition, mental approach and drill work, defensive fundamentals and skill work. The sessions will offer personal and group instruction with special attention given to proper working habits and drill execution to enhance the skill level of each individual.

All sessions are set to take place at Frank Eck Stadiumand Notre Dame’s top-notch indoor hitting facility.

There will be two time slots each week – one from 6-7 p.m. (ET) for the younger players and another from 7:15-8:15 p.m. (ET) for the older participants.

Participants are asked to bring their own equipment including a bat, glove, batting gloves, helmet and turf shoes.

A one-time fee of $150 is required and campers are encouraged to register early to guarantee a spot in the academy. A completed application form will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis until all groups are filled. Acceptance of the camper will be verified upon receipt of the application with full payment.

For more information on the 2016 Irish Baseball Academy, contact volunteer assistant coach and camp coordinator Robert Youngdahl at 574-631-6577or through email at baseball@nd.edu.

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Under the direction of head coach Mik Aoki, a veteran coaching staff and co-captains Lane Richards and James Nevant, the Irish return 20 monogram winners, the entire infield including Rawlings Gold Glove winner Cavan Biggio (2B) and third team all-Atlantic Coast Conference performer Kyle Fiala (3B), their starting catcher in Johnny Bench Award candidate Ryan Lidge and 472.2 of 554.2 innings on the mound in 2016 from a team that went 37-23 overall and finished tied for third during the regular season in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference before advancing to their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2006.

The Irish kick off the 2016 season February 19-21 in Santa Clara, California for a three-game set with the Santa Clara Broncos.

For more information on the Notre Dame baseball, follow the Irish on Facebook (/NDBaseball), Twitter (@NDBaseball) and Instagram (notredamebaseball).

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Russell Dorn, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2011 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame volleyball, rowing and baseball programs. A native of Greenwood, South Carolina, Dorn graduated from Furman University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in history before earning his master’s degree in sports communications from Georgia State University in 2011.