SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Fresh off a 4-1 opening weekend, the University of Notre Dame softball team is set for its matchup at a familiar ballpark. Having played three games at Clemson’s McWhorter Stadium in 2022, the Fighting Irish return for four games against Big Ten Conference opponents. The Irish will take on Ohio State and #13/11 Northwestern over the weekend.
The weekend schedule sees the Irish take on Ohio State Friday at 12:30 p.m. Saturday is a split doubleheader, as Notre Dame faces Northwestern at 10 a.m., followed by a matchup with the Buckeyes at 12:30 p.m. The finale Sunday features the Irish and Wildcats at 10 a.m.
The Fighting Irish
Notre Dame enters the weekend having gone 4-1 the first week of the season, picking up a ranked win in the season opener against #22 Arizona State. The Irish dropped their second game to San Diego State before finishing the weekend with wins over CSUN, NIU and Memphis.
Leading the Irish into week two is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Week in junior catcher Carlli Kloss. Kloss leads the Irish with a .500 batting average with two doubles, a home run and five RBI. The lead-off hitter owns a .600 on-base percentage through the first five games of the season.
Freshman Mickey Winchell started in centerfield on opening weekend, earning a .412 average with seven hits, three runs scored and three RBI. As a team, the Irish are hitting at a .367 clip with Karina Gaskins and Jane Kronenberger adding home runs. Kronenberger is second on the team with four RBI, with Gaskins knocking in a pair.
Shannon Becker highlighted the three-headed pitching attack on opening weekend. Becker appeared in four games with two starts, throwing in a team-best 13.1 innings and adding nine strikeouts. Micaela Kastor made her collegiate debut, throwing in four games and making her first collegiate start. She struck out seven in 8.0 innings of work. Payton Tidd picked up where she left off in 2022, throwing 12.2 innings in two starts, striking out 12 hitters.
Ohio State
Ohio State enters the weekend at 2-2, splitting games in Orlando last weekend. The Buckeyes earned wins over Boise State and UMass, dropping games to Georgia and UCF. 2022 saw Ohio State finish 36-17 and a berth to the NCAA Knoxville Regional.
The Buckeye offense is led by sophomore outfielder Kami Kortokrax. Kortokrax is hitting for a .500 oaverage, going 6-for-12 with two doubles and scored a team-best four runs. Four others have doubled on the season as the Buckeyes have hit seven doubles and average 3.25 runs per game.
Four pitchers have seen time in the circle, led by junior Allison Smith. Smith has appeared in three games, started two, throwing complete games in both starts. Smith has 17.1 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .194 average against. Emily Ruck has two appearances on the season, throwing 7.0 innings, striking out seven hitters in a loss. Kennedy Kay and Lexi Paulsen have each made an appearance on the season, with Kay allowing three earned runs in 1.1 innings, and Paulsen allowing an earned run in her third of an inning.
Northwestern
Northwestern enters with a similar 2-2 record, taking the first two games of the season over South Alabama and #6 Texas. The Wildcats closed opening weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic with losses to Missouri and #13 Tennessee. 2022 saw the Wildcats earn a spot in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, after hosting the Irish in an NCAA Regional, and defeating Arizona State in Tempe during the Super Regional round.
The Wildcats return the bulk of their 2022 WCWS roster. Through the first four games of the season, freshman Kelsey Nader leads the team with a .455 average with five hits in 11 at bats, scoring a pair of runs. Jordyn Rudd adds a .385 average with a team-best five RBI. Senior Angela Zedak owns the Wildcats two home runs on the season, with four RBI.
Northwestern has four pitchers who have seen time in the circle, all have thrown for 5.2 innings or more. Cami Henry leads the team with 8.1 innings, striking out six and allowing five earned runs. Lauren Boyd and Danielle Williams have each thrown 7.0 innings. Boyd adds five strikeouts, while Northwestern’s 2022 ace Danielle Williams has 11 strikeouts and a team-best 1.43 WHIP.