Feb. 21, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
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2006 NOTRE DAME BASEBALL (Service Academies Classic; Millington, Tenn.; Feb. 23-26) – PLAY BALL! – The 22nd-ranked Notre Dame baseball team takes the nation’s seventh-best winning pct. of the 2000s (.729; 279-103-2) into its 2006 opener on Thursday, Feb. 23 (3:00 CST), vs. Indiana State in the first of four games for the Irish at USA Baseball Stadium in Millington, Tenn. … ND will face Air Force (Feb. 24; 10:00 a.m.), Memphis (Feb. 25, 4:00) and Oklahoma (Feb. 26, noon) in the annual Service Academies Classic … the veteran Irish lineup returns 8-of-9 position starters, with six seniors in the probable opening-day lineup … ND’s pitching staff is fronted by a seasoned three-man rotation that includes senior LHP Tom Thornton and a pair of junior RHPs (Jeff Manship and Jeff Samardzija) who are rated among the nation’s top 100 prospects) … the Irish will be looking to resume their 2005 late-season momentum that included an unprecedented fourth straight BIG EAST tournament title before advancing to the NCAA Regional final for the sixth straight season, en route to a 38-24-1 final record.

** See above PDF for complete season-opening notes release (see und.com for season preview, updated player and coach bio.’s and complete 2006 media guide in PDF form … also check back to und.com later for updated bio capsules of the ND players and coaches).