NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame (18-12, 9-10 ACC) returns to play this week after a brief pause, set to host a four-game series with Virginia April 16-18 at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Notre Dame owns a 10-game home win streak thanks to an April 7, 8-1 victory over Western Michigan. The streak began with an April 13, 2019 win over NC State and extends to the Irish’s six home wins this season (Notre Dame did not play any home games in 2020, as the season was cut short prior to the first scheduled home matchup). Overall, the Irish boast 454 wins at home in program history, and their record at Melissa Cook Stadium since it opened in 2008 is 178-41-1.
Irish pitchers continue to display their dual-threat status, as senior Alexis Holloway scored the go-ahead run against Western Michigan with a solo homer, and junior Payton Tidd recently earned honorable mention status among the best hitting pitchers, according to Justin’s World of Softball.
The Irish are consistently productive at the plate, as senior Abby Sweet maintains her lead in the ACC in batting average (.484). Junior Emma Clark ranks third in the conference with a .427 average.
THE DETAILS
Location: Melissa Cook Stadium (Notre Dame, IN) – Attendance is limited for sports competing this spring to guests of competing Notre Dame student-athletes and coaches as well as current Notre Dame, Holy Cross and St. Mary’s College students.
Games:
- Friday, April 16: 5 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
- Saturday, April 17: 1 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
- Saturday, April 17: 3 p.m. ET vs. Virginia
- Sunday, April 18: Noon ET vs. Virginia
Live Stats: und.com/mediastats
BY THE NUMBERS
1: OF Abby Sweet is one of the nation’s best at the plate, ranking among the top not only in the ACC, but across Division I softball. Sweet’s .484 avg. leads the ACC and ranks eighth in the nation, while her 45 total hits are tied for first in the ACC and tied for 26th in the nation. She also leads the conference in doubles (12, 12th nationally) and total bases (79, 39th nationally), and is second in on-base percentage (0.542, 37th nationally).
2: Notre Dame pitchers have totaled two combined no-hitters so far this season. In both the games against Alabama State (Feb. 14) and Valparaiso (March 24), Ps Alexis Holloway, Morgan Ryan and Payton Tidd all pitched to keep both teams hitless and scoreless.
2: The Irish boast two of the ACC’s Top 3 individual batters. OF Abby Sweet (.484) ranks first, and OF Emma Clark ranks third (.427). Sweet is tied for the ACC lead in hits (46), while Clark ranks fourth with 41 hits.
3: OF Abby Sweet and OF Leea Hanks have each hit three triples this season, which ties for third-most in the conference.
3: Notre Dame came in at No. 3 in the preseason ACC Coaches poll, with IF Katie Marino on the preseason All-ACC team. Of the top six teams in the ACC, Notre Dame is one, and and was scheduled to face the other five in the regular season.
3: Deanna Gumpf announced the selection of three captains for the 2021 season: Seniors IF Sarah Genz, P Alexis Holloway and OF Abby Sweet. Holloway and Sweet are the eighth and ninth two-time team captains in program history. .
4: OF Abby Sweet was hit by four pitches in the second game of the March 27 doubleheader vs. NC State, totaling six HBP on the day (two from the first game). The four HBP are the most in a single game taken by any Division I player this season. In that game, Sweet never posted an at-bat, as she was hit on all four plate appearances, as the game ended her 16-game hit streak.
4: Through this point in the season, Notre Dame has faced four teams that were either ranked or receiving votes at the time of those games (Alabama, Duke, Liberty and Florida State). Notre Dame was the first team to hand Duke a loss in 2021 (Feb. 20), and was the only loss on the Blue Devils’ record until March 27. The Irish are also set to face Virginia Tech, who is currently ranked No. 15/14.
5: Notre Dame ranks in the ACC’s Top 5 in team batting average and pitching. The Irish are third in the conference with a collective .304 batting avg., while they rank fifth in the conference with a 2.59 ERA.
8: P Payton Tidd has hit eight extra-base balls this season, with five doubles and three home runs. She was named Honorable Mention for the Nation’s Best Hitting Pitchers by Justin’s World of Softball.
10: The Irish have won 10-straight games at home, beginning with a four-game win streak to end the 2019 home slate, as the Irish did not play a home game in 2020. The streak began with an April 13, 2019 win over NC State and extends to the present.
16: The Irish return 16 veterans in 2021, including every starter from the 2019-20 season. They are joined by six freshmen.