Feb. 27, 2007
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The Palm Springs Tournament:
Notre Dame had a tough start to the Palm Springs Tournament, Feb. 23-25, taking on a pair of ranked opponents in the ultra competitive field. The Irish were competitive in both early games against No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 17 California but ultimately lost both games by the scores of 7-3 and 7-5, respectively. Notre Dame now on a four-game skid, rallied with two-outs in the seventh inning to tie their next game against UNLV on the two RBI single from sophomore Linda Kohan. Junior Katie Laing would make it a 4-3 Irish winner, as she punched a ball through the left side to drive in senior Carissa Jaquish in extra-innings. Despite a strong pitching performance from senior Kenya Fuemmeler, a complete game four-hitter, the Irish fell to Cal State Fullerton, 2-0, in their next game. Notre Dame would take its final game of the tournament, 3-1, over Ole Miss. Kohan would again provide the late-inning heroics with her two RBI single up the middle in the fifth.
Brown On The Right Track:
Senior Stephanie Brown had an outstanding tournament in Palm Springs, going 11-for-18 with five runs scored. Brown had multi-hit performances in four of the five games, while chipping in three stolen bases.
Speed Demon?
Gessica Hufnagle, who often splits time at catcher, showed off the wheels against Ole Miss as she stole a pair of bases for the first time in her career.
Bargar Continues To Lead:
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brittney Bargar picked up a pair of wins over the weekend. Bargar won against UNLV and Ole Miss in Palm Springs Tournament and has four wins this season.
A Few Early Trends:
• Notre Dame continues to fight to the last out and has won three games in bottom of the seventh/eighth inning.
• The Irish are 3-0 in one-run games this season.
• Notre Dame is 2-0 when it takes a lead into the fourth inning and 1-5 when it goes through the fourth inning trailing.
• The Irish have been outscored 15-6 in the first two innings of games, but have outscored their opponents 10-4 in the seventh inning on.
• In neutral site games, Notre Dame has won four of the five games it has been designated as the home team on the scoreboard.
On Tap This Week:
Notre Dame is headed for Jacksonville, Fla. this week, March 2-4, to take on Virginia (March 2), Jacksonville (March 2 & 3) and Michigan (March 3 & 4). Jacksonville is a fellow CSTV school and has said GameTracker will be used, provided the wireless internet is working properly.
Either Way She’s Okay:
Senior Stephanie Brown is batting .455 against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers. Brown is 5-for-11 against lefties and 10-for-22 against righties this year.
Conference Leaders:
After the second week of action, senior Stephanie Brown leads the BIG EAST in hits (15). Brown is also third in the conference in batting average (.455), stolen bases (4), runs scored (8), and on base percentage (.514). Brown is also sixth in the league in total bases (16). Sophomore Erin Glasco is tied for third in the conference in walks (7)
Sophomore hurler Brittney Bargar is the league leader in strikeouts (43), innings pitched (41.1) and complete games (6). Bargar is also tied for the league lead in wins (4) and is third in games started (6).
SEC Not So Bad:
With the win over Ole Miss, Notre Dame improved its record to 2-0 against schools from the Southeastern Conference.
Scouting Virginia:
The Cavaliers (7-9) started their season 2-2 at the Best Western Invitational in Tampa, Fla. with both wins coming by one run in extra innings. One of those losses came at the hands of South Florida, a Big East foe Notre Dame will face on April 22. Last weekend at the Palm Springs Invitational, Virginia defeated No. 22 Fresno State, 10-9, thanks to a great performance by second baseman Elea Crockett. Crockett went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Freshman catcher Casey Steffan has been the best offensive player for the Wahoos with her three home runs, 18 RBI and a .404 batting average. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Karla Wilburn has won five games this season.
Series vs. Virginia:
This is the third meeting between the two schools with Notre Dame holding a 2-0 advantage. The last meeting between these two teams was at the Hawai’i Spring Fling in 2005. Notre Dame won that match up 9-1 in five innings.
Scouting Jacksonville:
The Dolphins (3-12) have had a rough start this season, dropping four games before earning their first victory against UNC Greensboro on Feb. 11. Junior slugger Sarah Gordon has been performing well for the team, boasting a .396 slugging percentage with 17 hits and five RBI. Katie Buell, a senior, has been the most active Jacksonville pitcher with eight appearances and four complete games.
Series vs. Jacksonville:
These two teams have only met once previously with Notre Dame defeating Jacksonville 2-1 in 2003 in the USF/Wilson Tournament.
Scouting Michigan:
The No. 13/9 Wolverines (14-1) have started the season strong winning four before dropping one against Houston at the Wilson DeMarini Invitational. Junior Samantha Findley has continued her power hitting this season, posting two home runs and a tied for team-high seven RBI. Six different Michigan players have driven in five or more runs this season. Both Michigan pitchers have been impressive this year. Senior Lorilyn Wilson is 8-1 with a 0.70 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched. Freshman lefty starter Nikki Nemitz is 6-0 with a 1.51 ERA. The Wolverines are currently on a ten-game winning streak after defeating Virginia Tech 1-0 on the final day of the NFCA’s Leadoff Challenge to share the tournament title with Georgia Tech. In the last ten games, Michigan has outscored their opponents 48-9.
Series vs. Michigan:
Michigan leads the all-time series between these two Midwest rivals 8-4. The last meeting between the two schools occurred in the 2004 NCAA Tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Wolverines, who were then No. 6, edged out the Irish 1-0. The Irish defeated Michigan 3-1 in the Worth Fall Classic on the seventh inning two-run home run from Stephanie Brown this past fall.
The Places Notre Dame Softball Has Gone:
After a pair of road trips, the Notre Dame softball team has already logged 5,216.5 miles on planes and buses this season.
A Recap of the Tiger Invitational:
Notre Dame opened its 2007 season at the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn from Feb. 16-18. Notre Dame started the tournament with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over host school Auburn. Sophomore Erin Glasco came through with a single down the right-field line to drive in freshman Ashley Ellis from third for the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Irish then fell to UAB 8-0 in five inning run-shortened game. Another memorable Irish victory would follow, as once again Notre Dame came from behind in the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Heather Johnson would be that games hero with a two-run home run that propelled Notre Dame to a 6-5 victory over Tennessee Tech. Softball would complete its weekend by dropping its final two games to Tulsa (4-2) and Virginia Tech (2-0). Johnson for great play would be awarded a spot on the Tiger Invitational All-Tournament team after hitting .500 (8-for-16) in the five games.
Nice Start by the Rookie:
Heather Johnson made an immediate impact in her first week in the Irish lineup. Not only did the Los Alamitos, Calif. native start all five games at third base, she also had the most hits of any player in the Tiger Invitational Tournament, with eight, on her way to hitting .500 with a home run and four RBI. Johnson tallied multi-hit performances in three of the five games.
A Solid First Week:
Brittney Bargar also had a solid first week for Notre Dame in the circle. She won both of Notre Dame’s games while pitching three complete games. For week, Bargar was 2-1 with 24 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. The sophomore also showed impeccable control with only two walks (one intentional) on the week.
A Pair Honored on BIG EAST Honor Roll:
Notre Dame had a pair of players on honored on the BIG EAST honor roll following the first two weekends of action around the conference in sophomore pitcher Brittney Bargar and freshman third baseman Heather Johnson.
Keeping up with the Irish:
Notre Dame’s softball family and friend can keep up with the Irish one of six ways this season. First, the Notre Dame hotline (1-574-631-3000) will be updated as soon as possible following each game. Two, a game recap will be posted on Notre Dame website (www.und.com) following each contest. Three, a text alert will be send out to those fans that wish to sign-up for the Irish text alerts on the Notre Dame website. Four, live audio broadcasts will be available for Irish home games. Fifth, Notre Dame will run GameTracker for selected road games (depending on the host institution) and all homes games at Ivy Field through its athletic website. And sixth, Notre Dame softball will have a weekly notes package that will be put out by Wednesdays of most weeks.
Overview of the Irish:
The Irish returns six position starters, three pitchers and 13 monogram winners from a season ago. Notre Dame has also added three newcomers to the mix in a quest for their ninth consecutive NCAA bid.
Sophomore Brittney Bargar, after a solid freshman season, will be counted upon heavily this season to lead the pitchers. Bargar won 15 games as a freshman, while averaging better than seven strikeouts per game. Also in the rotation this season is senior Kenya Fuemmeler (1-0, 1.64 ERA), who making the transition from the bullpen. Sophomore Christine Farrell, after missing all of last season with injuries, is making her debut in the circle for the Irish this season. Farrell will take on the role of a later inning specialist.
The infield will be have senior Carissa Jaquish (.219, 61 H, 30 RBI) and freshman Christine Lux vying for playing time at first base. Linda Kohan (.275, 49 H, 29 RBI) will move over to second base after spending time at third and first as a freshman. All-BIG EAST second team selection Katie Laing (.294, 110 H, 57 RBI) moves from second to her natural position of shortstop. Newcomer Heather Johnson will be the opening day third baseman.
The lone returning starter in the outfield is centerfielder Stephanie Brown (.343, 210 H, 42 SB). Brown was a unanimous all-BIG EAST first team selection and a second team NFCA All-American selection as a junior. Five other players will be in consideration for playing time to each side of Brown. Juniors Brittany Glynn (.200, 14 R) and Sarah Smith (.250, 32 R, 6 SB), sophomores Stephanie Mola (15 H, 3 RBI) and Beth Northway (.667, 4 SB) are joined by freshman Ashley Ellis and will all be pushing each other this year.
Senior Gessica Hufnagle (31 R, 40 H, 30 RBI) and sophomore Erin Glasco (30 H, 6 2B, 14 RBI) will split time at both catcher and as the designated player.
Notre Dame in early season tournaments:
Notre Dame began what is now the collegiate softball tradition of early-season tournament action in 1990 when it took part in a Chicago, Ill., tournament. Since that trip, Notre Dame has visited 32 different areas of the country and participated in several elite tournaments. Notre Dame’s all-time record in early-season tournament action is 185-135 (.578) and its most frequent sites visited have been South Florida (seven times), Columbus, Ga. (six times) and Cal State Fullerton (five times). This season, Notre Dame will visit Auburn, Ala. (first time), Palm Springs, Calif. (third time), Jacksonville, Fla. (first time), Long Beach, Calif. (first time) and Cal State Fullerton once again.
Preseason Choice for Third in the BIG EAST:
The Irish were selected to finish third in the BIG EAST Conference for the 2007 season, in a vote by the leagues coaches. The Irish received a first-place vote and totaled 104 points to finish behind front-runner Louisville and South Florida. Notre Dame along with Louisville and USF were all selected for the 2006 NCAA Softball Championships.
Irish Captains:
Notre Dame will feature three captains this season for only the third time. The Irish captains will be seniors Stephanie Brown and Kenya Fuemmeler and junior Katie Laing. The only other Notre Dame teams to have a trio of captains are the 2003 squad (Alexis Madrid, Andria Bledsoe and Andrea Loman) and the 2002 team (Kas Hoag, Jenny Kriech and Jarrah Myers).
Season Schedule will be a Challenge:
The 2007 season will prove to be a challenge for the Irish, as the team will face several teams ranked in the top 25, or just out of the national rankings.
According to the preseason rankings, the Irish will face (NFCA rankings first, followed by USA Softball) No. 3/3 UCLA, No. 4/4 Northwestern, No.5/5 Northwestern, No. 10/10 California, No. 11/13 Michigan, No. 16/16 Oklahoma, No. 19/17 Louisiana-Lafayette, No. 20/21 Louisville, No. 21/20 Fresno State, No. 22/23 South Florida, No. 24/RV Auburn, In addition, Notre Dame will face Call State Fullerton, DePaul and Virginia Tech- all teams who received at least one vote in the preseason national rankings.
The Irish defeated two ranked teams during the 2006 season (No. 10 Arizona State and No. 18 Louisville) and have totaled 15 ranked team victories during Gumpf’s tenure.
Coaches Return:
Notre Dame will bring back its entire coaching staff from the 2006 season in head coach Deanna Gumpf, assistant coaches Kris Ganeff and Lizzy Lemire and volunteer assistant coach Dawn Austin.
Gumpf In Her Sixth Season:
Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf is in her sixth season at the helm of the Notre Dame softball program. The Irish coach is 223-96 in her coaching career and has taken the Irish to five consecutive NCAA postseason berths.
Gumpf won her 200th career game in Notre Dame’s 14-4 victory over Pittsburgh on April 9 of the 2006 season.
At the start of the season, Gumpf career’s record of 219-90 (.708) was a single percentage better than former Irish head coach Liz Miller 377-156 (.707). She is also ahead of the first ever softball coach at Notre Dame, Brian Boulac 135-90-2 (.597).
A Generous Donation:
Notre Dame softball’s bid for a new facility took a huge step forward this offseason thanks to the generous donation by Linda and Paul Demo. The Demo’s pledged three million dollars for the building of the Melissa Cook Stadium. Cook, a former Irish softball player, was one of four people that were killed in March 2002 when a massive section of scaffolding fell from the John Hancock Center onto her car in downtown Chicago. The families of those who died and were injured reached a settlement in early 2006 with the skyscrapers owners and other companies named in the lawsuit. The Demo’s, the mother and stepfather of Melissa Cook, devoted much of their portion of the settlement to Notre Dame for the upcoming $4.8 million facility. The stadium will be built on the southeast corner of the Notre Dame campus near Eck Baseball Stadium and will hold 1,500 Irish softball fans.
Milestones on the Horizon:
• Senior Stephanie Brown, after the second week of the 2007 season, is seventh (134) in runs scored at Notre Dame only one behind Meghan Murray (1994-96). Brown is also tied for ninth on the all-time hits list with 225, only seven behind Andrea Loman (2000-03) for eighth. Further, Brown is eighth on the all-time home runs list (18) only three behind Mallorie Lenn for seventh. Brown is also among the all-time leaders in walks (60-seventh) and stolen bases (46-fifth)
• Junior Katie Laing is only four behind the top-10 with her 34 career doubles.
Up Next-California (Again):
The Irish head back to the “Golden State” for an extended stay during spring break. The Irish will first participate on the last day of the Long Beach Tournament with games against Eastern Kentucky (March 11) and No.12/15 UCLA (March 11). Notre Dame then heads to the prestigious Judi Garman Classic to take on No. 2/4 Arizona State (March 15), No. 22 Fresno State (March 16) and No. 14/11 Louisiana Lafayette (March 16), before participating in pool play the final two days.