March 18, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame junior 3B All-American candidate Eric Jagielo and senior RHP Adam Norton were each named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. The duo helped the Irish take two of three games at No. 20 Cal Poly this past weekend.
Jagielo (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) batted .500 (7-for-14) last week, including .545 (6-for-11) in the series victory at No. 20 Cal Poly. He collected a double, home run, two RBI and scored three runs in the series with the Mustangs. Jagielo added a pair of walks, and registered a slugging percentage of .909 and on-base percentage of .615. He recorded multi-hit games in each of the three games in the series. Jagielo went 2-for-4 with a run scored, double and RBI single in the opener. He then went 2-for-4 in Notre Dame’s 1-0 triumph in the second game of the weekend and closed the series with a solo home run, two walks and two runs scored (2-for-3) in the series finale.
Jagielo either leads or is tied for the team-lead in runs scored (14), hits (24), home runs (six), RBI (20), total bases (45), slugging percentage (.738), walks (10) and on-base percentage (.487).
Norton (Highland, Ind./Andrean) was once again spectacular on the mound. The right-handed hurler tossed 8.0 scoreless innings and kept a potent Cal Poly lineup off-balance all night. Norton threw 103 pitches, 76 for strikes, and scattered seven hits. He struck out five and walked only one – an unintentional-intentional free pass in the sixth inning. Norton made every big pitch when it counted. He limited the Mustangs to just a pair of hits with a runner on base, retired the leadoff batter in seven of his eight innings and did not allow a single hit with a runner in scoring position (Mustangs went 0-for-8).
Norton improved his record to 5-0 on the season and lowered his already sparkling ERA to a miniscule 1.25. He is the first Irish pitcher to pick up a victory in each of his first five starts to open a season since Aaron Heilman in 2001.
Norton has a pair of victories over top-25 opponents this season. He has yet to allow a single run in 17.0 innings of work against No. 25 Virginia Tech and No. 20 Cal Poly.
Notre Dame opens BIG EAST action this weekend with Seton Hall. The Irish and Pirates will open their series either at 5:35 p.m. Friday at Frank Eck Stadium or 7 p.m. Friday at Coveleski Stadium.
— ND —