Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Kristin Schmidt Caps Dominating Week With BIG EAST Award

May 1, 2001

Kristin Schmidt, a freshman righthander for the University of Notre Dame softball team (47-3, 16-0 in the BIG EAST), was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on Monday, April 30. It is the second weekly pitching award the Irish rookie has earned this season and Notre Dame’s fifth overall (Jen Sharron has earned the honor three times).

Schmidt had one of her most outstanding weeks of a great freshman year in the pitching circle for the Irish in four victories over Illinois-Chicago, Toledo, Boston College and Providence last week.

Finishing off Notre Dame’s 8-0 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday, she went four innings, giving up two hits and striking out six to earn the victory.

She came right back the next day to turn in a brilliant performance, pitching her first collegiate no-hitter against Toledo. The freshman sat down a career-best 15 Rocket batters, including striking out the last nine straight. After issuing a walk in fourth inning (the only blemish keeping her away from a perfect game), Schmidt threw just three non-strike pitches the rest of the game and the Toledo hitters were able to reach three balls in the count just twice in all seven innings.

Taking to the circle once again on Saturday against BIG EAST conference foe Boston College, she was kept from back-to-back no hit performances by a bunt-single in the top of the sixth. She struck out nine, including setting down the side in the top of the seventh once again. She only issued one walk in the ballgame and struck out nine.

She turned in another high-strikeout performance against Providence on Sunday. Scattering six hits over six innings, Schmidt struck out at least two batters in all but one inning, sitting down 12 total. She also extended her BIG EAST scoreless run streak, as the Irish rookie has not given up a run in eight BIG EAST starts this season.

Schmidt now stands at 23-1 on the season with a 0.43 ERA, 211 strikeouts (becoming just the third Irish pitcher to hit the 200 strikeout mark) and 11 shutouts.

The Irish return to action on Friday, May 4, at Villanova. The Wildcats are second in the conference standings (13-3), and a victory by the Irish in either game of Friday’s doubleheader will clinch the BIG EAST regular season title. Notre Dame also boasts the nation’s top winning percentage (47-3, .940) and the longest active winning streak in the NCAA (29).