NOTRE DAME, Ind. – A total of six University of Notre Dame softball players, pitcher Katie Beriont (’18), now sophomore infielder Sarah Genz, now junior infielder Katie Marino, now senior catcher Maddie McCracken, now sophomore pitcher Morgan Ryan and outfielder Sara White (’18), were officially recognized as National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes for the 2017-18 academic year.
In the last seven years, a total of 15 Notre Dame players have claimed a combined 20 NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete scrolls. Student-athletes who carry a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during a given academic year are eligible for NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete recognition.
Beriont wrapped up her Notre Dame career as a first-time NFCA honoree after appearing in 30 games as a senior and logging an 11-7 record with two shutouts for the Irish in 2018. A veteran of 121 career games, the 10th most by a pitcher in Notre Dame history, Beriont won 33 decisions and logged five shutouts (one no-hitter) with two saves in her Irish tenure. Along with four straight years of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Academic Honor Roll (2015-18) accolades, Beriont was also tabbed to the 2017 ACC All-Academic Team. Beriont graduated from the College of Science in May with a degree in science-business, and is currently enrolled in graduate studies at Notre Dame.
Genz saw action in 15 games during her debut season with the Irish in 2018, notching two starts behind the plate at catcher. In limited at-bats as a freshman she registered two hits and three RBI for the Notre Dame at the plate, driving in runs for the Irish in wins over St. John’s, Robert Morris and NC State. She added ACC Academic Honor Roll plaudits for the 2018 season. Named to the Dean’s List in the spring of 2018 with a perfect 4.0 GPA over the course of the semester, Genz is enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters as a double-major in Arabic and psychology.
Marino picked up scholar-athlete recognition from the NFCA for the first time following a solid sophomore campaign for Notre Dame. Marino batted .269 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI, a .364 on-base percentage, 11 stolen bases and 30 runs scored over 57 starts. She led all Irish fielders with 110 assists at second base, the most by a primary Notre Dame second baseman since 2008. A two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll recipient (2017-18), Marino was among the Notre Dame representatives on the 2017 ACC All-Academic Team. She is enrolled in the College of Science as a science-business major.
McCracken claimed her second straight NFCA academic scroll in 2018. She appeared in 11 games during her junior season, earning five starts behind the plate. She was successful in the field on 37 chances at catcher for the year, and chipped in one RBI in limited at-bats. McCracken was also a repeat selection to the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the third straight season in recognition of achievement in the classroom. McCracken is enrolled in the College of Science majoring in pre-professional studies, with a minor in sociology.
Ryan was the second Irish freshman honored by the NFCA for academic achievement following her rookie season. She made seven appearances in the circle for Notre Dame, including her first career start against UC Santa Barbara, and recorded the second-most strikeouts per game among all Irish pitchers for the year (4.74). Ryan added an ACC Academic Honor Roll scroll and Dean’s List accolades in the fall of 2017 to her freshman season haul. Ryan is enrolled in the College of Science as a pre-professional studies major, minoring in philosophy, science and mathematics.
White capped her Irish career as a first-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete choice after four seasons on the ACC Academic Honor Roll (2015-18). As a senior, she played in a career-high 46 games and added personal bests with seven home runs and a .569 slugging percentage as part of five different multiple-RBI performances in 2018. White graduated from the College of Arts and Letters in May with a degree in American studies.
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