NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame student-athlete Cole Kmet was named one of Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week Monday afternoon after his performances at the Swig and Swine College Classic.
Kmet made two appearances on the mound over the weekend, one out of the bullpen and he earned the start in Notre Dame’s final game of the weekend. On Friday against Charleston Southern, Kmet set the Buccaneers down in order in the ninth with two strikeouts to convert his first save of the season. The sophomore led the Irish last season in saves with eight, which ranked ninth all-time in school history for a single season.
On Sunday against Ball State, Kmet got the start for the second time in his career. He was on top of the Cardinals from the get go and surpassed his career high in strikeouts by the end of the fourth inning. Kmet finished the afternoon with career highs in innings (7.1) and strikeouts (11) while not walking a batter. The 11 strikeouts were the most by an Irish pitcher since Will Hudgins threw 12 against Pittsburgh on March 23, 2012.
Up Next
Kmet and the Irish will begin conference play on the road next weekend when they travel to Winston-Salem to face off with Wake Forest. The three-game series kicks off on Friday March 8 with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. All three games will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra/WatchESPN.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the Irish baseball program, follow @NDBaseball on Twitter and @NotreDameBaseball on Instagram. For tickets to an Irish baseball game, click here.
–ND–