Feb. 4, 2004

It’s time for the second installment of the Notre Dame Baseball Trivia Corner. The Trivia Corner made its debut at und.com on Jan. 19 (see http://und.ocsn.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/011904aaa.html), with those questions and answers included at the bottom of this release.

Step up to the plate and take your shot at some more Trivia Corner challenges. The point values are weighted by difficulty, with a maximum of 100 points (plus bonus points). Check the Trivia Corner #3 for the answers to these questions. (submissions for future questions can be sent to lafleur.4@nd.edu).

Notre Dame Baseball Trivia Corner #2

2004 Season

Single (1 pt) – Who is Notre Dame’s first opponent of the 2004 season?

Double (2 pts) – Which of the following is not a current uniform used by the Irish during official games: blue jersey, white jersey, pinstripe jersey, gray jersey, green jersey, blue BP top, gold BP top?

Triple (3 pts) – What current Irish player is the son of a former Notre Dame women’s tennis player (bonus for adding her maiden name)?

Home Run (4 pts) – Eight members of the 2004 roster were prep quarterbacks. Name five of them to receive the four points (bonus point for listing all eight)

Coaches

Single (1 pt) – What is the popular nickname of second-year Irish assistant coach David Grewe?

Double (2 pts) – Former Irish coach Pat Murphy coached what country to the 1987 European Championship?

Triple (3 pts) – This former Irish head baseball coach recently retired after several years as an assitant athletic director at Notre Dame.

Home Run (4 pts) – Name the three schools where Paul Mainieri played college baseball (bonus point for naming his college coaches)

Paul Mainieri Era

Single (1 pt) – Who were the keynote speakers at the 2002 and 2003 Notre Dame Baseball Opening Night Dinners?

Double (2 pts) – What Mainieri-era player tied an ND record by hitting three home runs in a game (bonus for naming the opponent)?

Triple (3 points) – Where did the 1995 Irish team open its season, in the first season of the Mainieri era (bonus for naming the opponent)?

Home Run (4 pts) – Steve Stanley logged nearly 99% of the inning in center field during the 1999-2000 seasons. Five other players combined to play the remaining 15 innings in center field during that span. Name at least three of them (bonus point for all five).

2002 CWS Season

Single (1 pt) – What team did the Irish face twice at the 2002 College World Series?

Double (2 pts) – What is the nickname of Florida State’s spirited cheering section that tried to distract the Irish during the 2002 Super Regional series?

Triple (3 pts) – What player came off the bench to hit a grand slam in the 25-1 NCAA Regional win over South Alabama?

Home Run (4 pts) – Who was the winning pitcher of the pivotal comeback win at West Virginia, sparking the Irish after a 9-10 start? (bonus for adding the starting pitcher in that game)

By The Numbers

Single (1 pt) – How many strikeouts did Aaron Heilman total in his dominating game at West Virginia in 2001? (bonus: how many walks did he allow?)

Double (2 pts) – What was the first season of Notre Dame varsity baseball?

Triple (3 pts) – What is Dan Peltier’s ND record for career batting average?

Home Run (4 pts) – How many games did ND’s record scoring streak span, before ending during the 2002 season (bonus: what team ended the streak)?

Alums

Single (1 pt) – This former Irish baseball player recently joined the Notre Dame athletic department’s compliance office.

Double (2 pts) – Name the two former ND baseball players who currently are Division I head coaches, also listing the schools.

Triple (3 pts) – Name the former ND pitcher who won a World Series title with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Home Run (4 pts) – This former Irish baseball player went on to be a Rhodes Scholar and currently is a professor at Notre Dame (bonus for naming his hometown when he came to ND).

Great Games

Single (1 pt) – Who saved the two wins at Florida State in the 2003 NCAA Super Regional?

Double (2 pts) – Who was the opponent during the 2001 NCAA Regional game that was delayed due to a tornado (bonus point for naming the pitcher on the mound at the time the game was halted)

Triple (3 pts) – What West Virginia player broke up Chris Niesel’s 2003 no-hit bid with a bunt single?

Home Run (4 pts) – Alec Porzel’s 15th-inning home run ended the longest game in Eck Stadium history. Who was the opponent that day (bonus for adding the final score)?

Modern Era (1960-94)

Single (1 pt) – Name the grandson of a legendary Notre Dame football coach who pitched for the Irish in the modern era (bonus for adding his hometown when he came to ND).

Double (2 pts) – Name the former Irish catcher whose family donated the message-board scoreboard at Eck Stadium.

Triple (3 pts) – This former Irish player owns the program’s best career hitting pct. in NCAA Tournament action (min. 20 ABs). Bonus for adding his NCAA batting avg.

Home Run (4 pts) – Name the first Academic All-American in Notre Dame baseball history.

Old School (pre-1960s)

Single (1 pt) – Name the two Heisman Trophy-winning football players who also earned monograms with the Notre Dame baseball program.

Double (2 pts) – Name the first grandfather and grandson to earn monograms with Notre Dame baseball.

Triple (3 pts) – This popular player was the only non-surviving member of the 1957 College World Series team , when that team held its first-ever reunion back on the Notre Dame campus in the fall of 2001.

Home Run (4 pts) – This Notre Dame football player also is one of the first ND baseball players known to have hit three home runs in a game.

Fungos

Single (1 pt) – What three current BIG EAST schools are not among the 11 that play BIG EAST baseball?

Double (2 pts) – Who currently serves as the Notre Dame baseball team’s official batboy? (bonus point for naming his godfather)

Triple (3 pts) – Notre Dame’s streak of 15 straight seasons with 40-plus wins is the nation’s third-longest streak. What two teams have longer streaks? (bonus point for listing the length of those streaks)

Home Run (4 pts) – What is the real first name of “Cappy” Gagnon, a member of the ND security administration and a diehard baseball historian?

Here are the questions and answers from the first installment of the ND Baseball Trivia Corner, with a maximum of 121 points (including bonuses):

2004 Season

(1 pt) – Who are the tri-captains for the ’04 Irish squad? (Steve Sollmann, Javi Sanchez, Chris Niesel)

(2 pts) – Who was the winning pitcher in game 1 of the ’03 Blue-Gold series? (Joe Thaman)

(3 pts) – Notre Dame is slated to face three first-time opponents in ’04. Name two of them, with bonus point for naming all three. (San Diego State, Winthrop, Texas Tech)

(4 pts) – Which Irish player also is an accomplished musician, playing the cello? (Tom Thornton)

Coaches

(1 pt) – Where did Paul Mainieri coach prior to coming to Notre Dame? (Air Force)

(2 pts) – What was Hall of Famer “Jake” Kline’s real first name? (Clarence)

(3 pts) – What are the alma maters of current assistants David Grewe and Terry Rooney? (Dayton and Radford)

(4 pts) – Paul Mainieri’s son Nick will serve as a reserve catcher on 2004 Irish squad. At least nine other Notre Dame head coaches (spanning all varsity sports) have coached their son or daughter with the Irish. Name at least six of those coaches to receive the four points, with bonus point for each correct answer beyond six. (fencing’s Pedro DeLandero, Mike DeCicco and Yves Auriol; football’s Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz; hockey’s Lefty Smith; softball’s Brian Boulac; men’s basketball’s John MacLeod; and men’s soccer’s Mike Berticelli)

Paul Mainieri Era

(1 pt) – What city has been a regular Spring Break destination for the Irish during the past decade? (San Antonio)

(2 pts) – Name the two Mainieri-era players who each were twice named Academic All-Americans , with a bonus point for listing their majors? (Mike Naumann, pre-professional science; Brian Stavisky, business management)

(3 pts) – Notre Dame has gone on the road for three NCAA Regionals during the Mainieri era. Who were the host schools for those Regionals, with one bonus point for naming each of the teams ND faced on the opening day of those Regionals. (Alabama, opened vs. Virginia; Mississippi State, opened vs. Tulane; Cal State Fullerton, opened vs. Arizona)

(4 pts) – Notre Dame has played one BIG EAST series in a Major League park. Name it, with a bonus point for adding ND’s starting pitchers in that doubleheader?. (Three Rivers Stadium; Alex Shilliday and Brad Lidge)

2002 CWS Season

(1 pt) – What is host city for the College World Series, with bonus point for providing the stadium name? (Omaha, Neb.; Rosenblatt Stadium)

(2 pts) – What Irish player was forced to wear a protective mask while batting, during the second half of the ’02 season? (Brian Stavisky)

(3 pts) – Name the winning pitcher who delivered Notre Dame’s first BIG EAST Tournament title? (Ryan Kalita)

(4 pts) – List five of the seven other teams that participated in the ’02 CWS, with one bonus point for naming all seven. (Stanford, Rice, Texas, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Nebraska)

By The Numbers

(1 pt) – How many consecutive 40-win seasons have the Irish posted? (15)

(2 pts) – What is the distance (in feet) from home plate to center field at Eck Stadium? (401)

(3 pts) – How long was ND’s midseason winning streak in 2003, with a bonus for naming the team ended the streak? (17; Eastern Michigan)

(4 pts) – How many total seasons was Jake Kline involved with ND baseball, as a player, assistant or head coach, with a bonus point for adding his wife’s name? (42; Edith)

Alums

(1 pt) – Name two of the three former Notre Dame players who played in the Major Leagues during the 2003 season, with a bonus point for naming all three. (Craig Counsell, Aaron Heilman, Brad Lidge)

(2 pts) – This former Irish catcher currently serves as the governor of Indiana. (Joe Kernan)

(3 pts) -Two former ND baseball players received prestigious 2003 awards from the ND Alumni Association. Name them, with one bonus point for correctly adding their hometowns while at ND. (Harry Durkin, Newark, N.J.; Jim Gillis, Huntington Beach, Calif.)

(4 pts) – Can you name the former ND basketball star who now is a vice president with a Major League Baseball club, also must name the team? (Tommy Hawkins; Los Angles Dodgers)

Great Games

(1 pt) – Who stroked the triple that sparked the 9th-inning comeback vs. Rice in the 2002 CWS? (Steve Stanley)

(2 pts) – Name the pitcher whose gutsy complete-game effort eliminated host Florida State from the 1993 NCAA East Regional, with a bonus point for the score? (Chris Michalak; 4-3)

(3 pts) – Who hit the game-ending home run to cap a 2-out rally vs. Central Michigan in 2001, leading to the ND program’s first No. 1 ranking? (Ken Meyer)

(4 pts) – List the three pitchers who combined on the near no-hitter vs. Miami in a 2000 showdown at Eck Stadium, with a bonus point for naming the score. (Alex Shilliday, Chris McKeown, Aaron Heilman; 1-0)

Modern Era (1960-94)

(1 pt) – What conference did Notre Dame compete in prior to joining the BIG EAST? (Midwestern Collegiate, or MCC)

(2 pts) – What is the name of the minor-league facility where the Irish played a portion of their schedule during the 1988-93 seasons. (Coveleski Stadium)

(3 pts) – Steve Sollmann and this 1964 shortstop are the only ND middle infielders to earn All-America honors. Name him, with a bonus point for adding his hometown while at ND. (Rick Gonski; Chicago)

(4 pts) – This football/basketball/baseball star was ND’s first three-sport athlete of the second half of the century. Name him. (Kevin Hardy)

Old School (pre-1960s)

(1 pt) – What future pro baseball Hall of Famer helped popularize baseball on the Notre Dame campus? (Adrian “Cap” Anson)

(2 pts) – Where did the ND baseball team play its home games, prior to 1977. (Cartier Field)

(3 pts) – Name the pitcher who tossed a shutout in the 1957 College World Series, with a bonus point for naming the opponent. (Chuck Symeon; Texas)

(4 pts) – Steve Sollmann’s six-run game in the 2002 NCAAs tied a 102-year-old record in the ND record book. Who was the first ND player to score six runs in a game, with a bonus for naming the opponent? (Bobby Lynch; Indiana)

Fungos

(1 pt) – Name the benefactor (and namesake) of Notre Dame’s home stadium. (Frank Eck)

(2 pts) – Name the South Bend Tribune reporter who has been on the Irish baseball beat for nearly 50 seasons, with a bonus point for adding his alma mater?. (Forrest “Woody” Miller; Kansas)

(3 pts) – Paul Mainieri’s father Demie is a Hall-of-Fame coach. What is Demie’s nickname and bonus point for adding his wife’s name? (“Doc”; Rosetta)

(4 pts) – The ND baseball program’s list of all-time monogram winners includes players from 43 states. Name four of the seven states to clear the fences and receive four points, with one bonus point for naming all seven states (Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont)