NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame Softball came in at No. 3 in the Preseason ACC Coaches Poll, released Wednesday. The Irish come off a 37-18 season in which they placed third in both the regular season and tournament in ACC play, and return 14 veteran players.
Senior infielder and captain Katie Marino and sophomore pitcher Payton Tidd were also named to the preseason All-ACC team.
“The ACC is a very strong conference, and each year we keep getting better,” Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf said. “To have Payton and Katie both make the list of an extremely talented group of players is outstanding. I believe this is a great place for us to start!”
Marino was named second-team All-ACC and first-team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic region in 2019, and earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors (March 5). In 2019, she boasted a .344 batting average, scoring 63 runs and 43 RBI. On defense, Marino turned in a .967 fielding percentage.
A science-business major and sociology minor, Marino has earned NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for each of her three completed seasons. She was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018, and in 2017, was named to the ACC All-Academic team.
Tidd, a newcomer in 2019, was named first-team All-ACC, as well as receiving ACC All-Freshman Team and All-Tournament team honors in her rookie season. Entering NCAA Regional play in 2019, Tidd ranked second in the ACC with 25 victories, which also ranked third in the nation among freshmen pitchers.
In 2019, Tidd boasted a 25-10 record, pitching 182.1 innings and putting forth a 2.34 ERA. Batters racked up just a .224 average against her, and she tallied 157 strikeouts. In the classroom, the sophomore is currently working towards a psychology degree with a supplementary major in pre-health studies.
The Irish open up the season on Feb. 7 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Follow along on Twitter with @NDSoftball for updates.
2020 ACC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
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- Florida State (141 points, 10 first-place votes)
- Virginia Tech (123 points, 2 first-place votes)
- Notre Dame (121 points, 1 first-place vote)
- North Carolina (117 points)
- Louisville (103 points)
- Georgia Tech (78 points)
- NC State (77 points)
- Duke (74 points)
- Syracuse (51 points)
- Clemson (43 points)
- Virginia (37 points)
- Pitt (33 points)
- Boston College (16 points)
2020 Preseason All-ACC Softball Team
INFIELD
- Sydney Sherrill, Florida State, Jr., IF
- Breanna Roper, Georgia Tech, Jr., IF
- Katie Marino, Notre Dame, Sr., IF
- Jayme Bailey, Virginia Tech, So., IF
- Kelsey Bennett, Virginia Tech, So., IF
OUTFIELD
- Dani Morgan, Florida State, Sr., OF
- Celene Funke, Louisville, Sr., OF
- Kristina Burkhardt, North Carolina, R-Jr., OF
- Darby Trull, Virginia Tech, Jr., OF
PITCHERS
- Caylan Arnold, Florida State, Sr., P
- Brittany Pickett, North Carolina, Sr., P
- Payton Tidd, Notre Dame, So., P
- Keely Rochard, Virginia Tech, Jr., P
CATCHER
- Anna Shelnutt, Florida State, Sr., C
DESIGNATED PLAYER/UTILITY
- Elizabeth Mason, Florida State, R-Jr., UT