March 21, 2003

Due to the wet field conditions resulting from this week’s inclement weather in the Philadelphia area, the Notre Dame-Villanova baseball series has been pushed back one day to a Sunday-Monday format. The teams now will open their three-game BIG EAST series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday, March 22, with the series finale slated for Monday at 11:00 a.m.

The series will mark the first games at the new Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth Community Center, located just off Germantown Pike within Plymouth Township. Notre Dame previously had played road series versus Villanova at Richie Ashburn Park in downtown Philadelphia, during the 1999, 2000 and ’02 seasons (a 1996 ND-VU series scheduled for the former Villanova on-campus field was rained out while the teams played at ND’s Eck Stadium in 1997, ’98 and ’01).

Notre Dame – ranked as high as 19th nationally – carries a 9-5 record into the BIG EAST opener while Villanova is 4-8. Notre Dame’s planned pitching rotation for the series includes (in order) sophomore righthanders Chris Niesel and John Axford and senior righthander Ryan Kalita (his classmate Peter Ogilvie is sidelined with a sore shoulder). The Wildcats are expected to counter with senior righthander Tom Kandybowicz and sophomore righthander Nick Allen in the doubleheader, with senior righthander John Yeager the likely VU starter for Sunday.

Here are directions to the new Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth (per www.villanova.com):

* From the South: Take I-95 North to Exit 7 North/to Plymouth Meeting, this will put you on I-476/Blue Route. Follow I-476/Blue Route North to Exit 19 for Plymouth Meeting. The exit will take you around and to the right. When you get to the first stop light take a left on to Germantown Pike. Go 1.5 to 2 miles on Germantown Pike and then take a right on to Walton Road. Take your first quick left into the parking lot for the complex.

* From the West: Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike East to Exit 24/Valley Forge. Take I-76/Schuylkill Expressway to Exit 28-A which will put you on I-476/Blue Route. Take I-476/Blue Route North/to Plymouth Meeting. Follow I-476/Blue Route North to Exit 19 for Plymouth Meeting. The exit will take you around and to the right. When you get to the first stop light take a left on to Germantown Pike. Go 1.5 to 2 miles on Germantown Pike and then take a right on to Walton Road. Take your first quick left into the parking lot for the complex.

* From the North: Take the New Jersey Turnpike South to Exit 6, the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Northeast extension. Follow the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Exit 25-A (Mid-county interchange). Take the second exit ramp for I-476/Blue Route, South/to Chester. Follow I-476/Blue Route South to Exit 19 for Plymouth Meeting. When you get to the first stop light go north on to Germantown Pike. Go 1.5 to 2 miles on Germantown Pike and then take a right on to Walton Road. Take your first quick left into the parking lot for the complex.