April 10, 2015
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — With a brief two-game midweek homestand now in the rear view mirror, the University of Notre Dame softball team returns to the road to face Boston College this weekend in a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) series in Massachusetts.
The first game of the series is set to begin on Saturday at 1 p.m. (ET), with game two of the planned doubleheader tentatively expected to follow at 3 p.m. Sunday’s third and final contest is scheduled for a noon first pitch at Boston College’s Shea Field. Live stats for all three games will be available via CBS Gametracker.
No. RV Notre Dame (29-11, 10-5 ACC) resumes conference play after winning its 15th consecutive game on Wednesday, downing Butler 8-0 in six innings at Melissa Cook Stadium. The current Irish winning streak is the longest for the program since the 2012 Notre Dame squad ran off 17 consecutive victories from April 18 until May 11 of that year.
Notre Dame begins the weekend in fourth place in the updated ACC standings, a mere game out of the conference’s top three behind Louisville (11-4 ACC). The Irish, the 2014 regular season and tournament runner-up in the ACC, were tabbed to again finish second by league coaches during the preseason.
This weekend’s series marks the first time Notre Dame will face Boston College (16-15, 1-8 ACC) in the state of Massachusetts since April 26, 2003, when both teams were members of the BIG EAST Conference. The Irish have recorded a 7-2 (.778) mark in true road games against Boston College all-time, most recently winning the 2003 matchup by a final score of 11-0.
Notre Dame has won its last five games overall against Boston College dating back to a 14-3 victory in five innings over the Eagles at the 2013 Diamond 9 Citrus Classic. Senior co-captain and two-time All-American Emilee Koerner is a career .786 hitter against Boston College in those five games, adding two doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBI and nine runs scored to her offensive ledger.
For the latest news and updates on all things Notre Dame softball, visit www.und.com/softball, follow the Irish @NDsoftball and @NDcoachGumpf on Twitter and at Instagram.com/notredamesoftball, and Like the team at Facebook.com/NDSoftball.
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No. RV Notre Dame vs. Boston College
April 11-12, 2015
Shea Field (1,000)
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
No. RV Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(29-11, 10-5 ACC in 2015)
Boston College
(16-15, 1-8 ACC in 2015)
Notre Dame Weekend Schedule
Saturday, April 11
Sunday, April 12
IRISH SLAP HITS
· Notre Dame improved to 29-11 this season with its 15th straight victory, an 8-0 midweek win over Butler on Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish have now won their last 18 games at home dating back to a 7-2 triumph over Valparaiso on April 24, 2014.
· During its current 15-game winning streak, Notre Dame has outscored opponents by a combined margin of 130-18. The Irish have won eight of those 15 decisions by way of run-rule.
· Senior infielder and co-ACC Player of the Week Katey Haus continued her All-America caliber season with another stellar stand at the plate during Notre Dame’s undefeated week. She batted an even .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and six runs scored in 16 total plate appearances against Eastern Michigan and at No. RV Pittsburgh last week.
· Sophomore All-American Karley Wester was named one of the Top 26 Finalists for the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday. Wester is the second Irish player to be selected as a finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining two-time All-American Emilee Koerner (2013).
· Senior co-captain and two-time All-American outfielder Emilee Koerner became the latest professional draft choice in program history on April 1, as she was selected 17th overall in the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Draft that was held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Irish standout was the third pick of the draft’s fourth round by the 2014 NPF champion USSSA Pride. Koerner is the third Notre Dame player drafted into the NPF since 2007.
· Irish softball is one of only two Notre Dame varsity athletic programs to have never posted a losing record. The softball team clinched its 27th straight season with a .500 record or above with Wednesday’s 8-0 win in six innings over Butler, its 29th victory of the 2015 campaign. Notre Dame’s three-time national champion women’s soccer program has also logged 27 straight winning seasons since its inception at the varsity level in the fall of 1988.
On This Date…
Notre Dame is a combined 16-4 (.800) all-time in games played on April 11 of a given season. The Irish have won 12 of the last 13 games they have played on the date since downing Creighton 2-1 in eight innings during the 1992 season.
Notre Dame has added an 18-2 (.900) mark on April 12, the planned date of this weekend’s series finale against Boston College at Shea Field in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
ND Rolls Win Streak Up To 15
After posting a four-spot in the bottom of the third frame, Notre Dame would add four additional runs over the final three innings to claim an 8-0 shutout of Butler in six innings at Melissa Cook Stadium on Wednesday.
The Irish closed Wednesday’s contest with an 11-4 hits edge over Butler, improving to 17-0 in 2015 when logging 10 or more hits in a game.
Wester A Top 26 Finalist For USA Softball POY
The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball named sophomore All-American Karley Wester one of the Top 26 Finalists for the 2015 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award on Wednesday.
Wester is the second Notre Dame softball player in the last three seasons to be selected as a finalist for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award, joining two-time All-American Emilee Koerner (2013). Wester and Koerner, both sophomores at the time of their selection, are the only two Irish players in the history of the award to earn a finalist nod.
Koerner Ascends The ND Record Book
Senior co-captain and two-time All-American Emilee Koerner has continued her march up the Notre Dame career record ladder throughout her final collegiate campaign. Already the program leader in both doubles (69) and slugging percentage (.676), Koerner toppled another pair of longstanding Irish marks within the last week.
With a solo home run at Pittsburgh on April 3, Koerner surpassed the all-time Notre Dame total bases mark of 409 that was previously established by fellow two-time All-American Jarrah Myers (`02).
Coming across to score on a walk-off single by classmate Katey Haus in a 10-2 Tuesday win over Western Michigan, Koerner eclipsed 2006 All-American Stephanie Brown (`07) with her 167th career run scored.
Haus Is Top Player In ACC Again
Senior infielder Katey Haus did what she has done throughout her final season on the diamond, rise to the top. In recognition of her efforts at the plate and solid play on the hot corner at third base, the ACC selected Haus as a co-ACC Player of the Week alongside North Carolina State’s Renada Davis on Monday, Haus’ second conference weekly honor this season. Haus was named the very first 2015 ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 9.
Haus continued her All-America caliber season with another stellar stand at the plate during Notre Dame’s undefeated week. She batted an even .500 (7-for-14) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and six runs scored in 16 total plate appearances against Eastern Michigan and at No. RV Pittsburgh. The Irish third baseman slugged a team-high 1.286 for the week and added a .563 on-base percentage to power the Notre Dame attack.
Haus is already off to a hot start this week, ripping four hits and adding three RBI over two Notre Dame midweek wins against Western Michigan and Butler.
Emi Drafted By NPF Champion USSSA Pride
Senior co-captain and two-time All-American outfielder Emilee Koerner became the latest professional draft choice in program history on April 1, as she was selected 17th overall in the 2015 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Draft that was held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The Irish standout was the third pick of the draft’s fourth round by the 2014 NPF champion USSSA Pride.
Koerner is the second Notre Dame player to be drafted into the NPF in as many seasons, joining the 2014 seventh overall choice to the Akron Racers and former teammate Laura Winter (`14). In the modern NPF era, Koerner and Winter are two of three Notre Dame draft choices along with Stephanie Brown (`07), who was the 11th overall pick in the 2007 NPF Draft by the Chicago Bandits.
A Month To Remember For The Irish
Since the conclusion of its series at North Carolina State on March 8, Notre Dame has posted a 17-2 (.895) mark, which has included 10 consecutive ACC victories dating back to a 12-0 win in five innings over No. 9/10 Florida State on March 15. The Irish have outscored opponents 147-32 since downing Campbell 4-3 on March 10 to start the string, more than doubling the opposition in hits (195-80) and extra base-hits (62-25).
Irish In The ACC
Notre Dame officially opened its second season in the ACC at North Carolina State on March 7. Taking into account all prior games, including those before joining the league, the Irish are a combined 139-45 (.755) against the current ACC membership.
Irish Against The Opposition
Notre Dame is 22-6 (.786) all-time against Boston College entering this weekend’s series, winning 15 of the last 16 meetings between the teams.