Feb. 21, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format, including new USA Today/NFCA Top 25, complete BIG EAST results and schedule and Irish roster breakdowns and enhanced statistics.
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Who:
Notre Dame, Arkansas, Maine and Texas Tech
What:
The 2001 Morning News Invitational
Where:
Fayetteville, Ark., Lady’Back Yard
When:
Friday, Feb. 23 – Sunday, Feb. 25
#14 Notre Dame vs. Texas Tech, Doubleheader, Friday, Feb. 23, 11:00 a.m.
#14 Notre Dame vs. Arkanasas, Doubleheader, Saturday, Feb. 24, 4:00 p.m.
#14 Notre Dame vs. Maine, Doubleheader, Sunday, Feb. 25, 9:00 a.m.
Irish head to Fayetteville, Ark., after an impressive opening weekend :
The 14th-ranked Notre Dame softball team continues the 2001 season this weekend (Feb. 23-25) at the Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
The Irish started the season off on a high note, sweeping five games at the Holiday Inn Invitational, hosted by the University of South Florida. The 5-0 opening-season record is the best start for a softball team in Notre Dame history.
The Morning News Invitational is a doubleheader formatted tournament. The Irish will face Texas Tech twice on Friday, Feb. 23, at 11 a.m., then take on Arkansas twice on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 4:00 p.m., followed by a double-dip vs. Maine on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 9:00 a.m.
Irish receive highest ranking in school history after opening weekend:
Notre Dame is now ranked 14th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 (released Feb. 21), which is the the highest ranking in school history, due to its opening weekend when it earned the Holiday Inn Invitational title with a 5-0 record.
The highest ranking the team had reached prior to this week’s poll was 17th (the 2001 Preseason Top 25 and the 1994 Preseason Top 25).
Holiday Inn Invitational Recap: Notre Dame began its 2001 season in impressive fashion last weekend (Feb. 16-18) by posting five victories at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
The 5-0 start to the season is the best opening-season record the team has acheived since the program began in 1989.
Senior Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) and junior Jenny Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.) shared tournament MVP honors for the weekend. Lemire pounded out six hits, including a double and triple over the five games. Kreich led the team with eight hits and four RBI, including the game-winning single against #4 Washington in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Notre Dame’s Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) gave three stellar pitching performances over the course of the tournament as well. Sharron took the mound against Maryland, #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina, coming away with victories in each contest. She gave up just two runs in the three games (0.35 ERA) and struck out 26 batters.
The Irish started the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Maryland. Notre Dame posted three runs in the bottom of the second on a Terrapin errors and a two-run single by Kriech with two outs. Kriech also accounted for Notre Dame’s fourth run, batting in Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.), who had reached on an error.
Host institution South Florida was the next opponent for the Irish. With freshman pitcher Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) starting her first collegiate game, Notre Dame gave the rookie a cushion by posting three runs in the first two innings. Junior Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) tripled in the top of the first, driving in Kreich. Myers eventually scored on a South Florida fielding error.
Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) stepped to the plate in the second inning with one out and blasted her first career home run over the leftfield fence into a stiff breeze for Notre Dame’s third run of the game.
Schmidt crusied through five inning of work, stumbling a bit in the bottom of the sixth and giving up three runs. She rebounded to down the USF batters 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to earn her first career victory.
Fourth-ranked Washington and Notre Dame met on the second day of the tournament at 10 a.m. In a stellar pitching duel, Sharron and Huskie hurler Tia Bollinger both threw complete games.
Washington got on the board first, following a lead-off single, a stolen base and an RBI single. The Huskies second run of the game came on a throwing error by Sharron, allowing WU’s Kim DePaul to score from first.
Sharron would rebound to keep the Huskies scoreless the next four innings while the Irish offense slowly got back into the game. Sophomore Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.) put her team on the board with a solo home run down the left field line. Sharron then stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and doubled to left center, evenutally scoring on Melanie Alkire’s (Union City, Calif.) RBI double.
Washington led off the top of the seventh with a single, but Sharron responded by striking out the next batter. With two out, the Huskie’s Jaime Clark reached on an error, moving a runner into scoring position. Sharron responded by inducing a ground ball from Christie Rosenblad and getting out of the inning unscathed.
Bledsoe, who had committed the error in the top of the inning, led off the bottom of the inning with a single and promptly stole second base. Alexis Madrid (Temecula, Calif.) then moved Bledsoe to third with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Kriech then bounced a single up the middle to post the game winning RBI.
The Irish continued their hot streak by posting eight runs and 10 hits against Hofstra to earn a 8-1 victory. Lizzy Lemire had three hits in the game and an RBI, while Bledsoe had two hits and two RBI against the Pride.
Capping off the weekend, the Irish squeaked out a 1-0 victory over #18 South Carolina to claim the Holiday Inn Invitational title. Sharron took the mound for the third time in three days and continued to baffle opposing batters. A complete game, three-hit shutout by the Notre Dame All-American pushed her team to a best-ever 5-0 start to the season. Madrid picked up the game-winning RBI in the top of the seventh, knocking in Loman who had led off the inning with a double.
Kriech dominates competition over the first weekend:
Junior all-region honoree Jenny Kriech started off the season by splitting tournament MVP honors with teammate Lizzy Lemire at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) and driving pitchers mad in the batters box.
The Irish lead-off hitter has eight hits in five games this season, including the game-winning single against #4 Washington. She has posted two stolen bases, four RBI and three runs in her 20 at-bats this year.
Lemire has a great first weekend:
Senior captain Lizzy Lemire made her presence known in the lineup at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) last weekend. The Irish leftfielder posted six hits in the five games, including three hits vs. Hofstra. She also had a double and a triple, scored two runs and notched two RBI over the course of the tournament.
Her solid play earned her co-MVP honors of the tournament with teammate Jenny Kreich.
Hitting the long ball: Two Irish players blasted home runs over the weekend. Andria Bledsoe hit her first career round-tripper against South Florida while Andrea Loman added a solo shot against #4 Washington.
Three bases are better than two:
Notre Dame set the team record for triple last season with 18 and, if the first weekend of the 2001 campaign is any indication, have their minds set on exceeding that mark this year.
Jarrah Myers, Lizzy Lemire and Andria Bledsoe all hit triples in the Holiday Inn Invitational this weekend. It was Lemire’s eighth career three-bagger, while Myers and Bledsoe both posted their fourth career triples.
Schmidt has immediate impact on Notre Dame’s pitching rotation:
The solid debut performance of freshman RHP Kristin Schmidt has given the Irish two high-quality starting pitchers for the 2001 season. Schmidt entering the pitching circle twice over the course of the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18), pitching two complete games and surrendering just eight hits.
Schmidt also carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh inning against Hofstra before giving up a lead-off double down the right field line. She has pitched 14 innings, struck out 14 batters and allowed just four runs for a 2.00 ERA.
Irish picked to repeat as BIG EAST champs:
Notre Dame, which finished the last season ranked 24th in the country, returns all nine starters from its 2000 BIG EAST Championship title team last year. Led by captains Melanie Alkire, Danielle Klayman, Lizzy Lemire and Jen Sharron, the Irish have been picked to repeat as BIG EAST champions by a vote from the league’s coaches.
The 2001 BIG EAST Coaches Preseason Poll:
1. Notre Dame, 100 pts.
2. Connecticut, 91 pts.
3. Seton Hall, 68 pts.
Virginia Tech, 68 pts.
5. Boston College, 64 pts.
6. Villanova, 55 pts.
7. Syracuse, 50 pts.
8. St. John’s, 43 pts.
9. Rutgers, 29 pts.
10. Pittsburgh, 25 pts.
11. Providence, 12 pts.
The Irish finished with a 14-2 record in BIG EAST competition last season and swept through the BIG EAST Championship in three games. Notre Dame outscored Boston College (5-2) and Connecticut (5-0, 7-0) 17-2 to earn its third consecutive conference championship title.
All-Americans return: Seniors Melanie Alkire and Jen Sharron became Notre Dame’s first All-Americans since 1996 by earning NFCA second-team All-American honors last year.
Katie Marten (’94-’97) earned NFCA third team honors in 1995 and 1996 while Terri Kobata (’93-’96) earned third team honors in 1995 and second team honors in 1996.
Alkire finished the 2000 season with 13 home runs, 64 RBI and 73 hits. She also posted a 7-1 pitching record (in 13 appearances) with a 2.30 ERA, including a six-hitter against sixth-ranked and 2000 National Champion Oklahoma on Mar. 18, 2000.
Sharron pitched 27 complete games last season, tossing 246 strikeouts and posting a 0.88 ERA. In her career, the Agoura Hills, Calif., native has pitched 574.2 innings with 504 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA.
Talented and noteworthy returnees:
The Irish are loaded with veteran players and talented underclassmen this season. Out of the nine starting players that return to the lineup this season, eight earned postseason accolades from the BIG EAST conference. Jen Sharron earned her third consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Year award and was picked by league coaches to repeat the honor once again in 2001.
Melanie Alkire won her second consecutive BIG EAST Player-of-the-Year award last season and placed an exclamation point on her conference season by earning the Most Outstanding Player award at the 2000 BIG EAST Championship.
Andrea Loman helped the Irish earn a sweep of the major player-of-the-year awards by becoming the second consecutive Notre Dame player to earn BIG EAST Rookie-of-the-Year accolades (Jarrah Myers earned the distinction in 1999).
Alkire, Loman, Myers and Sharron were joined on the all-BIG EAST first team by Danielle Klayman, Jenny Kriech and Lizzy Lemire. Andria Bledsoe rounded out the Notre Dame award winners with a second team all-BIG EAST selection and a spot on the all-rookie team.
In keeping with the stellar league performance by her team, Irish head coach Liz Miller earned her second BIG EAST Coach-of-the-Year award. Miller previously won the award in 1996.
Miller is coaching her 26th season:
Notre Dame head coach Liz Miller is now in her ninth season with the Irish and 26th season as a collegiate head coach. She boasts a 869-291 (.749) record over the last 26 years, 17 of which she coached at Lake Michigan College before heading to the Golden Dome in 1993.
In each of her previous eight seasons with the Irish, Miller has led the team to a conference title (Midwestern Collegiate ’93-’95, BIG EAST ’96-present) and the team has advanced to the NCAA tournament five times.
While at Lake Michigan College, Miller’s teams amassed 12 conference championships and 11 regional titles. From 1981-85 her team finished in the nation’s top five each year.
Miller currently ranks 16th on the NCAA winningest active coaches list with a 328-149 (.687) record at Notre Dame.
Alkire among the national and Notre Dame historical leaders:
Senior Melanie Alkire compiled one of the best offensive seasons ever for a Notre Dame softball player in 2000. Alkire led the team in most of the offensive categories, ranking first in batting average (.376), hits (73), doubles (15), home runs (13), RBI (64), total bases (129), slugging percentage (.665) and on-base percentage (.421).
Her 64 RBI ranked fifth in the nation in 2000, while her 13 round trippers was ranked 34th.
Poised to eclipse many of the Notre Dame career offensive records in her final season, Alkire is fourth in career doubles (37), second in home runs (25), tied for first in RBI (137), sixth in walks (43) and fifth in toughest-to-strike out (15.80 at-bats per K).
Sharron assaults the Irish record books:
Senior lefthander Jen Sharron is coming off one of the most dominating seasons ever for a Notre Dame pitcher. After posting a 0.88 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 2000, she has positioned herself among the best to ever take the mound for the Fighting Irish.
Ranking in the top five in 12 career pitching categories, just a typical season from “#9” will put her on top of many of the all-time charts. Sharron has averaged 191.4 inning pitched, 168 strike outs, 20.3 wins and 18 complete games in her first three years with the Irish. Over that same period of time, she has won three consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Year awards and is favored to win her fourth trophy this season.
She has also raised the bar considerably in 2001. Just three starts into the new season, Sharron has a 3-0 record with a 0.35 ERA and 26 strikeouts.
A look at the Red Raiders:
Notre Dame will face Texas Tech in a double header on Friday, Feb. 23, at 11 a.m. It will be the second meeting between the two schools, as the Red Raiders won the first meeting 8-3 on March 5, 1999. Irish junior Jarrah Myers hit a solo home run in the contest.
Texas Tech is 5-4 (as of Feb. 19) and shares a common opponent with Notre Dame. The Red Raiders lost to Washington 4-1 on Feb. 10, while the Irish beat the Huskies 3-2 on Feb. 17.
Eva Harshman is one of the top players on the Tech roster. She has eight hits in 24 at-bats this season with three RBI and two doubles.
The Red Raiders rely heavily on RHP Amanda Renfro, who has appeared in all nine previous Texas Tech contests. She owns a 1.24 ERA with 65 strikeouts.
A look at the Lady Razorbacks:
This will be the third meeting between Arkansas and Notre Dame and the series is tied 1-1. The teams split a doubleheader last season during the 2000 edition of the Morning News Invitational, with the Lady Razorback taking the first game 4-2 and the Irish winning the second game 2-1. Notre Dame’s Andria Bledsoe notched the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly, scoring Andrea Loman who had doubled, then advanced on an error. Jenny Kreich also went 3-3 in the first game of the doubleheader.
This year, Arkansas carries a 6-6 record into the Morning News Invitational. Lauren Hendrix leads the team in his while Rachel Talley has a 1-2 record in five starts this season.
A look at the Bears:
The Irish will face the Maine Bears for the second-time ever on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 9 a.m. The Irish won the first meeting 3-1 in 1994.
The Bears have yet to play a game this season entering the Lady Razorback Invitational this weekend. Last season Maine posted a 27-24 record and an 11-7 mark in neutral-site games.
Carrie Green, Maine’s top pitcher during the 2000 campaign, returns for her senior season after leading the team in wins (15), ERA (1.71), appearances (29) and complete games (10). Sophomore Ashley Yuhas, who earned all-rookie honors from the America East Conference, also returns after leading the team in strikeouts last season (70).
SS Erica Sobel, a two-time first-team all-America East selection, also returns with a strong arm in the field (146 assists in ’00) and six homers with 16 RBI.
Irish placed at 19th in USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 poll:
The Irish are ranked 19th in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason poll that was released on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The 19th ranking marks the highest the Irish have been placed in the preseason since 1994, when the team entered the season ranked 17th.
Notre Dame returns all nine starters from the 2000 squad that compiled a 47-14 record and won its second consecutive BIG EAST Championship title. Last year’s team climbed to 17th in the NFCA poll last season, tying the school mark for the highest-ever national ranking. The Irish were ranked 24th in the final NFCA poll last season.
Irish boast a strong schedule this season:
Notre Dame will face a number of ranked teams this season, as six opponents on the 2001 schedule appear in the preseason top 25. Another five opponents received mention in the `others receiving votes’ category in the poll. Notre Dame has already defeated #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) in Tampa, Fla.
Two top-10 teams have been placed in Notre Dame’s pool at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., (March 15-18). Defending National Champion Oklahoma is ranked third while Fresno State, 54-14 in 2000, is ranked eighth.
The Irish also have their traditional meeting with DePaul this season (Thursday, April 19). The Blue Demons are currently ranked 13th.
Notre Dame posted a 5-3 record against ranked teams last season, with victories over #16 Louisiana Lafayette, #6 Oklahoma and #22 Illinois-Chicago three times.
Three talented rookies join the Irish roster:
Liz Miller and her staff welcomes three talented freshmen to the team this season. Catcher Chantal DeAlcuaz (Modesto, Calif.), IF/OF Nicole deFau (Southington, Conn.) and RHP Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) all possess the talent and drive to contribute immediately in the Notre Dame lineup.
Schmidt, a 2000 second-team All-American coming out of North Shore Senior High School, has secured a spot in the Irish rotation with an impressive performance during the fall exhibition season.
Providing her team some solid depth in the infield, deFau has shown the range and ability to be a steady backup to Alexis Madrid and may also see some time in the outfield. deFau joins junior Kas Hoag as the only two Notre Dame players with Connecticut state roots. She was named the 2000 Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year.
DeAlcuaz, who is the eighth Irish player on the 2001 roster from California (Modesto), will have the opportunity to backup and learn from one of the best catchers in the country, junior Jarrah Myers.
Preseason all-BIG EAST awards announced:
The BIG EAST Conference has announced its choices for the preseason all-BIG EAST team (Jan. 4) and the Irish placed six players on the 13-member team of league standouts.
Senior shortstop Melanie Alkire was picked by the league coaches to earn her third consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Year award. Alkire was a unanimous first team all-BIG EAST selection in 2000 while leading the Irish in batting average (.376), hits (73), doubles (15), home runs (13), RBI (64), total bases (129), slugging percentage (.665) and on base percentage (.421). She boasts a .392 career batting average in conference games and was also named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2000 BIG EAST Championship.
Senior left-hander Jenn Sharron earned the nod for the Preseason Pitcher of the Year award. She has won the conference’s pitcher of the year award the previous three years, becoming the first Irish pitcher and first-ever freshman to earn the honor in 1998. Sharron went 6-2 in conference competition last season, posting a 0.92 ERA. Her 0.73 lifetime ERA in conference play ranks as fifth on the conference career charts.
Alkire and Sharron were joined on the 2001 preseason all-BIG EAST team by teammates Jarrah Myers, Jennifer Kriech, Lizzy Lemire, and 2000 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Andrea Loman.
Kevin White Radio Show :
A weekly half-hour talk show featuring first-year athletics director Kevin White debuted Aug. 27 on Chicago’s ESPN Radio 1000. “The Kevin White Show” is on the air from 11:00-11:30 p.m. for 30 consecutive Sundays on ESPN radio (1000 AM in Chicago, www.espnradio1000.com).
The show also can be heard in 35 states. White will welcome to the show a series of guests and prominent figures associated with college athletics including administrators, coaches and media members.