May 3, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format, including updated statistics, the latest USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and more.
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Who:
Notre Dame, Villanova and Rutgers
What:
Final weekend of BIG EAST Conference regular season competition
Where:
Philadelphia, Pa., Villanova Softball Field and Piscataway, NJ, Rutgers Softball Complex
When:
#8 Notre Dame at Villanova, Friday, May 4, 12 p.m.
#8 Notre Dame at Rutgers, Saturday, May 4, 10:30 a.m.
Irish head east for last BIG EAST regular season road trip:
The eighth-ranked Notre Dame softball team (47-3, 16-0 in the BIG EAST) will play two doubleheaders against BIG EAST competition this weekend. The Irish will face Villanova on Friday, May 4, at 12 p.m., followed by a matchup with Rutgers on Saturday, May 5, at 10:30 a.m.
Record-setting season:
Notre Dame’s outstanding 47-3 record has done more than move the team up the national rankings – it has rewritten the Irish record books as well. Here is a rundown of the Notre Dame team records that have been set, or are soon to fall, this season:
* Victories in a season: 48 (Irish currently have 47)
* Doubles: 83 (Irish currently have 80)
* Triples: 24 (as of May 3)
* Total bases: 732 (Irish currently have 619)
* Lowest team ERA: 1.14 (Irish currently have a 0.43 ERA)
* Complete games: 41 (Irish currently have 39)
*?Shutouts: 26 (as of May 3)
* Strikeouts: 431 (Irish currently have 415)
* Individual triples: (Jenny Kriech has nine)
Irish continue charge up the USA Today/NFCA Top 25:
After moving up into a tie for ninth last week, seven more Irish victories have earned the team the #8 ranking in the nation on May 2.
The team entered the season ranked 19th in the preseason poll and moved to 14th in the Feb. 21st poll. The Irish then dropped a spot to 15th in the Feb. 28th poll, but moved back up to 14th for two weeks (March 7 and 14). After a hard-fought third-place finish in the Kia Klassic (March 15-18), the Irish moved up to 11th and stayed at that position for three weeks.
Notre Dame in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 this season:
Preseason: 19 (0-0)
Irish defeat #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina while capturing the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21: 14 (5-0)
Irish give up two runs on a double in the sixth inning to drop first game of the season at Arkansas.
Feb. 28: 15 (8-1)
Irish lose three games off the schedule due to inclement weather but claim third tournament title of the season at the Morning News Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn..
March 7: 14 (11-1)
Irish sweep a doubleheader at #24 Cal State Northridge.
March 14: 14 (13-1)
Irish finish third in the Kia Klassic, knocking off #7 Fresno State and #10 Arizona State while posting a 5-2 record during the week.
March 21: 12 (18-3)
Irish earn highest-ever ranking and face a week off before their home opener vs. Western Michigan (March 27).
March 28: 11 (18-3)
Irish continue to climb the poll after taking a week off after their Spring Break trip.
April 4: 11 (26-3)
Irish improve to 4-0 in the BIG EAST and sweep five consecutive doubleheaders.
April 11: 11 (32-3)
Irish extend doubleheader win streak to seven and push overall winning streak to 14.
April 18: 11 (36-3)
Irish continue shutout streak, blanking Loyola (Chicago) and Pittsburgh in two more doubleheader sweeps. Notre Dame boasts the top winning streak in the nation (18 games).
April 25: 9 (43-3)
Irish knock off sixth ranked team and earns eighth victory over a ranked team this season (a doubleheader sweep at #10 DePaul) and post 21st and 22nd consecutive victories and 11th-straight doubleheader sweep with 5-0 and 4-0 victories at Virginia Tech.
May 2: 8 (47-3)
Irish post seven more victories to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 29 games. Notre Dame has reached its highest-ever ranking.
Schmidt earns second BIG EAST pitching weekly award of the season:
Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on Monday, April 30. It is the second weekly pitching award the Irish rookie has earned this season and Notre Dame’s fifth overall (Jen Sharron has earned the honor three times).
Schmidt had one of her most outstanding weeks of a great freshman year in the pitching circle for the Irish in four victories over Illinois-Chicago, Toledo, Boston College and Providence last week.
Finishing off Notre Dame’s 8-0 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday, she went four innings, giving up two hits and striking out six to earn the victory.
She came right back the next day to turn in a brilliant performance, pitching her first collegiate no-hitter against Toledo. The freshman sat down a career-best 15 Rocket batters, including striking out the last nine straight. After issuing a walk in fourth inning (the only blemish keeping her away from a perfect game), Schmidt threw just three non-strike pitches the rest of the game and the Toledo hitters were able to reach three balls in the count just twice in all seven innings.
Taking to the circle once again on Saturday against BIG EAST conference foe Boston College, she was kept from back-to-back no hit performances by a bunt-single in the top of the sixth. She struck out nine, including setting down the side in the top of the seventh once again. She only issued one walk in the ballgame and struck out nine.
She turned in another high-strikeout performance against Providence on Sunday. Scattering six hits over six innings, Schmidt struck out at least two batters in all but one inning, sitting down 12 total. She also extended her BIG EAST scoreless inning streak, as the Irish rookie has not given up a run in eight BIG EAST starts this season.
Schmidt now stands at 23-1 on the season with a 0.43 ERA, 211 strikeouts (becoming just the third Irish pitcher to hit the 200 strikeout mark) and 11 shutouts.
Streaking:
Notre Dame has rattled off a school-record 29 straight victories since it returned from a Spring Break trip to California – 28 of those wins coming in 14 doubleheader sweeps.
All-time Notre Dame regular-season win streaks:
29: March 28, 2001 – Present
21: April 11, 1998 – Feb. 20, 1999
19: March 16, 1996 – April 11, 1996
16: May 22, 2000 – Feb. 25, 2001
13: April 16, 1990 – April 25, 1990
When Notre Dame opened the 2001 season with eight consecutive victories, the Irish stretched their regular-season win streak to 16 (dating back to May 22, 2000). That streak ranks as the fourth-best in school history.
Streaking II:
Hand-in-hand with Notre Dame’s 29 consecutive victories have been 14 consecutive doubleheader sweeps. Beginning with two victories vs. Valparaiso on March 28, the Irish have swept 14 consecutive twin bills. Combined with Notre Dame’s first doubleheader sweep of the year on March 11 at #24 Cal State Northridge, the Irish have swept a school-record 15 doubleheaders in a row this season. That breaks the previous streak of eight straight doubleheader sweeps in 1996.
Streaking III:
Where does the current Irish win streak rank in Notre Dame athletic history? Answer: The Irish have compiled the top winning streak in Notre Dame team-oriented sports history.
The top winning streaks in Notre Dame history (team-oriented sports only):
29: Softball
March 28, 2001 – Present
26: Men’s Soccer
Sept. 20, 1977 – Oct. 1, 1978
24: Women’s Soccer
Oct. 19, 1995 – Oct. 21, 1996
23: Women’s Basketball
Nov. 20, 2000 – Feb. 17, 2001
23: Football
Sept. 10, 1988 – Nov. 18, 1999
22: Men’s Basketball
Dec. 23, 1908 – Feb. 9, 1909
21: Baseball
May 31, 1906 – May 21, 1907
20: Women’s Basketball
Dec. 11, 1999 – Feb. 22, 2000
A look at the Wildcats:
Villanova and Notre Dame will be meeting for the 17th and 18th time on Friday. The Irish hold a 15-1 edge in the series, with Notre Dame sweeping both meetings last year 9-0 and 5-1. The Wildcats are enjoying one of their most successful season in recent history, posting a 38-6 record, including a 13-3 mark in the BIG EAST.
Sara Carlson leads the team in hitting with a .402 average, including eight home runs and 25 RBI. Jackie Pasquerella boasts a .356 batting average and leads the team with 25 stolen bases.
The Wildcats also feature two of the top pitchers in the league, with Theresa Hornick posting a 0.74 ERA and Keri Stoller winning 19 games with a 1.40 ERA.
A look at the Scarlet Knights:
The Irish and the Scarlet Knights will be meeting for the 15th and 16th time on Saturday. Notre Dame holds an 11-3 advantage in the series, but due to a cancellation last season the two teams did not meet. The Irish did post two victories in the team’s 1999 meetings (4-2 and 9-1).
Rutgers is 21-22 entering this weekend’s schedule with a 4-12 mark in BIG EAST competition. Brittney Neer leads the Scarlet Knight offense with 39 hits (.257 average), while Megan Antonucci has 19 RBI this season.
Leah Black is the Rutgers staff ace, with 21 complete games in 23 appearances and a 1.06 ERA.
Miller earns her 900th career victory vs. Pittsburgh:
Liz Miller enjoyed her 900th career victory on Saturday, April 14, when the Irish beat Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader 8-0. The Irish head coach now boasts a career record of 911-294.
Miller also claimed a victory in her 500th game as Notre Dame’s head coach on April 1, 2001 vs. Seton Hall. The Irish defeated the Pirates 8-0 in five innings to earn Miller her 349th victory under the Golden Dome.
Notre Dame posts best-ever start:
Notre Dame’s 47-3 (.940) record over its first 50 games is by far the best start to a season since the program began in 1989. The team’s .940 winning percentage has been ranked as the best in the country according to the NCAA (as of May 1).
Coach Miller’s team is also 44 games over .500 for the first time in school history. The Irish were 36 games over the .500 mark (48-12) on May 5, 1996 and 35 games over .500 (47-12) on June 18, 2000.
The Irish started the season with an 11-1 record, besting the 8-4 starts in 1995 and 2000 seasons that were the previous best for a season.
Irish among the NCAA statistical leaders:
The NCAA has released its Division I softball statistical rankings for the 2001 season, and Notre Dame appears prominently on the lists.
Freshman RHP Kristin Schmidt is fourth in the nation in ERA with a 0.43 mark as of May 2. She is also 18th in the nation in strikeouts-per-game (9.1).
The Irish, who feature eight players hitting over .300 this season, are ranked fourth in the nation in team batting (.325). Notre Dame also is second in the nation in winning percentage (47-3, .940), sixth in team ERA (0.81) and 14th in scoring (5.32 runs per game). The Irish also entered the week with a 29-game winning streak – an NCAA best. Notre Dame also is first in the nation in winning percentage 47-3 (.940).
Other Irish players that appear on the NCAA statistical rankings include Jen Sharron (15th in victories with 24 and 43rd in ERA 1.04) and Jenny Kriech (fourth in triples 0.18 per game and 48th in batting average with .387).
Eight players over .300:
There is a reason why Notre Dame is ranked fourth in the nation in team batting average (.325). Eight players on the Irish roster boast a current batting average above .300 – Jenny Kriech (.387), Jarrah Myers (.383), Andrea Loman (.358), Melanie Alkire (.350), Lizzy Lemire (.344), Danielle Klayman (.326), Alexis Madrid (.311), and Lisa Mattison (.300).
Five Irish players set to try out of the USA Softball National Team:
Five University of Notre Dame softball players have been selected by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) to participate in the USA Softball Women’s National Team Camp, May 30-June 3 at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Seniors Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.), Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) and Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.), junior Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) and sophomore Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.) have all been invited to the camp. USA Softball will select two 16-player teams out of the 51 athletes invited to represent the United States in international competitions such as the U.S. Cup in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Canada Cup in Vancouver and the Pan Am Qualifier in Maracay, Venezuela during the 2001 season.
The list of players invited to camp represent the best fast pitch softball talent in the nation. Notre Dame is third on the list of schools with the most selected players behind Arizona (9) and UCLA (8).
Selections for the 2001 USA Softball Women’s National Teams will be made following the USA Softball Women’s National Team Camp. The two teams will then participate in the USA Softball Shootout, a four-city West Coast tour that will stop in Portland (June 8), Spokane (June 10), Sacramento (June 14) and Los Angeles (June 17) prior to leaving for the U.S. Cup in Hawaii.
Should any of the Irish players be selected for the national team, they will become members of the undisputed #1 softball team in the world. The USA Softball National Team won the first Olympic gold medal in the sport’s history in 1996 and repeated the feat again in 2000. The USA team has won the past four consecutive World Championships, the past four consecutive Pan Am Games and the past two Olympic gold medals.
For more coverage of the USA Softball Women’s National Team visit the team’s official website at www.usasoftball.com.
Jen Sharron named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season and second week in a row:
Senior LHP Jen Sharron earned her second consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award on Tuesday, April 10. It is the third weekly award of the season (Feb. 26, April 2, April 10) for the three-time BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, and it comes on the heels of a dominating weekend against conference competition.
After leading Notre Dame to a non-conference win at Purdue (Tuesday, April 3), Sharron compiled 14 scoreless innings at Connecticut and Syracuse to help the Irish to an 8-0 start in conference play. Against the Huskies, Sharron gave up just one hit, striking out four and inducing 12 ground-ball outs. She was equally impressive against the Orangewomen on Sunday, posting her 15th complete game of the season and seventh shut out while giving up just five hits and striking out nine.
Sharron’s impressive week is just a continuation of one of the best series of starts the All-American has posted in her career. In her last seven appearances, she is 7-0 with seven complete games and 64 strikeouts, allowing just 21 hits and three earned runs (0.46 ERA).
Sharron currently has a 1.04 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 167.2 innings pitched. She is the ace of a staff that boasts a 0.81 ERA, giving up just 39 earned runs in 50 games.
Myers is one tough out:
Notre Dame cleanup hitter and catcher Jarrah Myers has been one of the toughest outs in the Irish lineup this season. Myers is second on the team in batting average (.383) and leads the team with a .645 slugging percentage. She has reached safely in 42 of 50 games this season and has 16 multi-hit performances to give her a .467 on-base percentage.
Hitting the long ball:
Seven Irish players have blasted home runs this season. Andria Bledsoe hit her first career round-tripper against South Florida while Jen Sharron joined the home run club with a three-run shot in the fifth inning vs. Arkansas (Feb. 24). It was Sharron’s third career home run. Notre Dame’s top hitter so far in 2001, Jenny Kriech, hit her first home run of the year vs. Jacksonville State (March 9).
Jarrah Myers leads the team in round-trippers with six, blasting two in one game vs. #24 Cal State Northridge and one against #9 Cal State Fullerton. Myers also hit a tape-measure shot (estimated at least 260 feet) vs. Valparaiso on March 28 and a two-run homer vs. Loyola (Chicago). She added her sixth home run against Toledo on April 25.
Andrea Loman has three solo shots against #4 Washington (Feb. 17) Hawaii (March 17) and Connecticut (April 7) and also hammered a two-run blast at Virginia Tech (April 21).
Lizzy Lemire joined the group with a three-run dinger in the sixth inning against Seton Hall (April 1) and a two-run homer at Syracuse (April 8) – the first home run of the year hit at Syracuse’s Skytop Stadium.
Lemire also launched a walk-off grand slam in the bottome of the sixth to end Notre Dame’s first game with Toledo on April 25. Lemire’s four RBI gave the Irish an 11-0 victory.
Notre Dame’s most prolific home run hitter of all-time, Melanie Alkire (see Alkire historical note), has `touched them all’ three times this season.
Unprecedented RBI production:
As the Irish enter the final stretch of the 2001 season six players that have posted 20 or more RBI this season.
That breaks the school record of five players with 20 or more RBI, set in three different seasons (’95, ’97 and ’00). Jarrah Myers (38), Lizzy Lemire (36), Andrea Loman (27), Andria Bledsoe (24), Jenny Kriech (23), and Melanie Alkire (22) have already reached the 20 RBI barrier this season. Dani Klayman (17) also has the ability to become the seventh player reach 20 this season.
Rookie righthander Schmidt puts up veteran numbers:
The success of freshman RHP Kristin Schmidt has put the Irish coaching staff in the enviable position of posessing two quality starting pitchers for the 2001 season.
Schmidt is 23-1 in 23 starts this season with a 0.43 ERA. She has struck out 211 (see strikeout note that follows), becoming just the third Irish pitcher to strike out 200 batters (Terri Kobata three times, Jen Sharron twice) in a season and the first freshman to accomplish the feat since Kobata in 1993.
The rookie stepped up her game to an even higher level at the Kia Klassic (March 15-18), shutting down some of the top offenses in the nation. Schmidt earned two victories with complete game performances vs. 10th-ranked Arizona State and a four-hit shutout of Utah State.
Against the Sun Devils, she pitched all nine innings of the extra-innings contest, surrendering just two hits (a lead-off bunt single, followed by a single in the bottom of the ninth that allowed the runner placed on second in the international tie breaker rule to score) in the game. At one point, Schmidt retired 17 straight Sun Devil batters.
Against Utah State on March 15, Schmidt posted a career-best 13 strikeouts while allowing just four hits.
Schmidt also made an extended relief appearance vs. Oklahoma, taking over for starting pitcher Jen Sharron for the third out of the first inning. She had an immediate impact, striking out the first batter she faced in three pitches and eventually holding the potent Sooner offense to just three hits the rest of the way.
Returning home for two doubleheaders vs. Valparaiso and Western Michigan, Schmidt continued to be nearly unhittable. Working five innings vs. Valparaiso (March 28) Schmidt worked four perfect innings before giving up a single in the fifth inning. She ended with 11 K in five innings of work.
Entering the circle the next day vs. Valparaiso, Schmidt tossed her third shutout of the season, once again giving up just one hit and striking out nine.
The rookie tossed her sixth and seventh shut outs of the season in her first trip to Connecticut and Syracuse last weekend.
Taking the mound against DePaul on Thursday, April 19, Schmidt surrendered just three hits and one earned run against the 10th-ranked team in the nation. She continued her effectiveness against ranked teams this season – in four appearances against top-25 teams (at Cal State Northridge, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Arizona State and at DePaul) she has given up just one earned run, struck out 27 and allowed just 12 hits in 27.2 innings pitched for a 0.33 ERA.
The rookie’s outstanding numbers just keep mounting, she is second in the BIG EAST in overall ERA (0.51 as of April 22) and is even better in conference competition, as opposing teams have not scored a run off of the righthander in BIG EAST play this season.
Schmidt continued her impressive rookie showing with her first career no-hitter against Toledo on April 25 in Notre Dame’s 1-0 victory. She sat down a career-best 15 batters, including striking out the last nine she faced.
Irish pitching staff becomes K Krew:
200 strikeouts is a total some teams hope to achieve in an entire season. Notre Dame’s pitching staff, though, is out to set a new precendent in Ks. As of April 18, the Irish have 415 strikeouts as a team – Jen Sharron has 198, Kristin Schmidt 211, and Jessica Sharron has six.
To put Schmidt and Jen Sharron’s numbers in perspective, an Irish pitcher has posted over 200 strikeouts just four times in Notre Dame history – Sharron (246) last season and Terri Kobata (250, 315 and 213 from ’93-’95) – and both current Irish aces are on pace to reach that mark this season.
They have both been red-hot lately as well. Jen Sharron sat down 14 Valparaiso batters on March 28, setting a personal record (and just three off the school record, held by Kobata), a mark she also hit against Boston College on April 28. Sharron also fanned 24 batters in two starts against Loyola (Chicago) and Pittsburgh. Schmidt posted her career-high for strikeouts (15) in her first career no-hitter against Toledo April 25. The Irish freshman also struck out 12 against Providence on April 29.
Sharron and Schmidt are on a break-neck pace in the strikeout category. Schmidt has reached 100 K in the third-fewest innings pitched with 77.2 IP. Terri Kobata reached 100 strikeouts in 62 .1 innings in 1994 and 69 innings in 1995.
Kriech dominates competition from the leadoff position:
No player on the Notre Dame roster has been more consistent than junior rightfielder Jenny Kriech in the first three months of the season.
She started off by splitting tournament MVP honors with teammate Lizzy Lemire at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) and earning a spot on the Morning News Invitational (Feb. 23-25) all-tournament team.
The Irish lead-off hitter has 56 hits in 43 games this season, including the following dramatic moments:
* A game-winning single up the middle against #4 Washington on Feb. 17.
* A game-tying single against Arkansas (Feb. 24) in the top of the fifth, setting the table for teammate Jen Sharron’s game-winning home run and Kriech scoring the eventual game-winning run.
* A walk-off three-run triple in the bottom of the fifth against Maine (Feb. 24) that ended the game on collegiate softball’s eight-run rule.
* She drove the first pitch of the third inning vs. Jacksonville State deep over the wall in right field for her first home run of the year and third of her career.
* Posted a five-for-eight performance in a doubleheader vs. Western Michigan with three RBI, four runs scored and three stolen bases.
* She is third on the team in hitting with runners in scoring positions (.379), has posted a batting average of .520 when she leads off an inning and has 11 two-out RBI.
* She rebounded from a one-for-seven performance at Connecticut to go six-for-eight with two RBI at Syracuse the next day.
* In a doubleheader against Boston College on April 28, Kriech smacked two back-to-back triples in the first game and added another in the second game to become Notre Dame’s career leader in three-baggers (17) and set an Irish school-record for triples in a season (9).
* She ranks among the leaders in the BIG EAST Conference in several categories, including: second in batting (.387), first in hits (62), first in triples (9), third in steals (15), first in runs scored (45), fourth in total bases (88), third in on-base percentage (.453) and seventh in slugging percentage (.550).
Jarrah Myers becomes the third Irish player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades:
Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday, April 16.
Myers batted .455 in four games during the week of April 10-16, leading Notre Dame to a 4-0 record on the week with doubleheader sweeps of Loyola (Chicago) and BIG EAST Conference opponent Pittsburgh. Myers also helped guide the Notre Dame pitching staff through four more shut-out victories, as the Irish now have thrown a school-record eight consecutive shutouts.
Against Loyola, she had a two-for-four performance in the first game with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. In the second game, she went one-for-three with her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Taking on Pittsburgh over the weekend, Myers went two-for-four in the doubleheader, including a triple in the first game.
She is the third Irish player to earn the weekly award this season (Jenny Kriech, Feb. 26, and Andrea Loman, March 19), while senior pitcher Jen Sharron has been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week three times this season and rookie RHP Kristin Schmidt earned the pitcher of the week award on March 5.
Myers matches two school records:
Junior all-BIG EAST catcher Jarrah Myers equalled two school records in the second game of a doubleheader vs. #24 Cal State Northridge on March 11, in Northridge, Calif.. She blasted two home runs in the game, matching the school record held by six different Irish players, including herself when she hit two home runs vs. Seton Hall on April 30, 2000.
Against CSUN, Myers launched a three-run shot down the leftfield line in the fifth inning and muscled a two-run homer over the rightfield fence in the seventh inning. Adding an RBI single in the first inning, she posted six RBI in the game, matching the school record held by teammate Melanie Alkire (vs. San Diego State, 3-12-00).
Irish picked to repeat as BIG EAST champs:
Notre Dame, which finished 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 out-scored 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 entering the 2001 season.
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 in 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 911-294 (.756) 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 entered the season ranked 16th on the NCAA winningest active coaches list with a 341-152 (.692) 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 home run mark was ranked 34th.
Alkire’s early season production has already put her atop the career home run list (28), RBI list (159) and doubles list (49). She is also second in walks (58).
So far in 2001, Alkire has 55 hits, a .350 batting average, 12 doubles and 22 RBI.
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 enter the pitching circle for the Fighting Irish.
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. Ranking in the top five in 12 career pitching categories, another outstanding season from “#9” in 2001 has put her on top of many of the all-time charts. 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 is currently first in all-time starts (108), first in wins (85), second in complete games (76), second in shutouts (36), first in innings pitched (741.1), third in winning percentage (85-27, .759), second in career ERA (1.21) and second in strikeouts (702).
Sharron has a 24-2 record with a 1.04 ERA and 198 strikeouts so far this season.
Sharron named a BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete:
Standout Notre Dame softball pitcher Jen Sharron and Irish baseball pitcher Mike Naumann have been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Female and Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, respectively, from the University of Notre Dame.
Sharron will receive $2,000 toward graduate studies from the BIG EAST and Aeropostale, and becomes eligible for the overall female BIG EAST award based on nominees from each league member school. Aeropostale sponsors the league’s post-graduate student-athlete scholarship program, awarding 31 scholarships to conference student-athletes.
A 3.272 student (on a 4.0 grade-point average scale) as a film, television and theater major in the College of Arts and Letters, Sharron twice has been a BIG EAST Academic All-Star and for two years has been part of the University’s Academic Honors Program matching high-achieving student-athletes with faculty mentors.
In addition, Sharron is the softball team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), participates with the STAR reading program, speaks to young people on the dangers of drug use as part of the Notre Dame Athletes Against Drugs program, has assisted with freshman orientation and participates in various activities with student-sponsored services events, primarily with Memorial Medical Center Pediatrics.
Irish placed at 19th in USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 poll:
The Irish were 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 appeared 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., and #7 Fresno State, #10 Arizona State and #24 Cal State Northridge twice on its trip to California for Spring Break and knocked off #10 DePaul twice in Chicago on April 19.
Notre Dame has posted a 8-2 record against ranked teams this season in addition to its 5-3 record against ranked teams last season, with victories over #16 Louisiana Lafayette, #6 Oklahoma and #22 Illinois-Chicago three times.
Andrea Loman becomes second Irish player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades:
Sophomore first base Andrea Loman was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 19, for her performance during the Kia Klassic (March 15-18). In the nine games the Irish played over Spring Break, Loman increased her batting average from .214 to .333 by pounding out 12 hits, three RBI and one home run (vs. Hawaii).
Loman also fared well against Notre Dame’s higher-ranked competition, including a three-for-three afternoon against #5 Oklahoma, a two-for-three game vs. #24 Cal State Northridge and a two-for-four contest vs. #9 Cal State Fullerton.
Notre Dame sweeps the first BIG EAST softball weekly awards announcement:
The 12th-ranked University of Notre Dame softball team, off to the its best start ever with an 18-3 record in 2001, had two players recognized by the BIG EAST Conference on Feb. 26.
Junior Jenny Kreich was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week after posting six hits in four games at the Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., (Feb. 23-25). In an 8-0 victory over Maine on Saturday, Feb. 24, Kriech was three-for-three, including a game-ending three-run triple. She finished the tournament with a .545 batting average (six-for-11) and was named to the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Senior All-American Jen Sharron, a three-time BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, began the 2001 season in traditional style by capturing the first BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Week award. She allowed just one earned run in two starts during the second weekend of the season, including a one-hit shutout victory against Texas Tech on Friday. That 4-0 win over the Red Raiders included a seven-hour rain delay after the third inning. She joined Kriech and Irish catcher Jarrah Myers on the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Sharron also did some damage at the plate. With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth against Arkansas on Feb. 24, Sharron launched a 0-2 pitch far over the centerfield fence to give her team a three-run lead. Notre Dame eventually won the game 4-3.
Three talented rookies join the Irish roster:
Liz Miller and her staff welcomes three talented freshmen to the team this season. Catcher Chantal DeAlcuaz, IF/OF Nicole deFau and RHP Kristin Schmidt 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.
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 Jen 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.
Notre Dame launches 24-hour sports hotline:
The Notre Dame athletic department has launched its varsity sports hotline, available by calling (219) 631-3000.
The hotline provides schedule and results information for all 26 Notre Dame varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the live coverage and game recaps already provided on the official athletic website at www.und.com.
The menu offerings for the 24-hour hotline will be adjusted on a seasonal basis, with schedule and result information from 21 different sports currently being added to the hotline.
Here is how the hotline is currently aligned (as of April 9):
* Dial (219) 631-3000
* Select any of the following subgroups:
1. Upcoming schedule and recent results of ALL varsity sports currently in action (select cells 3-9 for more detailed information).
2. Upcoming football schedules for the 2001 – 2003 football seasons.
3. Baseball information.
4. Softball information.
5. Lacrosse information (then press 1 for men’s lacrosse and 2 for women’s lacrosse).
6. Tennis information (press 1 for men’s tennis, 2 for women’s tennis).
7. Men’s and women’s outdoor track and field information.
8. Golf information (press 1 for men’s golf, 2 for women’s golf).
9. Women’s rowing information.
“Live Stats” debuts on www.und.com:
The University of Notre Dame sports information office is now able to display a live box score for all Notre Dame softball home games, updated after each play, on the offical Notre Dame website: www.und.com. The page also has the ability to display play-by-play and statistics for each team while the game is being played.
Connect to the link http://und.fansonly.com/livestats/w-softbl/ for every home Notre Dame softball game and keep up with the action.