March 7, 2001
Complete Release in PDF Format, including USA Today/NFCA Top 25, updated BIG EAST schedule and results and the upcoming Kia Klassic schedule.
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Who:
Notre Dame, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State
What:
Notre Dame begins its Spring Break trip to California
Where:
Northridge, Calif., and Long Beach, Calif.
When:
#14 Notre Dame vs. Cal State Northridge, Sunday, March 11, 12 p.m.
#14 Notre Dame vs. Long Beach State, Tuesday, March 13, 5 p.m.
Notre Dame heads to California for nine-day Spring Break trip:
The 14th-ranked Notre Dame softball team takes off for the West Coast this weekend for its traditional Spring Break trip to California. The Irish will face Cal State Northridge on Sunday, March 11, at noon, and Long Beach State Tuesday, March 13, at 5 p.m.
Notre Dame also will take part in the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., scheduled for Thursday, March 15, to Sunday, March 18.
Irish back up to 14th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25:
After earning their third tournament title of the season at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., (Notre Dame also won the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 16-18, and the Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., Feb. 23-26) the Irish have moved back up to 14th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25.
Notre Dame 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.
Notre Dame posts its best start ever:
Notre Dame’s 11-1 record over its first 12 games is by far its best start to a season since the program began in 1989. The Irish started the 1995 and 2000 seasons 8-4, its previous best start for a season.
Notre Dame’s 12-game record to start a season during the Liz Miller era (1993-current):
1993: 7-5
1994: 5-7
1995: 8-4
1996: 6-6
1997: 4-8
1998: 4-8
1999: 7-5
2000: 8-4
2001: 11-1
Schmidt earns co-BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Week award:
Freshman righthander Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) has earned her first career BIG EAST weekly pitching award. The Irish freshman was named co-pitcher of the week on Monday, March 5, by the BIG EAST Conference for her performance versus Jacksonville State and UAB last weekend. Schmidt shares this week’s award with Clarisa Crowell from Virginia Tech.
Schmidt improved to 5-1 this season with two victories at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., March 2-3. She struck out 15 batters in 11 innings pitched, yielding just one run and scattering 10 hits. Her two impressive victories lowered her season-ERA to 1.46.
Against Jacksonville State on Friday, March 2, Schmidt pitched 6.1 innings, striking out eight and giving up just one run.
Facing UAB on Saturday, March 3, (the Blazers entered the game 2-0 in the tournament) Schmidt used her change-up to baffle hitters all afternoon. She struck out seven in the first four innings and gave up just three hits.
Schmidt has combined with Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) to post an 11-1 record and 1.06 team ERA as Notre Dame’s two top starting pitchers. Both hurlers also have combined to post 91 strikeouts this season.
Kriech dominates competition over the first three weekends of the season:
No player on the Notre Dame roster has been more consistent than junior outfielder Jenny Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.) in the first three weeks 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 17 hits in 12 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.
* She leads the team in hitting with runners in scoring positions (6-11, .545), has posted a batting average of .556 (10-18) when she leads off the inning and has seven two-out RBI.
Kriech leads the team with a .436 batting average, nine RBI and nine runs scored so far in 2001. She also has four stolen bases and was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Feb. 26.
Streaking:
Three Irish players are enjoying hit streaks entering the team’s Spring Break trip to California. Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.) has an eight-game streak alive, Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kansas) has hit safely in six straight games and Jenny Kriech also has a six-game streak heading into Sunday’s matchup with Cal State Northridge.
Streaking II:
As Notre Dame opened the 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 third-best in school history.
All-time Notre Dame regular-season win streaks:
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
Frost Classic Recap:
Notre Dame was forced to battle the elements as well as its opponents at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., (March 2-4) last weekend.
Originally scheduled to play Jacksonville State, UAB and Tennessee-Chattanooga twice over the weekend, the Irish were only able to fit one game a piece versus each team. Notre Dame finished with a 3-0 record and claimed the title of the abbreviated Frost Classic – Notre Dame’s third tournament title of the season (Holiday Inn Invitational,Feb. 16-18, and Morning News Invitational, Feb. 23-25).
Weather threatened competition the entire weekend, but Notre Dame was able to fit in two games on Friday afternoon.
Jacksonville State jumped in the lead against the Irish in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single. The Gamecocks also loaded the bases, but Irish starting pitcher Kristin Schmidt immediately responded to strike out JSU’s Meghan Maskel on three straight pitches to end the inning. Schmidt would end up surrendering eight hits in the game, but did not allow a run to cross the plate after the first inning.
Jenny Kriech sparked a four-run third inning for Notre Dame by leading off with a first-pitch home run to right-centerfield for her ninth RBI of the season. Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.), batting in the second spot for the first time this season, posted a single and Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Loman into scoring position. Jarrah Myers followed with a single and Danielle Klayman reached on an error to load the bases for Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.). Bledsoe took advantage of the opportunity by driving a 1-0 pitch to the wall in centerfield, scoring all three baserunners and giving her team a three-run cushion.
Three runs would be all Schmidt needed to secure her fourth victory of the season, allowing just three hits after the third inning. RHP Jessica Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) pitched the last two outs of the seventh inning for her second appearance of the year.
The nightcap on Friday featured the host team, UTC, against Notre Dame. The game was a slugfest from the first pitch. Kreich jumped on the first pitch of the game to single to rightfield and moved into scoring position after Jen Sharron’s sacrifice bunt. UTC starting pitcher Talya Trudell wiggled out of the inning by inducing Alkire to pop up and Myers to fly out.
Jen Sharron, making her sixth start of the season, provided a gutsy performance after giving up two solo home runs in the bottom of the third inning. Leah Tucker hit the first home run to lead off the inning, but Sharron came right back to strike out Jolene Martin on three straight pitches. Angela Brewer then knocked the second pitch she saw out of the park and Notre Dame faced a 2-0 deficit.
Notre Dame wasted no time getting back into the game. Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) slapped the first pitch of the fourth inning into centerfield and Loman followed with her first of two sacrifice bunts in the game. Klayman followed with an RBI single and the Irish were on the scoreboard for the first time in the game.
Bledsoe then lofted a fly ball to leftfield that was dropped by UTC’s Martin. Klayman would score all the way from first and Bledsoe would advance to third on the play. After a UTC pitching change, Alexis Madrid (Temecula, Calif.) provided a perfect sacrifice hit to the right side of the infield, allowing Bledsoe to score the third Irish run of the game.
Notre Dame tacked on an insurance run in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively. Bledsoe drove in Lemire after another Loman sacrifice in the sixth and Kas Hoag (Wallingford, Conn.) knocked the ball out of UTC catcher Jaci Welsh’s hands at the plate to score the fifth and final Irish run of the game. Sharron struck out two in the seventh to secure her sixth victory of the season and fourth complete game.
Returning to Frost Field on Saturday, Notre Dame would face UAB (who had posted a 2-0 record on Friday as well) and some ominous weather in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area. The game started 50 minutes late due to UAB and Jacksonville playing into extra innings in the previous game of the tournament and would be played throughout an increasing intense drizzle.
Both team’s offenses were quiet over the first two innings, but Notre Dame’s powerful bats made their presence known in the bottom of the third inning.
Madrid led off the inning with a single and moved to third when UAB botched the throw on Kriech’s sacrifice bunt attempt. Klayman followed with a long single that allowed Madrid and Kriech to score while she advanced to second on the throw home. Klayman immediately stole second base to get in scoring position for Alkire. Alkire popped up and Klayman eventually scored on Myer’s single to rightfield.
UAB brought in a new pitcher, but Lemire ripped a single to leftfield that shot through the feet of Blazer outfielder Jessica Brown. Myers would score from first on the play and Lemire advanced to third base. Lemire eventually scored on an illegal pitch for the fifth run of the inning. Loman followed with a double off the centerfield wall and scored on Sharron’s RBI single.
As the drizzle started coming down even harder, the Irish posted three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to build a 9-0 lead. They eventually won the game in the fifth inning on the eight-run rule.
Schmidt earned her fifth victory of the season, pitching 4 2/3 innings, giving up just three hits and striking out seven.
Storms moved into the Chattanooga, Tenn., area on Saturday night and washed away the rest of the tournament. Notre Dame has now lost five scheduled games to inclement weather this season.
Hitting the long ball:
Four Irish players have blasted home runs over the first three weeks of the season. Andria Bledsoe hit her first career round-tripper against South Florida while Andrea Loman added a solo shot against #4 Washington. 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).
Three bases are better than two:
Notre Dame set the team record for triples last season with 18 and the Irish seem to have their minds set on exceeding that mark this year, having posted six triples so far this season.
Jarrah Myers, Lizzy Lemire, Andria Bledsoe and Jenny Kriech have all hit triples this season. It was Lemire’s eighth career three-bagger, while Myers and Bledsoe both posted their fourth career triples.Kriech has moved into fourth place on the all-time list for career triples with 10. Katie Marten (’94-’97) tops the list with 13.
Schmidt gives the Irish a solid one-two starting rotation:
The success of freshman RHP Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) has put the Irish coaching staff in the enviable position of posessing two quality starting pitchers for the 2001 season.
Schmidt is 5-1 in six starts this season with a 1.14 ERA. She has struck out 45 and pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout in Notre Dame’s 8-0 five-inning victory over Maine. The freshman hurler struck out a career-best 11 Maine batters in just five innings of work.
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 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 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 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 875-292 (.750) 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 334-150 (.690) 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.
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).
So far in 2001, Alkire has 11 hits, including four doubles and three 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.
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 also has raised the bar considerably in 2001. Just six starts into the new season, Sharron has a 6-0 record with a 0.88 ERA and 46 strikeouts.
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.
A look at the Matadors:
Cal State Northridge is 12-5 (as of March 7) and is currently ranked 24th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25. The Notre Dame and Northridge contest is scheduled for March 11, at 12 p.m.
This will be the second meeting between the Matadors and the Irish, with Notre Dame holding a 1-0 lead in the series. That victory came on March 15, 2000, in the first game of the Kia Klassic. Jen Sharron picked up the win and Andrea Loman scored the winning run for the Irish.
Veronica Lopes leads the Matador offense this season with a .286 batting average, eight RBI and six doubles. Sarah Farnworth leads the Northridge pitching staff with 14 appearances, a 7-3 record with 46 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA.
A look at the 49ers:
Long Beach State is 8-14 (as of March 7) in 2001. This will be the fourth meeing between the two schools, with the 49ers holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. Notre Dame won the last meeting 6-5 in 1995.
The Irish and the 49ers are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, March 13, at 5 p.m.
Irish assistant coach Deanna Gumpf will be returning to Long Beach State for the first time since she patrolled the 49er bench as an assistant coach in 1996-97.
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.
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 fifth while Fresno State, 54-14 in 2000, is ranked seventh.
The Irish also have their traditional meeting with DePaul this season (Thursday, April 19). The Blue Demons are currently ranked 11th.
Notre Dame’s opponents this week, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State are also mentioned in the top 25. Northridge entered the poll on March 7, ranked 24th. Long Beach State is in the `also receiving votes’ category with 29 points.
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.
Notre Dame sweeps the first BIG EAST softball weekly awards announcement:
The 14th-ranked University of Notre Dame softball team, off to the its best start ever with an 11-1 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 last weekend, 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. She currently boasts a 0.55 ERA this season with 40 strikeouts.
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 (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.
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.
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). The Irish leftfielder posted six hits in 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.
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 March 5):
* Dial (219) 631-3000
* Select any of the following subgroups:
1. Upcoming schedule and recent results of ALL varsity sports currently in action.
2. Upcoming football schedules for the 2001 – 2003 football seasons.
3. Men’s basketball information.
4. Women’s basketball information.
5. Lacrosse information (then press 1 for men’s lacrosse and 2 for women’s lacrosse).
6. Baseball and softball information (press 1 for baseball, 2 for softball).
7. Swimming and diving and track and field information (press 1 for swimming and diving and 2 for track and field).
8. Rowing and golf information (press 1 for rowing, 2 for golf).
9. Fencing and tennis information (press 1 for fencing, 2 for tennis)
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.