Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Softball Will Start 2001 Season This Weekend In Tampa

Feb. 12, 2001

Complete Release in PDF Format, including updated roster, USA Today/NFCA poll and BIG EAST conference results
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Who:

Notre Dame, Maryland, South Florida, Washington, Hofstra and South Carolina.

What:

The 2001 Holiday Inn Invitational

Where:

Tampa, Fla., University of South Florida Softball Field

When:

Friday, Feb. 16 – Sunday, Feb. 18, 2001

#19 Notre Dame vs. Maryland, Friday, Feb. 16, 11:00 a.m.

#19 Notre Dame vs. South Florida, Friday, Feb. 16, 6:00 p.m.

#19 Notre Dame vs. #4 Washington, Saturday, Feb. 17, 10:00 a.m.

#19 Notre Dame vs. Hofstra, Saturday, Feb. 17, 12:00 p.m.

#19 Notre Dame vs. #18 South Carolina, Feb. 18, 12:00 p.m.

First pitch of the 2001 season will take place in Tampa, Fla.:

The 19th-ranked Notre Dame softball team will begin the 2001 season this weekend, taking part in the Holiday Inn Invitational on the campus of the University of South Florida, Feb. 16-18.

The Irish will face a highly-competitive field, with #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina in the tournament. Hofstra and South Florida also have received votes in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Top 25. Notre Dame posted a 17-7 (.708) record in five in-season tournaments last season, including capturing the 2000 State Line Classic tournament title with victories over Kentucky and Tennessee and two wins over new 2001 BIG EAST conference member Virginia Tech.

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 (Union City, Calif.), Danielle Klayman (Sand Diego, Calif.), Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) and Jenn Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.), 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 Jenn 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. Jenn 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 (Riverside, Calif.) 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 (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Lizzy Lemire. Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) 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 enters 26th season:

Notre Dame head coach Liz Miller, entering her ninth season with the Irish, is entering her 26th season as a collegiate head coach. She boasts a 864-291 (.748) record over the last 25 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 323-149 (.684) 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 Jenn 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.

Veterans and underclassmen mix:

Even though the Irish return all nine starters from the 2000 team, Notre Dame boasts both young talent and veteran leaders throughout the lineup. Lizzy Lemire and Danielle Klayman have started together in the outfield all three years, while junior Jenny Kriech has been part of the combination over the last two seasons.

The Irish infield, anchored by the veteran battery of junior catcher Jarrah Myers and senior pitcher Jenn Sharron, has youth on the corners as sophomores Andria Bledsoe (third base) and Andrea Loman (first base) started all 61 games as freshmen last season. Up the middle, the Irish have a veteran at short (Alkire) and a sophomore at second base (Alexis Madrid).

A look at the Terrapins:

Notre Dame will face Maryland in the first game of the 2001 schedule Friday, Feb. 16, at 11:00 a.m. This will be just the second meeting between the two teams, the first taking place in 1999. Notre Dame won the ’99 meeting in eight innings 6-0. Irish junior catcher Jarrah Myers finished off a six-run eighth inning for the Irish with a grand slam home run. Jenn Sharron picked up the win, pitching a complete game and striking out 10.

Maryland was 27-28 last season and posted a 3-5 (third place) record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head coach Gina LaMandre (Trenton State ’86) is in her sixth season in College Park. The Terrapins are led by junior catcher Beth Radford, who hit .303 with 35 RBI and 8 home runs last season. Radford was named to the all-ACC and all-mid atlantic regional team last season.

A look at the Bulls:

Notre Dame will take on the South Florida Bulls Friday, Feb. 16, at 6:00 p.m., on South Florida’s home field. It will be the second game of the day for the Irish, who will have previously faced Maryland at 11:00 a.m.

Notre Dame and South Florida will be meeting for the fifth time, with the Bulls hold a 3-1 advantage in the series. The last meeting occurred in 1999, the first game of the season for Notre Dame. South Florida entered the contest ranked sixth in the nation, but Notre Dame managed a 2-0 upset victory behind junior catcher Jarrah Myers’ first career home run.

Last season, USF went 41-33 (11-7 in Conference USA). Head coach Ken Erickson (South Florida, ’84) welcomes back three right handed pitchers from last season (Jamie Peterka, Jessi Kowal and Jaimi Anderson) and outfielder Nikki Phillips (.313, 9 RBI in 2000).

A look at the Huskies:

The University of Washington Huskies and the Irish will meet Saturday, Feb. 17, at 10:00 a.m. The Huskies enter the weekend ranked fourth in the country after posting a 62-9 record in 2000 and advancing to the College World Series (eventually tieing for fifth place). The Huskies finished the 2000 season ranked fifth in the country and return four starters from last year’s team.

This will be the second meeting between Notre Dame and Washington. The Huskies lead the series 1-0 after a 7-1 victory on March 2, 1996.

Head coach Teresa Wilson (Missouri, `’84) is entering her ninth year with the Huskies and was named the Pac-10 Co-Coach-of-the-Year in 2000.

A look at the Flying Dutchwomen:

The Hofstra Flying Dutchwomen and the Irish are meeting for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 12:00 p.m. It will be the fourth game in two days for both teams.

Hofstra, coached by Bill Edwards (Northern Michigan, ’67), finished the 2000 season with a 42-21 record and won the America East Conference title with a 22-4 mark in league play. Hofstra and Notre Dame are linked by both school’s inclusion in the Northeast Region. Notre Dame was ranked first in the region last season, while the Flying Dutchwomen were ranked second. Hofstra’s top returnees include OF Lisa Ciavardini (.314, 7 home runs, 47 RBI in 2000), 1B Amanda Hallaway (.331, 5, 32) and pitcher Kelly Blois (7-3, 2.00 ERA).

A look at the Gamecocks:

Notre Dame and 18th-ranked South Carolina will meet for the ninth time Sunday, Feb. 18, at 12:00 p.m. The Gamecocks lead the series 6-2, including a 1-0 shutout win March 6, 1998. The last Notre Dame victory in the series occurred March 27, 1992, when the Irish earned a 4-1 victory.

South Carolina finished 41-28 in 2000, earning third place in the SEC eastern division. The Gamecocks have made two consecutive NCAA regional tournament appearances and 10 overall. Head coach Joyce Compton (Trenton State ’72) returns seven starters this season, including Jodi Fittro (.307, 16 RBI in 2000), Joyce McMillin (.298, 64 hits, 35 RBI) and pitcher Megan Matthews (311.0 IP, 1.37 ERA, 237 K).

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 will face fourth-ranked Washington this weekend at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla., (Feb. 16-18). The 18th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks will also be in Tampa, Fla., as well as Hofstra and South Florida, who both received votes in the preseason poll.

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 second in the preseason poll while Fresno State, 54-14 in 2000, is ranked ninth.

The Irish also have their traditional meeting with DePaul this season (Thursday, April 19). The Blue Demons enter the season ranked 10th.

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.