July 27, 2015

2015 Hitting Academy Get Acrobat Reader

2015 Pitching Academy Get Acrobat Reader

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — A pair of annual University of Notre Dame softball instructional academies make their return to Melissa Cook Stadium this fall. The program is set to host the Irish Softball Hitting Academy from Sept. 21 through Oct. 5 and the Irish Softball Pitching Academy from Sept. 23 through Oct. 7 on the Notre Dame campus.

Sessions will be offered on Monday nights during the three-week hitting academy, with 7-9 p.m. (ET) instructional periods scheduled for Sept. 21, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 at Melissa Cook Stadium. The cost is $200 per player for the entire three-week academy schedule. Payment must be made in full, and there will be no refunds issued after a spot is reserved due to the limited amount of participants allowed to register.

All registered players are required to bring their own bat and helmet to each session, and limited availability remains for each academy session.

Notre Dame associate coaches Kris Ganeff and Lizzy Ristano and select Notre Dame players will lead the innovative hitting academy geared toward offensive skills and drill development. Players will learn about their swing through a combination of lecture, video analysis and drill training exercises.

Regarded as one of the top offensive teams in NCAA Division I softball over the past two seasons, Notre Dame finished sixth nationally with a .351 team batting average in 2015, the second straight year the Irish eclipsed the .350 plateau. Notre Dame previously led the NCAA with a .357 batting average in 2014. The 2015 Irish offense established new single-season program records for hits (543), runs (395) and on-base percentage (.419) in helping Notre Dame reach the regional round of the NCAA Championship for the 17th straight campaign.

Notre Dame head coach Deanna Gumpf and volunteer assistant coach Jamie Spitale will present the third annual three-week Irish pitching academy on consecutive Wednesdays, hosting 90-minute pitching academy sessions from 6-7:30 p.m. (ET) on Sept. 23, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 at Melissa Cook Stadium. The full cost is $175 per pitcher for the entire pitching academy, and payment must be made in full. There will be no refunds issued after a spot is reserved due to the limited amount of participants able to register for the academy sessions.

Each pitcher is required to bring their own catcher, and sessions will be limited to 20 pitchers per night.

Academy participants will learn through lecture, video analysis and focused drill work to refine pitching mechanics. The instructional sessions maximize and develop the key skills needed both physically and mentally to be successful in the circle.

Notre Dame pitchers finished in the top five of the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in team ERA, shutouts, batting average against and strikeouts in 2015. Entering her 15th year as head coach of the Irish, Gumpf has mentored eight conference pitchers of the year, one pitcher who was named conference player of the year, four National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America pitchers, 15 pitchers who have received NFCA all-region recognition and one pitcher who was a top 10 draft pick in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league.

For more information, and to register for both Notre Dame softball instructional camp academies, contact Notre Dame associate softball coach Kris Ganeff at Ganeff.2@nd.edu.

For the latest news and updates on all things Notre Dame softball, visit www.und.com/softball, follow the Irish @NDsoftball and @NDcoachGumpf on Twitter and at Instagram.com/notredamesoftball, and Like the team at Facebook.com/NDSoftball.

–ND–