Feb. 18, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior second baseman Katie Laing has earned the first BIG EAST Conference Softball Player of the Week honor for the 2008 season the league announced on Monday. Pitcher Brittney Bargar made the conference honor roll for her efforts this past weekend at Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic, as the Irish left the tournament with a 2-2 mark.
Laing, a native of Tempe, Ariz., recorded a team-best batting average (.429), slugging percentage (.714), on-base percentage (.500) and RBI total (4) over the four-game stretch. She totaled 10 bases on the weekend and had multi-hit performances in the 6-5 loss to Western Kentucky and the 4-3 win over California. Against the Golden Bears, Laing recorded a two-run homer to put Notre Dame on the board early in the contest, and then knocked a walk-off double to drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Now with 45 career doubles, Laing is four shy of tying Meagan Ruthrauff’s (2003-06) school record.
Bargar, a junior pitcher from Corona, Calif., made three appearances and logged 18.1 innings of work to carry a 1.91 ERA for Notre Dame. She struck out 23 batters over that stretch and earned two wins while giving up only nine hits through three games. Bargar helped the Irish to a comeback win over California after punching in 4.1 innings of relief time and gave up only two hits without a run. She also held No. 3 Texas A&M to only four hits in a complete-game effort.
Notre Dame will face Gardner-Webb, North Florida, and Florida in the Aquafina Invitational held Feb. 22-24 in Gainesville, Fla.
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