SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Unlike the infield which saw some key departures from the 2021 squad, the outfield for Notre Dame softball remains intact. 2022 will see the return of 2021 All-American Abby Sweet, 2021 All-ACC second team honoree Emma Clark and Leea Hanks who was one of the top hitters in the ACC a year ago. Along with this trio, the Irish return three monogram winners and a freshman for plenty of depth in the outfield.
There has been plenty of fanfare around centerfielder Sweet and rightfully so. The graduate student led the ACC with a .445 average and set a school record with a .537 on-base percentage in 2021 on her way to earn her All-America status. Sweet is a two-time team captain who scored 43 runs a season ago while swiping 20 bases and was named the ACC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2021. She’s been named a Preseason All-American by Softball America and D1Softball.com heading into the 2022 season.
Clark finished fifth in the conference with a .404 average and played in 47 games, primarily in right field in 2021. The senior earned NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region first team for her efforts during her junior campaign while also picking up 2021 All-ACC Academic recognition. Clark led the team with 26 stolen bases, and ranked fifth in the conference in that category.
Hanks was third on the team with a .314 average, playing in 48 games as the primary left fielder. Hanks hit 12 extra-base hits, with an equal amount of triples and homers to go with two doubles. Her five home runs tied for third on the team while she drove in 27. She was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts on the year and scored 26 runs.
The Irish have a couple upperclass reserve outfielders that add plenty of depth to this squad. Junior Macie Eck started three games and appeared in 18 in 2021. She scored a couple runs and drove in three during the year. Miranda Johnson, a junior who plays some infield as well, hit for a .281 average in 22 games with six starts. She added a pair of doubles with four RBI and scored four times. Carlli Kloss is another who splits time in the outfield, while also adding depth behind the plate. As a freshman in 2021, Kloss started 15 contests, appearing in 30 total. She was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases, while scoring seven runs.
Freshman Emily Tran is the lone freshman in the group. The Texas-native was twice a first team all-district honoree at Klein Cain High, and was a three-time captain and Most Valuable Player. She etched her name in the Klein Cain record books as she holds single season records for hits, runs scored, batting average, stolen bases and on-base percentage.
The outfield takes the field Friday morning at 10 a.m. as the Irish take on the Bucknell Bison in Charlotte, N.C. for the first game of the 2022 season. Notre Dame will stay at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium for the following contest, taking on Boston University at 12:30 p.m.
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