Feb. 17, 2001
STARKVILLE, Miss. – A series of untimely Notre Dame miscues and 13 runners left on base provided the difference in the opening 7-6 loss to the University of New Orleans but the 12th-ranked Irish baseball team bounced back to defeat host Mississippi State, 7-5, in Saturday’s chilly action at the National Bank of Commerce Classic. The Irish (1-1) and Bulldogs (1-0 and ranked as high as 16th in the national polls) wrap up the tournament on Sunday, with a game starting at 1:00 p.m. central.
The two games-and events from the preceding day-provided plenty of unusual and memorable moments. Somewhat lost amidst the effects of Friday’s tornado that hit the Starkville area-coupled with excitement from the pair of close games-was a noteworthy milestone for Irish senior righthander Aaron Heilman, as the Logansport, Ind., native became Notre Dame’s all-time strikeout leader, with 320 (in 285 innings pitched, besting David Sinnes’ 315 Ks from 1990-93).
Irish sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky lived up to his preseason billing as BIG EAST player of the year, collecting five hits in seven at-bats during the two games, with a triple, two doubles, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Freshman second baseman Steve Sollmann-brother of former Irish all-star outfielder Scott Sollmann-had an impressive debut to his Notre Dame career, collecting four hits in the UNO game while making some big plays at his new position (after converting from the outfield).
For the first time in its 109-year history, Notre Dame opened a season on the road at the same ballpark where it ended the previous campaign (the Irish battled MSU in the championship game of the 2000 NCAA Starkville Regional before losing 10-9).
The Starkville area was hit early Friday afternoon by a tornado that touched down on the MSU campus, reportedly causing several million dollars of damage while canceling Friday night’s scheduled game between MSU and UNO. The coincidence of Notre Dame’s impending arrival (late Friday night) was not lost on the MSU fans, many of whom were in attendance during ND’s game versus Tulane during the 2000 NCAAs (at Dudy Noble Field) that was halted for two hours-plus due to a passing tornado.
The Irish had to overcome several logistical obstacles even before taking the field, including 10 hours of travel (South Bend-Chicago-Memphis-Starkville) that ended with an arrival at the team hotel shortly after midnight. With some of the rooms lacking electricity and heat due to the tornado damage, the Irish also coped with the lack of hot water following a 6:45 a.m. wakeup and team breakfast.
Starkville was bathed in 75-degree temperatures Friday at noontime but Saturday’s gametime temperature had dipped to 39, with steady winds providing a chilly atmosphere throughout the day.
Heilman’s strong six innings helped extend his career record to 29-7, for an .806 winning percentage that ranks as the best by a Notre Dame pitcher since 1924. Just one of the five runs credited to Heilman was earned-due to Irish errors in the first two innings-and he yielded just four hits and two walks while posting six strikeouts.
Heilman shook off the unlucky start, retiring 12 of the final 14 batters he faced, while the Irish offense chipped away with single runs in the first two innings and two in the third before surging ahead (6-5) in the fifth, versus lefthanded reliever Joey Collums. Paul O’Toole’s groundout plated Alec Porzel with the tying run and Stavisky-who had doubled-then scored what proved to be the game-winner on a single from classmate Kris Billmaier.
Notre Dame added a run in the seventh and the steady pitching of sophomore Brandon Viloria kept MSU off the board until the ninth, when his classmate Matt Laird was called out of the bullpen with runners on second and third and the winning run at the plate. But leadoff batter Matthew Maniscalo then hit a dipping linedrive that was snared by the shortstop Porzel, who stepped on second base for a dramatic game-ending double play.
A pair of Irish errors in the first game led to three unearned runs for UNO (2-2), who erased a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the fifth. The Privateers then scored three valuable insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as the Irish rallied for three runs in the bottom of the frame to forge a 7-6 score and tense finish. But Kevin Ubles induced a flyout from Ken Meyer, ending the game.
Irish senior righthander Danny Tamayo (0-1) failed to reprise his three-hit shutout from the 2000 NCAAs, suffering the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings, with three Ks. UNO’s ace, lefthanded Tom Lipari, improved to 2-0 after holding the Irish to a pair of runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.1 innings.
NEW ORLEANS 0-0-0 0-3-0 1-0-3 – 7 11 2
#12 NOTRE DAME 0-0-0 2-0-0 0-1-3 – 6 11 2
Lipari, Lambert (6), Ubles (9) and Champion, Sanchez (8). Tamayo, Naumann (6), Edwards (8) and Bushey, O’Toole (7).
Win – Lipari (2-0). Loss – Tamayo (0-1). Save – Ubles (1).
Triples – Stavisky (ND).
Doubles – Rowell (UNO), Champion (UNO).
#12 NOTRE DAME 1-1-2 0-2-0 1-0-0 – 7 9 2
MISSISSIPPI STATE 2-3-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 – 5 5 2
Heilman, Viloria (7), Laird (9) and O’Toole. Brock, Collums (3), Young (7) and Burkley.
Win – Heilman (1-0). Loss – Collums (0-1). Save – Laird (1).
Doubles – Stavisky 2 (ND), Billmaier (ND).