May 9, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame freshman 1B Trey Mancini and senior RHP Cole Johnson were each named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Mancini has earned the nomination three times this season, while Johnson has been selected twice.
Mancini paced the Irish offense over the week. He batted .455 (10-for-22) with one run scored, two doubles, one triple and two RBI in five games. Mancini registered a .636 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage. He also played flawless defense, not committing an error in 58 fielding chances.
Mancini was dynamite in the series victory at Rutgers. He batted .571 (8-for-14) with a run scored, double, triple and two RBI. He went 7-for-8 in the doubleheader sweep of the Scarlet Knights. Mancini reached base safely in each of his first eight plate appearances in the series (seven hits and a intentional walk). He collected a base hit in all five games last week, including a three- and four-hit game. Mancini carries a six-game hitting streak into exam break.
Mancini leads the Irish in all three triple-crown categories: batting average (.342), home runs (seven) and RBI (28). He would become the first Notre Dame player to accomplish the feat since Brant Ust in 1998.
Johnson was simply too much for Rutgers. He limited the Scarlet Knights to just three hits, all singles, in 8.1 scoreless innings. Johnson struck out a career-best 12. He collected at least two strikeouts in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eight innings. The 12 strikeouts were the most by an Irish pitcher since Tom Thornton fanned 12 against Kent State on June 5, 2004. In fact, a Notre Dame pitcher has not fanned more batters than Johnson since Aaron Heilman set the BIG EAST record with 18 at West Virginia on April 15, 2000.
Johnson improved to 4-6 on the season with his team-best 10th quality start. He has been almost untouchable over his last two starts against Seton Hall and Rutgers. Johnson has allowed just one earned run on six hits, five of which have been singles, in 17.1 innings of work. He lowered his season ERA to 2.50. Johnson’s opponents are batting just .204 on the year.
Johnson retired nine of the first 10 Rutgers hitters on the game. Johnson, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his last start against Seton Hall, did not surrender a hit until a single to open the fourth inning. He proceeded to send down the next 10 Scarlet Knights before a one-out single in the seventh inning.
Rutgers did not have a runner reach second base until the bottom of the seventh inning.
Two other Irish players have been named to the weekly honor roll, including senior RHP Brian Dupra (Feb. 28) and freshman RHP Sean Fitzgerald (April 4). Mancini also earned the award on Feb. 21 and April 11. Johnson previously earned the award on March 28.
Notre Dame will have the week off for finals before opening a critical BIG EAST series against USF at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, May 13 at Frank Eck Stadium. The game can be heard in South Bend on WHME / Harvest 103.1 FM and around the world at UND.com.
As always, please visit UND.com regularly for full coverage of all Notre Dame athletics news and events.
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