SOUTH BEND, Ind. – After posting back-to-back shutouts last Saturday in South Carolina, the Notre Dame Softball team treks south to Mobile, Alabama, to compete in the Mardi Gras Classic. All games will be played on the campus of the University of South Alabama at Jaguar Field. Notre Dame will take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Lipscomb for the first time in program history and face Maine for the first time since 2001. The Irish will play tournament host South Alabama twice on ESPN+.
Notre Dame split last weekend’s Battle at the Beach in Conway, South Carolina. The Irish dropped the first two before shutting out Towson (9-0 in five innings) and Kent State (5-0).
The 1-2 punch of Micaela Kastor and Kami Kamzik in the circle has been dominant for the Irish. Kamzik has been a pleasant surprise early this season. The sophomore leads the team with a 2.55 ERA and has struck out 25 batters in 22 innings pitched. She posted a career-best eight strikeouts in the win over Towson last Saturday.
Kastor has been a steady presence for the Irish. After a tough first outing against Kentucky, the junior has been in control in all of her recent appearances. She struck out seven in both her starts last week against Coastal Carolina and Kent State. Kastor leads the team with 26 strikeouts this year and was named to the NFCA Top Performances List for the week.
The Irish found a source of power in Conway, hitting two home runs in both the Coastal Carolina and Kent State games. Kaia Cortes and Paige Cowley both hit their first roundtrippers of their careers, while Addison Amaral and Rachel Allen went yard for the first time this season.
Mardi Gras Classic Preview
TAMU Corpus Christi – Friday. Feb. 21 at 11:30 a.m. CT/12:30 p.m. ET
Texas A&M Corpus Christi is 4-6 on the season, and play on the road at Southern later today.
Skylar Heger leads the Islanders with a .320 average and has driven in five this season.
South Alabama – Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 4:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. ET (Both games streaming on ESPN+)
The host of the invite, South Alabama comes into the weekend 5-6 after dropping last night’s midweek contest to Southeastern Louisiana.
This will be the third all-time meeting between Notre Dame and South Alabama. The Jaguars got the best of the Irish a year ago, winning 5-1 at the NFCA Clearwater Classic.
Maine – Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. CT/3:00 p.m. ET
Maine is still looking for its first win of the year after going 0-4 at that Pinnacle PC Invitational in Clinton, South Carolina. This will be the first meeting between the Irish and the Black Bears in almost 24 years.
Madison Simmerman has been the ace for Maine so far this season, posting a 0.70 ERA, including a complete game against Presbyterian.
Lipscomb – Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET
Lipscomb is 3-6 on the year and are coming off a 2-2 weekend at the Georgia Southern Tournament. The Irish and Bisons will compete for the first time in each program’s history.
Courtney Sauer has been a steady presence for Lipscomb in the circle, throwing 23.1 innings and having a 3.00 ERA.
Live stats will be available for every game at the Mardi Gras Classic this weekend. All games against South Alabama will be streamed on ESPN+.