May 15, 2001
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Who:
#1 Notre Dame, #2 Iowa, #3 South Carolina, #4 DePaul, #5 Illinois State and #6 Western Illinois
What:
2001 NCAA Region VII Tournament
When:
#1 Notre Dame vs. #6 Western Illinois, Thursday, May 17, 11:30 a.m.
#2 Iowa vs. #5 Illinois State, Thursday, May 17, 2 p.m.
#3 South Carolina vs. #4 DePaul, Thursday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.
Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two, Thursday, May 17, 7 p.m.
The remaining schedule is to be announced.
Notre Dame heads to 2001 NCAA Championship with #1 seed in hand:
The eighth-ranked Notre Dame softball team (51-5) begins its run for a spot in the 2001 College World Series with the NCAA Region VII tournament in Iowa City, Iowa (Thursday, May 17 through Sunday, May 20). The Irish enter the double-elimination tournament with a #1 seed (its highest position ever entering the championship) and the seventh-overall seed in the NCAA field.
The Irish have made five previous appearances in the NCAA Championship and this year’s invitation is the third in a row. Notre Dame is 5-10 in its NCAA regional appearances, advancing to the championship game in 1995 – eventually losing to Michigan 15-6.
Last season, the Irish won the first game of their regional tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich., defeating Illinois-Chicago 2-0. Notre Dame was eliminated with losses to DePaul (1-0, ND’s first and only shut out loss of the 2000 season) and Central Michigan (2-1).
Even as Notre Dame has made five NCAA appearances, the Iowa City, Iowa, location is just the third different regional site to which the team has traveled. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., played host Notre Dame’s 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2000 regional appearances, while Bloomington, Ind., was the site of Notre Dame’s first NCAA bid.
A look at the Region Seven tournament field:
Notre Dame will face sixth-seeded Western Illinois on Thursday, May 17 at 11:30 a.m.
Western Illinois:
The Westerwinds are 33-19 this season, including a 16-7 mark in the Mid-Continent Conference. Bridget Maxwell leads the team in most offensive categories, smacking 19 home runs and 41 RBI this season. She boasts a slugging percentage of .803 entering Thursday’s contest. Other offensive stars include Chrissie Beebe (.369 batting average, 17 doubles, eight home runs, 35 RBI) and Tammy Howard (.331 batting average, 42 hits).
Western Illinois has four pitchers who have logged over 75 innings this year. The team ERA stands at 2.09, led by Kristin Smith’s 1.48 (7-3) mark and Lindsay Tasker’s 1.73 (11-5). Tasker also leads the team in strikeouts with 94.
Notre Dame and Western Illinois have met six times, most recently a 7-0 Irish victory March 8, 1998. Melanie Alkire had a three-for-four performance in that 1998 matchup with four RBI, while Jen Sharron picked up the victory. The Westerwinds lead the overall series 4-2.
Iowa:
Iowa (45-12) and Illinois State (35-16) meet in game two (2 p.m.) on Thursday. The Hawkeyes earned the #2 seed in the region by virtue of its Big 10 Championship title and a 16-4 record in the conference regular season. Katy Jendrzejweski leads the team in hitting (.388), while Alicia Gerlach is hitting .386 with nine home runs and 37 RBI.
In the pitching circle, Kristi Hanks has logged 242.2 innings, striking out 212 and boasting a 0.66 ERA. She is 35-8 this season. Sarah Thomson has 130.1 innings pitched with a 1.29 ERA and an 8-3 record.
Notre Dame and Iowa have met three times, with the Hawkeyes holding a 2-1 lead in the series. The last meeting occurred in 1997, a 4-3 Iowa victory in 10 innings.
Illinois State:
Illinois State enters the 2001 NCAA Championship with a 35-16 record and a 19-3 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. They are hitting .267 as a team, led by Becky McMurtry’s .364 average with 16 doubles and 26 RBI. April Schermann is hitting .359 with 33 RBI.
Nicole Kurth has thrown most of the Redbird’s innings this season (203.2) and has a 1.24 ERA and a 24-4 record — including 252 strikeouts. Audra Rast has 92.1 IP with 69 strikeouts and a 7-5 record.
Notre Dame and Illinois State have met just twice, splitting the two meetings.
DePaul:
#3 DePaul and #4 South Carolina will play the third first-round game on Thursday. Notre Dame has faced both these teams in 2001, winning a 1-0 early-season decision over South Carolina in the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla. The Irish also swept a doubleheader from DePaul in Chicago, Ill., 7-6 and 5-1.
DePaul, who went to the College World Series last season, enters the tournament with a 50-14-1 overall record, including a 17-3 mark in Conference USA. Sarah Martz leads the Blue Demon offense with a .388 average. Gina Ramacci heads up the team in RBI (35), while leadoff hitter Liz Bouck has 31 stolen bases (on 37 attempts) and 68 hits.
The Blue Demons feature two of the top pitchers in the nation, as Sarah Martz is 26-6 with a 0.83 ERA, while Lindsay Chouinard is 24-8 with a 0.85 ERA. Both pitchers have 200 strikeouts this year and no other DePaul players have appeared in the circle in 2001.
South Carolina:
South Carolina finished the 2001 regular season with a 40-18-1 record and an 18-8 SEC conference mark. The Lady Gamecocks feature a balanced offensive attack, as four players have 15 or more RBI. Joyce McMillin (.282) leads the team in average and home runs (6).
Megan Matthews is the South Carolina staff ace, logging 259.1 innings pitched, 307 strikeouts and a 23-12 record this season. Stacey Johnson has made 28 appearances and has a 17-6 record entering the regional.
Record-setting season:
Notre Dame’s outstanding 51-5 record has done more than move the team up the national rankings – it has rewritten the Irish record books as well. Here is a rundown of the Notre Dame team records that have been set, or are soon to fall, this season:
* Victories in a season: 51 (as of May 15)
* Doubles: 89 (as of May 15)
* Triples: 26 (as of May 15)
* Total bases: 732 (688 as of May 15)
* Lowest team ERA: 1.14 (0.76 ERA as of May 15)
* Complete games: 44 (as of May 15)
*?Shutouts: 29 (as of May 15)
* Strikeouts: 451 (as of May 15)
* Individual triples: (Jenny Kriech has 10)
Irish sweep all four BIG EAST major awards:
The University of Notre Dame softball team, enjoying its most successful season ever with a 51-5 record and the #8 ranking in the nation, swept all four major awards at the BIG EAST Softball Championship Awards Banquet in Valley Forge, Pa., on Thursday night.
The Irish finished the BIG EAST regular season with a 20-0 record, becoming just the third conference team to finish the league slate undefeated. Head coach Liz Miller, associate head coach Deanna Gumpf, along with assistants Traci Conrad and John Gumpf earned the BIG EAST’s inaugural Staff of the Year award at the banquet. Traditionally a Coach of the Year award, the league decided to change to a Staff of the Year award this year.
The Notre Dame coaches helped guide the team to eight victories over top 25 opponents this season, as well as a top 10 ranking in both team batting average (.325) and ERA (0.77).
Senior All-American Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.) earned her fourth BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year award during the festivities. Notching a perfect 10-0 record in league competition, Sharron led all conference pitchers in strikeouts per appearance (9.58) and gave up just three earned runs for a 0.32 ERA in conference play. Sharron threw her first career no-hitter in conference competition this season (vs. St. John’s) and earned the league’s pitcher of the week award three times. She also becomes the first pitcher in BIG EAST history to earn the pitcher of the year award four times in her career.
Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) becomes the third consecutive Irish player to earn the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year award (Andrea Loman in 2000 and Jarrah Myers in 1999) after ending her first season of conference competition without surrendering a run. She struck out 77 batters and walked just 10 in 65.1 league innings this year and is currently among the top five in the country in overall ERA (0.41).
Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) made it a clean sweep for the Irish by earning her first Player of the Year award, becoming the third different Irish player to be named the best in the league (Melanie Alkire in 1999 and 2000, Meghan Murray in 1996 and 1997). Lemire led the conference in runs scored (18) while also being ranked second in batting average (.383), third in hits (23) and third in stolen bases (seven). She also earned all-BIG EAST first team accolades for the third time in her career.
Joining Sharron, Schmidt and Lemire on the all-BIG EAST first team were infielder Andrea Loman (Riverside, Calif.), infielder Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.), outfielder Jenny Kriech (Indianapolis, Ind.), and designated player Lisa Mattison (Granger, Ind.). Irish players on the all-BIG EAST second team were catcher Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) and second base Alexis Madrid (Temecula, Calif.). Schmidt also earned all-rookie team honors.
Irish continue to be ranked among the top teams in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25:
Notre Dame entered the season ranked 19th in the preseason poll and moved to 14th in the Feb. 21 poll. The Irish then dropped a spot to 15th in the Feb. 28 poll, but moved back up to 14th for two weeks (March 7 and 14). After a hard-fought third-place finish in the Kia Klassic (March 15-18), the Irish moved up to 11th and stayed at that position for three weeks. A string of 33 straight victories has moved the team as high as eighth (May 9) in the poll.
Notre Dame in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 this season
Preseason: 19 (0-0)
Irish defeat #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina while capturing the Holiday Inn Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21: 14 (5-0)
Irish give up two runs on a double in the sixth inning to drop first game of the season at Arkansas.
Feb. 28: 15 (8-1)
Irish lose three games off the schedule due to inclement weather but claim third tournament title of the season at the Morning News Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn.
March 7: 14 (11-1)
Irish sweep a doubleheader at #24 Cal State Northridge.
March 14: 14 (13-1)
Irish finish third in the Kia Klassic, knocking off #7 Fresno State and #10 Arizona State while posting a 5-2 record during the week. March 21: 12 (18-3)
Irish earn highest-ever ranking and face a week off before their home opener vs. Western Michigan (March 27).
March 28: 11 (18-3)
Irish continue to climb the poll after taking a week off after their Spring Break trip.
April 4: 11 (26-3)
Irish improve to 4-0 in the BIG EAST and sweep five consecutive doubleheaders.
April 11: 11 (32-3)
Irish extend doubleheader win streak to seven and push overall winning streak to 14.
April 18: 11 (36-3)
Irish continue shutout streak, blanking Loyola (Chicago) and Pittsburgh in two more doubleheader sweeps. Notre Dame boasts the top winning streak in the nation (18 games).
April 25: 9 (43-3)
Irish knock off sixth ranked team and earn eighth victory over a ranked team this season (a doubleheader sweep at #10 DePaul) and post 21st and 22nd consecutive victories and 11th straight doubleheader sweep with 5-0 and 4-0 victories at Virginia Tech.
May 2: 8 (47-3)
Irish post seven more victories to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 29 games. Notre Dame has reached its highest-ever ranking.
May 9: 8 (51-3)
Irish clinch BIG EAST regular season title and enter BIG EAST Championship with the #1 seed.
BIG EAST dominance across the board:
The five Notre Dame women’s team sports that participate in regular-season BIG EAST play finished with a 56-3 record (.949), including perfect records by women’s soccer (6-0-0), volleyball (11-0) and softball (20-0). The Irish women’s basketball team also won the BIG EAST regular season, sharing the title with Connecticut, both with 15-1 records. Women’s lacrosse finished 4-2 for third place in the first season of BIG EAST women’s lacrosse.
Schmidt repeats BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award:
Freshman righthander Kristin Schmidt (Houston, Texas) was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season and second week in a row by the conference office on May 7. Schmidt went 2-0 with victories over Villanova and Rutgers, becoming just the third BIG EAST pitcher to go through the conference season without giving up a single run.
Schmidt finished off a great freshman conference campaign with two more shutout victories over the weekend against Villanova and Rutgers. She tossed her eighth one-hitter of the season against the Wildcats on Friday, surrendering just a pop-fly hit in the sixth inning.
She returned to the mound the next day to give up just four hits while striking out eight in a complete-game shutout victory at Rutgers. Schmidt ends the BIG EAST regular season giving up just 24 hits (2.4 per game) and striking out 77 (7.7 per game). Her overall team-leading ERA is now 0.40.
Streaking:
Notre Dame rattled off a school-record 33 straight victories this season – 32 of those wins coming in 16 doubleheader sweeps.
All-time Notre Dame regular-season win streaks:
33: March 28, 2001 – May 10, 2001
21: April 11, 1998 – Feb. 20, 1999
19: March 16, 1996 – April 11, 1996
16: May 22, 2000 – Feb. 25, 2001
13: April 16, 1990 – April 25, 1990
When Notre Dame opened the 2001 season with eight consecutive victories, the Irish stretched their regular-season win streak to 16 (dating back to May 22, 2000). That streak ranks as the fourth-best in school history.
Streaking II:
Hand-in-hand with Notre Dame’s 33 consecutive victories were 16 consecutive doubleheader sweeps. Beginning with two victories vs. Valparaiso on March 28, the Irish swept 16 consecutive twin bills. Combined with Notre Dame’s first doubleheader sweep of the year on March 11 at #24 Cal State Northridge, the Irish have swept a school-record 17 doubleheaders in a row this season. That breaks the previous streak of eight straight doubleheader sweeps in 1996.
Streaking III:
Where does the 33-game win streak the team compiled this season fit into Notre Dame athletic history? Answer: The Irish have compiled the top winning streak in Notre Dame team-oriented sports history.
The top winning streaks in Notre Dame history (team-oriented sports only):
33:
Softball
March 28, 2001 – May 10, 2001
26:
Men’s Soccer
Sept. 20, 1977 – Oct. 1, 1978
24:
Women’s Soccer
Oct. 19, 1995 – Oct. 21, 1996
23:
Women’s Basketball
Nov. 20, 2000 – Feb. 17, 2001
23:
Football
Sept. 10, 1988 – Nov. 18, 1999
22:
Men’s Basketball
Dec. 23, 1908 – Feb. 9, 1909
21:
Baseball
May 31, 1906 – May 21, 1907
20:
Women’s Basketball
Dec. 11, 1999 – Feb. 22, 2000
Miller earns her 900th career victory vs. Pittsburgh:
Liz Miller enjoyed her 900th career victory on Saturday, April 14, when the Irish beat Pittsburgh in the second game of a doubleheader 8-0. The Irish head coach now boasts a career record of 915-296.
Miller also claimed a victory in her 500th game as Notre Dame’s head coach on April 1, 2001 vs. Seton Hall. The Irish defeated the Pirates 8-0 in five innings to earn Miller her 349th victory under the Golden Dome.
Unpredecented victory total:
Coach Liz Miller’s team, which boasted a record of 51-3 entering last week’s BIG EAST Championship, was 48 games over .500 for the first time in school history. The Irish were 36 games over the .500 mark (48-12) on May 5, 1996 and 35 games over .500 (47-12) on May 18, 2000.
The Irish started the season with an 11-1 record, besting the 8-4 starts in 1995 and 2000 seasons that were the previous best for a season.
Eight players over .300:
There is a reason why Notre Dame is ranked fourth in the nation in team batting average (.319). Eight players on the Irish roster boast a current batting average above .300 – Jenny Kriech (.378), Jarrah Myers (.386), Andrea Loman (.355), Melanie Alkire (.326), Lizzy Lemire (.327), Danielle Klayman (.303), Alexis Madrid (.312), and Lisa Mattison (.300).
Five Irish players set to try out of the USA Softball National Team:
Five University of Notre Dame softball players have been selected by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) to participate in the USA Softball Women’s National Team Camp, May 30-June 3 at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Seniors Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.), Melanie Alkire (Union City, Calif.) and Lizzy Lemire, junior Jarrah Myers and sophomore Andrea Loman have all been invited to the camp. USA Softball will select two 16-player teams out of the 51 athletes invited to represent the United States in international competitions such as the U.S. Cup in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Canada Cup in Vancouver and the Pan Am Qualifier in Maracay, Venezuela during the 2001 season.
The list of players invited to camp represent the best fast pitch softball talent in the nation. Notre Dame is third on the list of schools with the most selected players behind Arizona (9) and UCLA (8).
Selections for the 2001 USA Softball Women’s National Teams will be made following the USA Softball Women’s National Team Camp. The two teams will then participate in the USA Softball Shootout, a four-city West Coast tour that will stop in Portland (June 8), Spokane (June 10), Sacramento (June 14) and Los Angeles (June 17) prior to leaving for the U.S. Cup in Hawaii.
Should any of the Irish players be selected for the national team, they will become members of the undisputed #1 softball team in the world. The USA Softball National Team won the first Olympic gold medal in the sport’s history in 1996 and repeated the feat again in 2000. The USA team has won the past four consecutive World Championships, the past four consecutive Pan Am Games and the past two Olympic gold medals.
For more coverage of the USA Softball Women’s National Team visit the team’s official website at www.usasoftball.com.
Schmidt earns second BIG EAST pitching weekly award of the season:
Kristin Schmidt was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on Monday, April 30. It is the second weekly pitching award the Irish rookie has earned this season and Notre Dame’s fifth overall (Jen Sharron has earned the honor three times).
Schmidt had one of her most outstanding weeks of a great freshman year in the pitching circle for the Irish in four victories over Illinois-Chicago, Toledo, Boston College and Providence last week.
Finishing off Notre Dame’s 8-0 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday, she went four innings, giving up two hits and striking out six to earn the victory.
She came right back the next day to turn in a brilliant performance, pitching her first collegiate no-hitter against Toledo. The freshman sat down a career-best 15 Rocket batters, including striking out the last nine straight. After issuing a walk in fourth inning (the only blemish keeping her away from a perfect game), Schmidt threw just three non-strike pitches the rest of the game and the Toledo hitters were able to reach three balls in the count just twice in all seven innings.
Taking to the circle once again on Saturday againstBIG EAST conference foe Boston College, she was kept from back-to-back no hit performances by a bunt-single in the top of the sixth. She struck out nine, including setting down the side in the top of the seventh once again. She only issued one walk in the ballgame and struck out nine.
She turned in another high-strikeout performance against Providence on Sunday. Scattering six hits over six innings, Schmidt struck out at least two batters in all but one inning, sitting down 12 total. She also extended her BIG EAST scoreless inning streak, as the Irish rookie has not given up a run in eight BIG EAST starts this season . Jen Sharron named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season and second week in a row:
Senior LHP Jen Sharron earned her second consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award on Tuesday, April 10. It was the third weekly award of the season (Feb. 26, April 2, April 10) for the three-time BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, and it comes on the heels of a dominating weekend against conference competition.
After leading Notre Dame to a non-conference win at Purdue (Tuesday, April 3), Sharron compiled 14 scoreless innings at Connecticut and Syracuse to help the Irish to an 8-0 start in conference play. Against the Huskies, Sharron gave up just one hit, striking out four and inducing 12 ground-ball outs. She was equally impressive against the Orangewomen on Sunday, posting her 15th complete game of the season and seventh shut out while giving up just five hits and striking out nine.
Sharron’s impressive week is just a continuation of one of the best series of starts the All-American has posted in her career. In her last seven appearances, she is 7-0 with seven complete games and 64 strikeouts, allowing just 21 hits and three earned runs (0.46 ERA).
Sharron currently has a 0.99 ERA and 213 strikeouts in 183.2 innings pitched. She is the ace of a staff that boasts a 0.76 ERA, giving up just 41 earned runs in 56 games.
Myers is one tough out:
Notre Dame cleanup hitter and catcher Jarrah Myers has been one of the toughest outs in the Irish lineup this season. Myers leads the team in batting average (.386) and slugging percentage (.646). She has reached safely in 47 of 56 games this season and has 18 multi-hit performances to give her a .471 on-base percentage.
Hitting the long ball:
Seven Irish players have blasted home runs this season. Andria Bledsoe (Higley, Ariz.) hit her first career round-tripper against South Florida while Jen Sharron joined the home run club with a three-run shot in the fifth inning vs. Arkansas (Feb. 24). It was Sharron’s third career home run. Notre Dame’s top hitter so far in 2001, Jenny Kriech, hit her first home run of the year vs. Jacksonville State (March 9).
Jarrah Myers leads the team in round-trippers with seven, blasting two in one game vs. #24 Cal State Northridge and one against #9 Cal State Fullerton. Myers also hit a tape-measure shot (estimated at least 260 feet) vs. Valparaiso on March 28 and a two-run homer vs. Loyola (Chicago). She added her sixth home run against Toledo on April 25. Myers combined with Alkire to hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning of the first game at Rutgers (May 5).
Andrea Loman has four solo shots against #4 Washington (Feb. 17) Hawaii (March 17) Connecticut (April 7) and Seton Hall (May 10) and also hammered a two-run blast at Virginia Tech (April 21).
Lizzy Lemire joined the group with a three-run dinger in the sixth inning against Seton Hall (April 1) and a two-run homer at Syracuse (April 8) – the first home run of the year hit at Syracuse’s Skytop Stadium.
Lemire also launched a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the sixth to end Notre Dame’s first game with Toledo on April 25. Lemire’s four RBI gave the Irish an 11-0 victory.
Notre Dame’s most prolific home run hitter of all-time, Melanie Alkire (see Alkire historical note), has `touched them all’ four times this season.
Unprecedented RBI production:
As the Irish enter the final stretch of the 2001 season six players that have posted 20 or more RBI this season.
That breaks the school record of five players with 20 or more RBI, set in three different seasons (’95, ’97 and ’00). Jarrah Myers (41), Lizzy Lemire (37), Andrea Loman (30), Andria Bledsoe (27), Jenny Kriech (26), and Melanie Alkire (23) have already reached the 20 RBI barrier this season. Dani Klayman (17) also has the ability to become the seventh player reach 20 this season.
Rookie righthander Schmidt puts up veteran numbers:
The success of freshman RHP Kristin Schmidt has put the Irish coaching staff in the enviable position of posessing two quality starting pitchers for the 2001 season.
Schmidt is 25-2 in 26 starts this season with a 0.41 ERA. She has struck out 232 (see strikeout note that follows), becoming just the third Irish pitcher to strike out 200 batters (Terri Kobata three times, Jen Sharron twice) in a season and the first freshman to accomplish the feat since Kobata in 1993.
The rookie stepped up her game to an even higher level at the Kia Klassic (March 15-18), shutting down some of the top offenses in the nation. Schmidt earned two victories with complete game performances vs. 10th-ranked Arizona State and a four-hit shutout of Utah State.
Against the Sun Devils, she pitched all nine innings of the extra-innings contest, surrendering just two hits (a lead-off bunt single, followed by a single in the bottom of the ninth that allowed the runner placed on second in the international tie breaker rule to score) in the game. At one point, Schmidt retired 17 straight Sun Devil batters.
Against Utah State on March 15, Schmidt posted a career-best 13 strikeouts while allowing just four hits.
Schmidt also made an extended relief appearance vs. Oklahoma, taking over for starting pitcher Jen Sharron for the third out of the first inning. She had an immediate impact, striking out the first batter she faced in three pitches and eventually holding the potent Sooner offense to just three hits the rest of the way.
Returning home for two doubleheaders vs. Valparaiso and Western Michigan, Schmidt continued to be nearly unhittable. Working five innings vs. Valparaiso (March 28) Schmidt worked four perfect innings before giving up a single in the fifth inning. She ended with 11 K in five innings of work.
Entering the circle the next day vs. Valparaiso, Schmidt tossed her third shutout of the season, once again giving up just one hit and striking out nine.
The rookie tossed her sixth and seventh shut outs of the season in her first trip to Connecticut and Syracuse last weekend.
Taking the mound against DePaul on Thursday, April 19, Schmidt surrendered just three hits and one earned run against the 10th-ranked team in the nation. She continued her effectiveness against ranked teams this season – in four appearances against top-25 teams (at Cal State Northridge, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Arizona State and at DePaul) she has given up just one earned run, struck out 27 and allowed just 12 hits in 27.2 innings pitched for a 0.33 ERA.
The rookie’s outstanding numbers just keep mounting, she is second in the BIG EAST in overall ERA (0.51 as of April 22) and is even better in conference competition, as opposing teams have not scored a run off of the righthander in BIG EAST play this season.
Schmidt continued her impressive rookie showing with her first career no-hitter against Toledo on April 25 in Notre Dame’s 1-0 victory. She sat down a career-best 15 batters, including striking out the last nine she faced.
Her outstanding season earned Schmidt the 2001 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Award and a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
Irish pitching staff becomes K Krew:
Two hundred strikeouts is a total some teams hope to achieve in an entire season. Notre Dame’s pitching staff has set a new precendent in Ks, becoming the first teammates to hit the 200 strikeout goal in the same season. As of May 15, the Irish have 451 strikeouts as a team – Jen Sharron has 213, Kristin Schmidt 232, and Jessica Sharron has six.
To put Schmidt and Jen Sharron’s numbers in perspective, an Irish pitcher has posted over 200 strikeouts just four times in Notre Dame history – Sharron (246) last season and Terri Kobata (250, 315 and 213 from ’93-’95) – and both current Irish aces have reached that mark this season.
They have both been red-hot lately as well. Jen Sharron sat down 14 Valparaiso batters on March 28, setting a personal record (and just three off the school record, held by Kobata), a mark she also hit against Boston College on April 28. Sharron also fanned 24 batters in two starts against Loyola (Chicago) and Pittsburgh. Schmidt posted her career-high for strikeouts (15) in her first career no-hitter against Toledo April 25. The Irish freshman also struck out 12 against Providence on April 29.
Kriech dominates competition from the leadoff position:
No player on the Notre Dame roster has been more consistent than junior rightfielder Jenny Kriech in the first three months of the season.
She started off by splitting tournament MVP honors with teammate Lizzy Lemire at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) and earning a spot on the Morning News Invitational (Feb. 23-25) all-tournament team.
The Irish lead-off hitter has 56 hits in 43 games this season, including the following dramatic moments:
* A game-winning single up the middle against #4 Washington on Feb. 17.
* A game-tying single against Arkansas (Feb. 24) in the top of the fifth, setting the table for teammate Jen Sharron’s game-winning home run and Kriech scoring the eventual game-winning run.
* A walk-off three-run triple in the bottom of the fifth against Maine (Feb. 24) that ended the game on collegiate softball’s eight-run rule.
* She drove the first pitch of the third inning vs. Jacksonville State deep over the wall in right field for her first home run of the year and third of her career.
* Posted a five-for-eight performance in a doubleheader vs. Western Michigan with three RBI, four runs scored and three stolen bases.
* She is third on the team in hitting with runners in scoring positions (.358), has posted a batting average of .538 when she leads off an inning and has 11 two-out RBI.
* She rebounded from a one-for-seven performance at Connecticut to go six-for-eight with two RBI at Syracuse the next day.
* In a doubleheader against Boston College on April 28, Kriech smacked two back-to-back triples in the first game and added another in the second game to become Notre Dame’s career leader in three-baggers (17) and set an Irish school-record for triples in a season (9).
Kriech has since hit another triple against Villanova in the BIG EAST Championship to give her 18 for her career and 10 this season.
Jarrah Myers becomes the third Irish player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades:
Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday, April 16.
Myers batted .455 in four games during the week of April 10-16, leading Notre Dame to a 4-0 record on the week with doubleheader sweeps of Loyola (Chicago) and BIG EAST Conference opponent Pittsburgh. Myers also helped guide the Notre Dame pitching staff through four more shut-out victories, as the Irish now have thrown a school-record eight consecutive shutouts.
Against Loyola, she had a two-for-four performance in the first game with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. In the second game, she went one-for-three with her fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Taking on Pittsburgh over the weekend, Myers went two-for-four in the doubleheader, including a triple in the first game.
Myers matches two school records:
Junior all-BIG EAST catcher Jarrah Myers equalled two school records in the second game of a doubleheader vs. #24 Cal State Northridge on March 11, in Northridge, Calif.. She blasted two home runs in the game, matching the school record held by six different Irish players, including herself when she hit two home runs vs. Seton Hall on April 30, 2000.
Against CSUN, Myers launched a three-run shot down the leftfield line in the fifth inning and muscled a two-run homer over the rightfield fence in the seventh inning. Adding an RBI single in the first inning, she posted six RBI in the game, matching the school record held by teammate Melanie Alkire (vs. San Diego State, 3-12-00).
All-Americans on the roster:
Seniors Melanie Alkire and Jen Sharron became Notre Dame’s first All-Americans since 1996 by earning NFCA second-team All-American honors last year.
Katie Marten (’94-’97) earned NFCA third team honors in 1995 and 1996 while Terri Kobata (’93-’96) earned third team honors in 1995 and second team honors in 1996.
Alkire finished the 2000 season with 13 home runs, 64 RBI and 73 hits. She also posted a 7-1 pitching record (in 13 appearances) with a 2.30 ERA, including a six-hitter against sixth-ranked and 2000 National Champion Oklahoma on Mar. 18, 2000.
Sharron pitched 27 complete games last season, tossing 246 strikeouts and posting a 0.88 ERA. In her career, the Agoura Hills, Calif., native has pitched 574.2 innings with 504 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA entering the 2001 season.
Talented and noteworthy returnees:
The Irish are loaded with veteran players and talented underclassmen this season. Out of the nine starting players that return to the lineup this season, eight earned postseason accolades from the BIG EAST conference. Jen Sharron earned her third consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Year award and was picked by league coaches to repeat the honor once again in 2001.
Melanie Alkire won her second consecutive BIG EAST Player-of-the-Year award last season and placed an exclamation point on her conference season by earning the Most Outstanding Player award at the 2000 BIG EAST Championship.
Andrea Loman helped the Irish earn a sweep of the major player-of-the-year awards by becoming the second consecutive Notre Dame player to earn BIG EAST Rookie-of-the-Year accolades (Jarrah Myers earned the distinction in 1999).
Alkire, Loman, Myers and Sharron were joined on the all-BIG EAST first team by Danielle Klayman, Jenny Kriech and Lizzy Lemire. Andria Bledsoe rounded out the Notre Dame award winners with a second team all-BIG EAST selection and a spot on the all-rookie team.
In keeping with the stellar league performance by her team, Irish head coach Liz Miller earned her second BIG EAST Coach-of-the-Year award. Miller previously won the award in 1996.
Miller is coaching in her 26th season:
Notre Dame head coach Liz Miller is now in her ninth season with the Irish and 26th season as a collegiate head coach. She boasts a 915-296 (.756) record over the last 26 years, 17 of which she coached at Lake Michigan College before heading to the Golden Dome in 1993.
In each of her previous eight seasons with the Irish, Miller has led the team to a conference title (Midwestern Collegiate ’93-’95, BIG EAST ’96-present) and the team has advanced to the NCAA tournament five times.
While at Lake Michigan College, Miller’s teams amassed 12 conference championships and 11 regional titles. From 1981-85 her team finished in the nation’s top five each year.
Miller entered the season ranked 16th on the NCAA winningest active coaches list with a 341-152 (.692) record at Notre Dame.
Alkire among the national and Notre Dame historical leaders:
Senior Melanie Alkire compiled one of the best offensive seasons ever for a Notre Dame softball player in 2000. Alkire led the team in most of the offensive categories, ranking first in batting average (.376), hits (73), doubles (15), home runs (13), RBI (64), total bases (129), slugging percentage (.665) and on-base percentage (.421).
Her 64 RBI ranked fifth in the nation in 2000, while her 13 home run mark was ranked 34th.
Alkire’s 2001 season production has already put her atop the career home run list (29), RBI list (160) and doubles list (49). She is also second in walks (59).
So far in 2001, Alkire has 58 hits, a .326 batting average, 12 doubles and 23 RBI.
Sharron assaults the Irish record books:
Senior lefthander Jen Sharron is coming off one of the most dominating seasons ever for a Notre Dame pitcher. After posting a 0.88 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 2000, she has positioned herself among the best to ever enter the pitching circle for the Fighting Irish.
Sharron has averaged 191.4 inning pitched, 168 strike outs, 20.3 wins and 18 complete games in her first three years with the Irish. Ranking in the top five in 12 career pitching categories, another outstanding season from “#9” in 2001 has put her on top of many of the all-time charts. Over that same period of time, she has won three consecutive BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Year awards and is favored to win her fourth trophy this season.
She is currently first in all-time starts (111), first in wins (87), second in complete games (78), second in shutouts (37), first in innings pitched (754.1), third in winning percentage (87-28, .757), second in career ERA (1.20) and second in strikeouts (717).
Sharron has a 26-3 record with a 0.99 ERA and 213 strikeouts so far this season.
Sharron named a BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete:
Standout Notre Dame softball pitcher Jen Sharron and Irish baseball pitcher Mike Naumann have been selected as the BIG EAST Conference Female and Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, respectively, from the University of Notre Dame.
Sharron will receive $2,000 toward graduate studies from the BIG EAST and Aeropostale, and becomes eligible for the overall female BIG EAST award based on nominees from each league member school. Aeropostale sponsors the league’s post-graduate student-athlete scholarship program, awarding 31 scholarships to conference student-athletes.
A 3.272 student (on a 4.0 grade-point average scale) as a film, television and theater major in the College of Arts and Letters, Sharron twice has been a BIG EAST Academic All-Star and for two years has been part of the University’s Academic Honors Program matching high-achieving student-athletes with faculty mentors.
In addition, Sharron is the softball team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), participates with the STAR reading program, speaks to young people on the dangers of drug use as part of the Notre Dame Athletes Against Drugs program, has assisted with freshman orientation and participates in various activities with student-sponsored services events, primarily with Memorial Medical Center Pediatrics.
Irish boast a strong schedule this season:
Notre Dame has faced a number of ranked teams this season, as six opponents on the 2001 schedule appeared in the preseason top 25. Another five opponents received mention in the `others receiving votes’ category in the poll. Notre Dame has already defeated #4 Washington and #18 South Carolina at the Holiday Inn Invitational (Feb. 16-18) in Tampa, Fla., and #7 Fresno State, #10 Arizona State and #24 Cal State Northridge twice on its trip to California for Spring Break and knocked off #10 DePaul twice in Chicago on April 19.
Notre Dame has posted a 8-2 record against ranked teams this season in addition to its 5-3 record against ranked teams last season, with victories over #16 Louisiana Lafayette, #6 Oklahoma and #22 Illinois-Chicago three times.
Andrea Loman becomes second Irish player to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades:
Sophomore first base Andrea Loman was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 19, for her performance during the Kia Klassic (March 15-18). In the nine games the Irish played over Spring Break, Loman increased her batting average from .214 to .333 by pounding out 12 hits, three RBI and one home run (vs. Hawaii).
Loman also fared well against Notre Dame’s higher-ranked competition, including a three-for-three afternoon against #5 Oklahoma, a two-for-three game vs. #24 Cal State Northridge and a two-for-four contest vs. #9 Cal State Fullerton.
Notre Dame sweeps the first BIG EAST softball weekly awards announcement:
The 12th-ranked University of Notre Dame softball team, off to the its best start ever with an 18-3 record in 2001, had two players recognized by the BIG EAST Conference on Feb. 26.
Junior Jenny Kreich was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week after posting six hits in four games at the Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., (Feb. 23-25). In an 8-0 victory over Maine on Saturday, Feb. 24, Kriech was three-for-three, including a game-ending three-run triple. She finished the tournament with a .545 batting average (six-for-11) and was named to the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Senior All-American Jen Sharron, a three-time BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, began the 2001 season in traditional style by capturing the first BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Week award. She allowed just one earned run in two starts during the second weekend of the season, including a one-hit shutout victory against Texas Tech on Friday. That 4-0 win over the Red Raiders included a seven-hour rain delay after the third inning. She joined Kriech and Irish catcher Jarrah Myers on the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Sharron also did some damage at the plate. With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth against Arkansas on Feb. 24, Sharron launched a 0-2 pitch far over the centerfield fence to give her team a three-run lead. Notre Dame eventually won the game 4-3.
Three talented rookies join the Irish roster:
Liz Miller and her staff welcomes three talented freshmen to the team this season. Catcher Chantal DeAlcuaz, IF/OF Nicole deFau and RHP Kristin Schmidt all possess the talent and drive to contribute immediately in the Notre Dame lineup.
Schmidt, a 2000 second-team All-American coming out of North Shore Senior High School, has secured a spot in the Irish rotation with an impressive performance during the fall exhibition season.
Providing her team some solid depth in the infield, deFau has shown the range and ability to be a steady backup to Alexis Madrid and may also see some time in the outfield. deFau joins junior Kas Hoag as the only two Notre Dame players with Connecticut state roots.
DeAlcuaz, who is the eighth Irish player on the 2001 roster from California (Modesto), will have the opportunity to backup and learn from one of the best catchers in the country, junior Jarrah Myers.
Notre Dame launches 24-hour sports hotline:
The Notre Dame athletic department has launched its varsity sports hotline, available by calling (219) 631-3000.
The hotline provides schedule and results information for all 26 Notre Dame varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the live coverage and game recaps already provided on the official athletic website at www.und.com.
The menu offerings for the 24-hour hotline will be adjusted on a seasonal basis, with schedule and result information from 21 different sports currently being added to the hotline.
Here is how the hotline is currently aligned (as of April 9):
* Dial (219) 631-3000
* Select any of the following subgroups:
1. Upcoming schedule and recent results of ALL varsity sports currently in action (select cells 3-9 for more detailed information).
2. Upcoming football schedules for the 2001 – 2003 football seasons.
3. Baseball information.
4. Softball information.
5. Lacrosse information (then press 1 for men’s lacrosse and 2 for women’s lacrosse).
6. Tennis information (press 1 for men’s tennis, 2 for women’s tennis).
7. Men’s and women’s outdoor track and field information.
8. Golf information (press 1 for men’s golf, 2 for women’s golf).
9. Women’s rowing information.
“Live Stats” debuts on www.und.com:
The University of Notre Dame sports information office is now able to display a live box score for all Notre Dame softball home games, updated after each play, on the offical Notre Dame website: www.und.com. The page also has the ability to display play-by-play and statistics for each team while the game is being played.
Connect to the link http://und.fansonly.com/livestats/w-softbl/ for every home Notre Dame softball game and keep up with the action.