#34 Casey Africano 2014-15 Softball Roster
Catcher/Outfield
HONORS AND AWARDS:
2016 Notre Dame Community Champion Award
2016 NFCA Division I Scholar-Athlete
2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll
2015 Notre Dame Community Champion Award
2015 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll
2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll
AS A SENIOR (2016): Received the Notre Dame Community Champion award for the second straight year in recognition of exemplary community service participation – became the first two-time winner of the Community Champion award at the year-end O.S.C.A.R.S. ceremony … ACC Academic Honor Roll selection … appeared in 36 games (22 starts) while battling injuries during senior season … finished the season with a .236 batting average, .403 slugging percentage, three doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and 11 runs, adding a career-high two stolen bases … starting catcher with one hit and one RBI in win over No. 8 UCLA (Feb. 20) … went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in a run-rule win against George Washington (Feb. 21) … a perfect 2-for-2 with a three-run home run, double and a career-high four RBI in a game one win of a doubleheader sweep at FIU (March 9) … drove in an additional run with a sacrifice fly in the nightcap against the Panthers (March 9) … connected on an RBI single and scored a run to help complete a three-game ACC series weep at Virginia (March 13) … logged a base hit, stole a base and scored one run after originally entering as a pinch runner in a home victory over IPFW (March 30) … added a stolen base and a run in a game one win to start a series sweep at Virginia Tech (April 16) … embarked on a season-high seven-game hit streak from the series finale at North Carolina (April 25) until the ACC Championship final against No. 6 Florida State (May 14) … batted a combined 4-for-10 with an RBI and two runs scored in ACC series against North Carolina State (March 7-8) … went 2-for-3 with a solo home run against No. 6 Florida State (May 14) in the ACC Championship game … finished 1-for-3 with a double and one run scored in a win against Miami (Ohio) (May 21) in an NCAA Ann Arbor Regional elimination game.
AS A JUNIOR (2015): ACC Academic Honor Roll … played in a career-high 41 contests, earning 23 total starts split between catcher (1), right field (7) and designated player (15) — only Notre Dame player to start at least one game at three different field positions … batted .273 with a career-high 21 hits, three home runs, 16 RBI and nine runs scored … logged a .345 (10-for-29) average with runners in scoring position, with eight of 16 total RBI coming with two outs … reached base in all three plate appearances, connecting on an RBI single in the first game of the weekend at Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 7) … 2-for-3 with a solo home run the following day in an Irish win over the Titans (Feb. 8) … clocked an RBI double at No. 16 LSU (Feb. 14) … pinch-hit RBI single against UNLV (Feb. 20) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic … RBI base hit and a run scored in a win over No. 25 Texas (Feb. 21) … single and two RBI after entering as a pinch hitter in a run-rule victory against Georgetown (Feb. 27) … slugged a solo home run during the second game of an ACC doubleheader at North Carolina State (March 7) … RBI single after entering at catcher in a home win against IPFW (March 25) … pinch-hit RBI single in an ACC series opening game at Pittsburgh (April 3) … earned the start at designated player in the nightcap, reaching twice and scoring one run against the Panthers (April 3) … clubbed a solo home run for first home round tripper since 2013 versus Butler (April 8) … logged a hit and two RBI in only start of the season at catcher against Bowling Green (April 14) … chipped in a hit and a run scored during the Strikeout Cancer series finale against Syracuse (April 19) … singled and scored a run against Toledo (April 22) … RBI single after entering on defense in a run-rule win at Michigan State (April 28) … pinch-hit single against Northwestern (May 16) during the NCAA South Bend Regional.
AS A SOPHOMORE (2014): ACC Academic Honor Roll … saw action in 31 games for the second straight season, earning a career-high 18 starts … batted .340 (18-for-53) with two RBI and nine runs scored in only 53 at-bats … tied for the Notre Dame team lead with four pinch hits on the year after leading the squad with 11 pinch-hit at-bats (.364 average) … ripped a base hit and recorded a career-high 10 putouts in the field in first career start at catcher against North Dakota State (Feb. 8) at the Auburn Plainsman Invitational … stole first career base and later scored a run in a win over host Jacksonville (Feb. 15) at the JU Tournament … 2-for-3 with a run scored in a start against BYU (Feb. 20) at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic … registered a career-high 12 putouts as the Irish backstop in an extra-inning thriller against No. 6 Oregon (Feb. 23) to close the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic … logged a pair of hits in final start of the year at catcher in the second game of an ACC doubleheader at Georgia Tech (March 8) … scored two runs in home opening win at Melissa Cook Stadium over Eastern Michigan (March 26) … added a pair of runs scored in a non-conference victory over Michigan State (April 2) … clubbed a career-high three hits, chipping in an RBI and a run scored in a run-rule win over Toledo (April 16) … reached base twice and scored twice during a five-inning victory to sweep a league series of Maryland (April 28) on ESPNU ACC Monday … made a pair of reserve appearances against No. 3 UCLA (May 17) and Long Beach State (May 17) during the NCAA Los Angeles Regional.
AS A FRESHMAN (2013): Appeared in 31 games (five starts) during first season at Notre Dame … tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (April 15) … batted .257 with four doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, a .543 slugging percentage, a .409 on-base percentage and scored five runs … led all Irish freshmen in doubles, slugging percentage and on-base percentage … recorded first career hit after entering as a reserve at designated player against Cal Poly (Feb. 15) … ripped a pinch-hit double in first game at East Carolina (Feb. 23) … added two-run double the following day against the Pirates (Feb. 24) … chipped in pinch-hit single in second game of a doubleheader at Seton Hall (March 23) … slugged first career home run, drilling a walk-off three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning against Rutgers (April 13) … earned the start in the second game of the series against the Scarlet Knights (April 14), going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI … ripped an RBI in the series finale against Pittsburgh (April 21) … pinch-hit RBI double in the nightcap of a BIG EAST doubleheader against Connecticut (April 23) … drew a pair of walks and scored a run at Western Michigan (May 1).
PREP AND PERSONAL: Played catcher and in the outfield for Edison (Calif.) while spending her summers at the club level with the Worth Firecrackers … 2012 All-California second team selection … Edison was undefeated and won the Sunset League crown during her freshman season … named all-conference and all-city as a freshman and junior … team captain as a senior … guided Edison to the Las Vegas Spring Break Tournament title as a junior … daughter of Marc and Michelle Africano … uncle, Greg Svitenko, played football at Long Beach … has one younger brother, Colton … involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and show choir … recipient of school’s Pillar of Character award, Character Coalition award and Scholar-Athlete award … hails from the same area as former Irish teammates Micaela Arizmendi, Ali Wester and Karley Wester … graduated from the College of Arts and Letters with a degree in sociology, with a focus in Africana Studies.