April 28, 2001
JAMAICA, N.Y. – Aaron Heilman became the first Notre Dame baseball pitcher ever to win his first 11 decisions of the season while fellow senior righthander Danny Tamayo registered his third shutout of the season, as the top-ranked Irish clinched a spot in the four-team BIG EAST Tournament with a 3-2, 5-0 sweep of St. John’s in doubleheader action Saturday at McCallen Field.
Heilman and Tamayo (7-1) continued to make a strong case for being the nation’s top pitching tandem, after limiting the Red Storm to five hits and four walks in 16 innings of work. The ball reached the Irish outfield just seven times all day, with the dynamic duo combining for 17 strikeouts, 26 groundouts and a pair of infield popups.
Notre Dame (39-6-1, 17-2 BIG EAST) posted its 15th consecutive BIG EAST victory while slicing its magic number to 2 for winning the regular-season title, with seven BIG EAST games still remaining on the Irish schedule. St. John’s (26-18, 13-9) fell seven games behind the Irish in the loss column while second-place Rutgers (14-8) is now six games back after splitting at Pittsburgh (4-0, 0-8). Idle Seton Hall (12-7-1) joins RU as the only teams that still can catch the streaking Irish.
Tamayo made a strong bid to repeat as BIG EAST pitcher of the week, after facing just 30 batters-three over the minimum-while holding SJU to a pair of hits (one a bunt single) and one walk, with nine strikeouts and 14 groundouts. The Miami native has won his last seven decisions and has posted four shutouts in his last 11 starts, including three this season (matching Heilman’s total).
Tamayo’s pinpoint accuracy included locating 70 percent of his pitches for strikes (75 of 107).
Heilman won for the 21st time in his last 22 decisions while pushing his career record to 39-7, one shy of the Irish career victory record set by 1994 graduate Tom Price (40-10). The three-time All-American scattered three hits and three walks over the seven-inning opener, with eight strikeouts and 12 groundball outs. He will head into next weekend’s home series versus Connecticut needing one more win and 10 Ks to reach the rare double-milestone of 40 career wins and 400 strikeouts.
Tamayo (1.42 in 82.1 innings) and Heilman (1.43 in 82.0) currently own near-identical season ERAs that should rank among the top 10 nationally, with Tamayo owning a slight edge in stikeouts (78-76) and having fewer walks (12 to 21) while Heilman owns the lower opponent batting average (.165 to .176).
Notre Dame plated multiple runs in just one inning during the doubleheader but it set the tone for the day, as the Irish pushed across three runs in the first inning of the 3-2 opener to provide Heilman just enough run support as the game progressed.
Steve Stanley doubled and scored on Brian Stavisky’s single before Kris Billmaier and Paul O’Toole walked on two-out, two-strike counts to load the bases. Andrew Bushey capped the opening rally with a two-strike, two-run single to left-center field.
The Irish-who now own a 27-1 first-inning scoring edge during BIG EAST games this season-opened the nightcap with single runs in each of the first four innings. Stavisky’s 4-for-8 day included three RBI in the second game and pushed his season average to a team-best .400.
TEAM NOTES: ND now leads the SJU series (9-5), including three straight … ND is 33 games over .500 (the team record is +35, at 45-10 in 1990) … the Irish are one win shy of posting the program’s 13th-straight season with 40-plus wins (the 1990 team reached 40 wins in its 50th game) … ND’s stats in BIG EAST games this season include a .330 team batting avg. and 2.38 ERA … ND starters have combined for a 1.90 ERA the season … Stanley’s SB in the nightcap ties him with Greg Layson (`94) for 3rd in ND history … ND now has won 16 of its last 17 BIG EAST series and 24 of the alast 27 (with one tie) … the Irish have won 41 of 52 all-time BIG EAST series (five ties) … ND now has been swept just three times in 50 all-time BIG EAST DHs.
HEILMAN & TAMAYO NOTES: Their combined stats in 5 BIG EAST DHs this season: 10-0, 0.70 ERA, 77 Ks, 14 BB, 38 H in 77.2 IP (with a 60-8 ND scoring edge in those gams) … Heilman improved to 9-1 in his ND career when facing a team that beat him earlier (he lost a 1998 game to SJU) … a win on Sunday would give ND its second 3-game BIG EAST road sweep of 2001 (the Irish had just two in the previous five years, in 10 tries) … Heilman’s 22 complete games are tied for 3rd on the ND all-time list … Tamayo still has yet to allow a 1st-inning run … Heilman owns a 23-3 career record outside of Eck Stadium (12-1 on the opponent’s field) … Heilman has posted 7 straight complete games … Tamayo’s last 7 GP: 56 Ks/7 BB.
#1 Notre Dame 3-0-0 0-0-0 0 – 3 5 1 St. John’s 0-0-0 1-0-1 0 – 2 3 1
Aaron Heilman (W, 11-0) and Paul O’Toole.
Geno Orsogna (L, 5-1) and Asa Grunenwald.
Double: Steve Stanley (ND).
#1 Notre Dame (39-6-2, 17-2 BIG EAST) 1-1-1 1-0-0 1-0-0 – 5 10 0
St. John’s (26-18, 13-9 BIG EAST) 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 – 0 2 2
Danny Tamayo (W, 7-1) and Paul O’Toole.
Marc Goldberg (L, 4-5), Greg Holmes (4), Ryan Kyle (9) and Eric Potts.
Doubles: Alec Porzel (ND), Andrew Bushey (ND).