By: Tony Jones – Media Relations Assistant, University of Notre Dame Athletics
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame softball head coach Deanna Gumpf officially announced the upcoming 2013 fall schedule Tuesday, which includes five games for the Irish at Melissa Cook Stadium.
The team returns 13 monogram winners from last season’s squad that finished 43-15, won the program’s 13th BIG EAST Conference regular-season championship and reached the NCAA Championship for the 15th consecutive season (18th bid in 25 seasons). Notre Dame welcomes five true freshmen to the roster in 2014, its first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Irish open the home portion of fall play on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. (ET) against Illinois State at Melissa Cook Stadium. Notre Dame then hosts an afternoon doubleheader the following weekend, welcoming Purdue at 12 p.m. and Butler at 4:30 on Sept. 22. Butler and Purdue are scheduled to meet one another at 2:15 at Melissa Cook Stadium.
The final games of the month will coincide with Notre Dame’s fundraising efforts to benefit the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team on Sept. 29 at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish and the Wounded Warriors are scheduled to play an exhibition contest at 12 p.m., with the Notre Dame Celebrity Slow-Pitch Game, pitting University figures and alumni against the Wounded Warriors, to tentatively follow at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person at the gate, and proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team.
Notre Dame makes its only road trip of the fall to open the month of October, traveling to Chicago, Ill. to take on Heartland Community College at 12 p.m. (ET) and Illinois-Chicago at 2:15 (ET) on Oct. 5.
The Irish return home to Melissa Cook Stadium to host South Suburban Community College on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. to close the fall schedule.
For more information on the Notre Dame softball team, particularly the exhibition games with the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team on Sept. 29, follow the Irish on Twitter @NDsoftball and @NDcoachGumpf, or Like the team on Facebook.com/NDSoftball.
