Tri-campus sports update: Saints end postseason journeys, baseball to begin tournament run
Notre Dame softball saw its season come to an end Saturday night at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Needing four consecutive victories to win the regional, the Irish notched one before suffering a shutout at the hands of No. 11 Arkansas. With the elimination game loss, Notre Dame ends the season 30-19-1, beginning its summer in the regional round for the 24th consecutive full season. After the games, Irish head coach Deanna Gumpf reflected on the 2023 campaign.
It took quite a bit longer than expected, but Notre Dame softball dropped its fifth consecutive game in its NCAA Tournament opener Friday. No. 19 Oregon edged the Irish 5-4 in game one of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, pushing Notre Dame into win-or-go-home territory. The contest, which included a nearly two-and-a-half hour rain delay in the fourth, saw the Irish score one run in the first and three in the sixth. But a five-run Oregon second, marked by abnormal struggles from graduate ace pitcher Payton Tidd, made the difference.
Notre Dame softball might as well have a yearly reservation for the third weekend of May. For the 24th consecutive full season, the Irish will play in the NCAA Tournament. And as the players and coaches prepare for a first-ever postseason trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas, they won’t be taking anything for granted. Just five days ago, Notre Dame’s seat at the table didn’t seem so certain.
Notre Dame men’s lacrosse finished their regular season with an outstanding 10-2 record, and a 4-2 mark in conference play. That effort earned them the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They have defeated No. 1 Duke, No. 20 North Carolina and Ohio State at home. They took down No. 4 Georgetown, No. 5 Maryland and No. 8 Michigan away from South Bend. Their only losses were handed to them by No. 2 Virginia.