SOUTH BEND, Ind. – With the first games of the 2022 season on deck, Notre Dame softball is poised for another competitive season at Melissa Cook Stadium, and all around the country. The Irish return several key contributors for last year’s 33-15 team that finished in the NCAA Regional Final against Kentucky. Notre Dame returns two-thirds of its primary contributors in the circle, half of its backstops and adds depth with several key freshmen.
Returning in the circle is graduate student Alexis Holloway and senior Payton Tidd. Tidd led the Irish with 131.1 innings of work, followed closely by Holloway’s 125.1. Each was named Third Team All-ACC. Holloway led the team with 111 strikeouts, followed by Tidd’s 80 Ks. Combined, they held opponents to a .228 average against.
Offensively, Tidd and Holloway are key contributors. Tidd hit three home runs and drove in 10 and scored eight runs. Holloway hit for a .250 average, three home runs, 10 RBI. and scored nine times.
Joining Tidd and Holloway in the circle is freshman Shannon Becker. Becker was added to Softball America’s Newcomers to watch the ACC just a week ago. A two-time New York Gatorade Player of the Year at Mahopac High, Becker threw a “perfect” perfect game, striking out all 21 hitters she faced in a contest as a junior. As a senior, Becker went on to earn a perfect 0.00 ERA throughout the season, striking out 286 hitters in 139 innings of work. At the plate she hit for a .470 average.
Behind the plate, Shelby Grimm returns. The senior started 36 games in 2021, earning a .978 fielding percentage. She caught nine attempted base stealers and picked up 15 defensive assists during the season. Carlli Kloss played in 15 games in her freshman season. She scored seven runs and was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Behind the plate, Kloss earned a perfect fielding percentage on 74 chances and threw out three attempted base stealers as the secondary catcher.
The freshman tandem of Rachel Allen and Mikayla LaPlaca will also begin their first collegiate season Friday. Allen was the No. 61 player ranked nationally out of Palos Verdes High in California. As a senior, she was a captain, Bay League Player of the Year and earned First Team All-League honors each year of eligibility and was a career .500 hitter.
A high school teammate of Karina Gaskins, LaPlaca won the 2019 State Final and the 2019 Tournament of Champions where she had the game-winning hit. She finished her career with 104 hits, 75 runs scored and drove in 77.
The Irish take the field twice on opening day, beginning the season at 10 a.m. with a matchup against the Bucknell Bison, followed quickly by the Boston University Terriers at 12:30. The games are part of the Green and Gold Classic, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
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