Notre Dame women's softball team prepares to take on Clemson to start their ACC tournament run
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The fourth ranked Notre Dame women's softball team is getting ready for the ACC conference tournament in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Fighting Irish will take on the fifth ranked Clemson Tigers in day two of the tournament.
The Irish hold the third longest winning streak coming into the ACC tournament and they hope to keep the ball rolling Thursday.
"Everything’s kind of been just clicking," said player Karina Gaskins.
"They have been all in, everyday they’re out here," said Head Coach Deanna Gumpf.
"Every single weekend of the ACC, we’ve had to endure some type schedule change and every single time, we’ve come out on top," said player Payton Tidd.
The Irish are having one their best seasons in over five years.
Sitting at 39-9, with a staggering 15-1 home record.
“We’re good at home. We’re really, really, good at home,” Gumpf said.
Good might be an understatement but can it help the Irish in their matchup against Clemson on the road?
The two teams met for a three-game series this year on the road at Clemson.
The Irish lost the series 2-1, which speaks to their 9-5 road record, but that may not be an issue in Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh, as the Irish have gone 15-3 when playing on a neutral diamond.
“The mindset is really focus on what we need to do to make sure we’re prepared for every single pitch, one pitch at time,” Gumpf said.
“We want to beat everyone and hold a trophy up at the end,” said player Abby Sweet.
In order to do so, the 39-9 Irish say it’s going to come down to their mental toughness, something they worked on after last season, to propel their chemistry this season.
“We worked on mental toughness and mental performance and I think that’s been the key for us this year,” Tidd said.
The Irish will have a tough ACC tournament as 6 of the teams rank in the top 25 in the nation.
However, they’re in a good position to win, due to their mental preparation this season.