May 5, 2001
Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Notre Dame's Aaron Heilman joined an
exclusive group of Division I baseball players by registering his 40th
career win and 400th strikeout in the 6-1 opener while the Irish offense
rallied for three runs in the ninth inning of the 13-12 nightcap, as the
top-ranked Notre Dame baseball team clinched the BIG EAST Conference
regular-season title with a sweep of visiting Connecticut in Saturday
afternoon action at Eck Stadium.
Notre Dame (43-7-1, 20-2 BIG EAST) set the team record for most
games over .500 (+36) while extending its BIG EAST winning streak to 18
games-well ahead of the conference's previous record for single-season
winning streak (11 by the potent 1989 Seton Hall squad).
Heilman-who improved to 12-0 for the season and 22-1 in his
last 23 decisions-joins current South Carolina senior Kip Bouknight
(43-10, 431 Ks) and all-time NCAA strikeout leader John Powell of Auburn
(43-20, 602 Ks, from 1990-94) as the only Division I players currently
known to have reached 40 career victories and 400 strikeouts-since
limits were placed on the number of games that teams can play per season
(beginning in 1990). Nine others are known to be members of the 40-400
club-based on research coordinated by the BIG EAST office-with that
group including four pitchers from the 1970s and five who played
primarily in the 1980s (prior to the current 56-game schedule limits,
see complete list at end of story).
Heilman entered the day needing 10 strikeouts to reach the 400-K
milestone in the final regular-season home game of his storied career.
An early stretch of five straight Ks gave the Irish ace a chance to
reach the milestone in the seven-inning opener but he still needed two
Ks in the final inning. Joe Kagerer went down swinging at a 2-2 pitch
for the second out and-following a single and walk-Heilman blew a 1-2
pitch by Mike James to complete the historic day with the 10 Ks, plus
three walks and three hits allowed.
The wild second game-which saw ND's
Danny Tamayo touched for
eight runs after entering with a 1.42 season ERA-included four leads by
the Irish and three ties before Connecticut (24-25, 12-13) surged to an
11-9 lead with four runs in the sixth. The Huskies still held a 12-10
edge heading into the bottom of the ninth-with
Andrew Bushey drawing a
leadoff walk on four pitches and
Ken Meyer reaching when reserve third
baseman Mike Mocerino misplayed his slow grounder.
Junior centerfielder Steve Stanley then tied the game two batters later,
taking advantage of his counterpart Mike Scott playing too shallow by
driving a 1-1 pitch from righthander Mike James over the head of a
backpedaling Scott for the game-tying triple. Freshman second baseman
Steve Sollmann ended the game by lifting a 1-0 pitch to center field for
the sacrifice fly.
Irish senior shortstop Alec Porzel continued his recent surge,
with his 4-for-6 day including a solo shot in the first inning of the
opener, plus four RBI, four runs scored, two walks and a double over the
course of the two games.
Porzel's four RBI give him 203 for his career, moving past Mike
Amrhein (202, '94-'97) and Dan Peltier (202, '87-'89) into second on the
ND career RBI list, behind the 221 totaled by1993 graduate Eric
Danapilis.
Sophomore rightfielder Brian Stavisky helped give the Irish a
3-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, after depositing a two-run
shot over the leftfield fence for his fifth home run of the season
(tying Porzel and Sollmann for the team lead).
Stanley batted 4-for-5 in the back-and-forth second game while
factoring into seven of the Irish runs, with four RBI and three runs
scored.
CONNECTICUT 0-0-0 0-0-0 1 - 1 3 0
#1 NOTRE DAME 1-0-3 2-0-0 X - 6 8 1
Pat Sperone (L, 6-5) and Mike James. Aaron Heilman (W, 12-0) and Paul
O'Toole.
Home Run: A,ec Porzel, ND (solo in 1st, 5th of season).
Triple: Brian Stavisky (ND). Doubles: Steve Stanley (ND), Steve
Sollmann (ND), Matt Bok (ND), Peter Soteropoulos (UC).
CONNECTICUT (24-25, 12-13 BIG EAST) 0-0-3 3-1-4 0-1-0 - 12 19 4
#1 NOTRE DAME (43-7-1, 20-2 BIG EAST) 3-0-3 1-2-0 1-0-3 - 13 13 4
Chris DeBrisco, Chris James (L, 4-1) and Mike Leonard Danny Tamayo,
Matt Buchmeier (6), Mike Naumann (7), Matt Laird (W, 4-1) and Paul
O'Toole.
Home Run: Brian Stavisky, ND (1 on in 1st, 5th of season). Triples:
Steve Stanley (ND), Cy Hess (UC).
Doubles: Alec Porzel (ND), Mike Scott 2 (UC), Dan Trubia (UC), Brian
Tisbert (UC).
DIVISION I BASEBALL PLAYERS WITH 40 CAREER WINS AND 4000 STRIKEOUTS
| Aaron Heilman, Notre Dame (1998-current) | 40-7 | 400 Ks (368 IP) |
| Kip Bouknight, South Carolina (1998-current) | 43-10 | 431 Ks (448 IP) |
| John Powell, Auburn (1990-94) | 43-20 | 602 Ks (477 IP) |
| Doug Creek, Georgia Tech (1988-91) | 41 wins | 458 Ks (472 IP) |
| Kirk Dressendorfer, Texas (1988-90) | 45 wins | 462 Ks (429.2 IP) |
| Brian Barnes, Clemson (1986-89) | 44 wins | 513 Ks (475.1 IP) |
| Greg Swindell, Texas (1984-86) | 43 wins | 501Ks (440 IP) |
| John Hoover, Fresno State (1981-84) | 44 wins | 411Ks (494 IP) |
| Richard Wortham, Texas (1973-76) | 50 wins | 481 Ks (456.2 IP) |
| Eddie Banem, Arizona State (1971-73) | 40 wins | 505 Ks |
| Craig Swan, Arizona State (1969-72) | 47 wins | 459 Ks |
| Rich Troedson, Santa Clara (1969-72) | 40 wins | 445 Ks |
Current players who are close to the 40-400 club
| Kenny Baugh, Rice (1998-current) | 38-8 | 401 Ks (419 IP) |
| Jeff Nichols, Rice (1998-current) | 42-17 | 364 Ks (423.2 IP) |
