Nov. 19, 1996
Notre Dame's Softball Announces Signings of Four Seniors to Letters of Intent
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- The University of Notre Dame softball team has
signed four high school seniors to letters of intent, announced head
coach Liz Miller.
"This is definitely one of the top recruiting classes overall," said
Miller. "The combination of pitching, hitting and speed make it one of
our strongest classes. We lose five seniors after this season so we
will need all four players to come in and contribute immediately."
The signees include righthanded pitcher Melanie Alkire (Union City,
Calif.), utility player Danielle Klayman (San Diego, Calif.), outfielder
Lizzy Lemire (Irvine, Calif.) and lefthanded pitcher Jennifer Sharron
(Agoura Hills, Calif.).
Sharron will make Notre Dame history when she first steps on the mound
as she will become the first lefthanded pitcher in Irish history. The
southpaw struck out 293 batters in 1996 for Thousand Oaks High School in
224 innings pitched with an 0.34 earned run average, six no-hitters and
four perfect games.
"Jennifer will team with Melanie as key players in our program the next
four years," said Miller. "Jennifer is one of the premier pitchers
coming out of high school and has the potential to be one of the top
pitchers in the country. She has high goals for herself and for the
team."
Alkire is a player who will help the Irish both on the mound and at bat.
At James Logan High School Alkire compiled a 30-4 record on the mound
where she can utilize her variety of pitches. The power hitter will
bring her ba to Notre Dame at the plate as well, having batted .443,
.429 and .357 through her junior year.
"Melanie will make an immediate impact on the pitching staff and in our
lineup overall," said Miller. "Her hitting and defense in the infield
will help us tremendously. She brings intense competitiveness to the
field and knows what it takes to win."
The lefthanded hitting Klayman comes to Notre Dame as the quintessential
utility player. She has the talent and skills to play at nearly every
position and will afford Miller the luxury of inserting Klayman into
numerous positions to fill any gaps. Klayman, who brings a wealth of
natural athletic ability to the field, has batted .417 at La Jolla High
School and has garnered numerous all-academic awards.
"Danielle can do so many different things for us," said Miller. "She
can step in and play in almost every position, depending on our needs.
Danielle will bring another lefty bat into our lineup as well as her
speed and intelligence."
Lemire has starred at Woodbridge High School, batting .347 at third
base. She led her high school team to the league championship and was
the team's 1996 scholar athlete. Her versatility will help the Irish
out tremendously.
"Lizzy is a control hitter who can also hit for power," said Miller.
"She is a very smart baserunner who plays with much consistency. Lizzy
brings a lot of experience and is always ready to play when she steps on
the field."
"We are really excited about the addition of these four players to our
program. With the loss of five seniors after this year, we are
fortunate to have their talent and ability on the way."
