Websters Dictonary defines the word "dynasty" as, "a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time." That sums up the Notre Dame baseball program in a nutshell. Being Ranked 9th in total wins for the decade of the 90's, along with fourteen straight seasons of reaching college baseballs covoted 40 wins or more, are only two of many arguments that can be said about the team that calls the southwest corner of campus home. What makes the program even more impressive is that the Irish play thier first 15 to 20 games each year on the road away from Frank Eck Stadium. When the Irish finally get some home cooking they finish out the season in brisk 50 degree South Bend weather.

Although they are considered a "northern" school, the Irish have engraved an almost permanent spot in the top 25 polls. Last season Paul Mainieri coached the Irish to thier first #1 ranking in school history. This seasons Notre Dames team was believed to be a mystery. After coming off a 49 win season, while hosting the NCAA Midwest Regional, the Irish were surronded by question marks. After losing one of the best one-two pitching duos in college baseball last season in Aaron Heilman and Danny Tamayo to baseball Amatuer Draft, no one knew who was going to step up and contribute.

Those question marks still went unanswered after opening up the season with a 9-10 record while falling to defeat in thier first four Big East contests. Head Coach Paul Mainieri, along with 2001 Assistant Coach of the Year Brian O'Conner, just tried to patch the open wounds opponents were feeding on. But, the mouse cannot always keep sneaking by the cat without the cat waking up. Waking up was exactly what Coach Mainieri and his staff were waiting for, thier team awoke in a tremedous way.

The Irish have won 32 of thier last 36 games to win the regular season Big East title. Notre Dames offense is led by senior Steve Stanley. Stanley finished the regular season batting .449 with 31 stolen bases and a .547 slugging percentage. Senior catcher Paul O'Toole blasted ten homeruns in the regular season to bring his college career total to 30. Defensivley the Irish outfield is one of the best in the nation. Stanley and junior rightfielder Brian Stavisky had only one error apiece this season.

Notre Dames men on the mound finished the season strong. Starter Peter Ogilvie had a 7 and 2 record on the year with a 3.45 ERA. Beyond Ogilvie, freshman Grant Johnson and freshman John Axford the Irish starting staff was put together by committe with five other pitchers recieving starts. The Irish bullpen is is home of the versitle J.P. Gagne. Gagne finished with a 6 win and 4 lose record with a 2.62 ERA. Gagne leads the Notre Dame squad in apperances and innings pitched with 19 and 75 and 2/3's respectivly.

The Irish success this season will have to continue on Thursday when they face archrival Rutgers. Notre Dame holds the edge in the series with 12 wins against 8 setbacks. The game will be the first game in the double elimination Big East Tournament. Even though the Irish come into the contest as the #1 seed, only four times in the tourney's history has the #1 seed went on to win the tournament. With another NCAA tournament bid on the horizen Coach Paul Maineri still has one question for his team to answer, "Can or will they be stopped in route to the first Big East tournament title?" All questions will start to be answered come Thursday.

Sidenote:

Irish get "The Unit"

Coach Paul Mainieri and his staff locked up the #1 ranked recruiting class last spring and this year was no different. One future Irish player will leteraly standout when he walks onto campus next fall. He is call "The Unit" by his highschool teammates, otherwise known as 7 foot 2 inch, 230 pound pitcher Ryan Doherty. Doherty is 4 and 3 this season with a 1.60 ERA for his New Jersey highschool team while throwing a fastball that ranges from 86 to 91 MPH. Although Ryan is projected to be a midround draft pick in baseballs Amatur Draft this June he has been quoted saying, "I think I'll probably go to Notre Dame, it is such a great school and it would be tough to pass that up." Doherty also averaged 18 points per game his junior season on the basketball court.