Notre Dame softball starts season this weekend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Softball season is closer than you think.

The Notre Dame softball team will start its season this weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla.

Head coach Deanna Gumpf is entering her 23rd season at the helm of the program. She became the school’s all-time winningest coach across all sports last season.

16 Sports caught up with Coach Gumpf and senior infielder Karina Gaskins on Tuesday afternoon to find out how added experience affects their approach on opening day.

“I’ve learned so much. I think I’m a completely different coach, yet I’m exactly the same,” Gumpf said. “I think I’m more mellow. I think that I manage stress better now.”

“I think senior year is always an exciting time for everyone,” Gaskins said. “It’s your last year here, so you really wanna go out with a bang. But I think approaching it is the same as all the other years. We wanna go out on the field and do our best every single game and just win it all.”

The Irish are scheduled to play five games in Florida this upcoming weekend — two games on Friday, two games on Saturday, and one game on Sunday. One of those games will make history by airing live on the MLB Network.

“Opening day is still so exciting because we all think we know what we have, but when you put it on the field and see it against somebody else, it’s just that excitement and that feeling of ‘okay, here we go,’” Gumpf said. “No matter how today goes, we’re getting started. And it’s real, and we’re gonna go attack the day and the game.”

Notre Dame’s first game on Friday is set for 10 a.m. EST against Central Arkansas. The Irish will play another game at 1 p.m. EST against South Alabama.

For a full look at the team’s schedule, click here.

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