of a game between the Irish and the Bobcats. Maybe he will share a few of them with us.
Check the record books for the 1969-70 Bobcats. They finished fourth in the College World Series. They had a team batting average around .340. Their shortstop was Mike Schmidt (now in the MLB Hall of Fame). Their catcher was Steve Swisher, who later caught for the Chicago Cubs, and father of current MLB player Nick Swisher. Their first baseman was an All American named Mike "Hawk" Hannah, who had an entourage of ladies who followed him around yelling "Hit the ball out, Hawk." They thought he was special.) They were awesome... seriously. Of course, that was a few years ago.
Was actually just trying to find some game stats when they played us that year at home. If I am not mistaken, Schmidt hit five home runs during the series.
played baseball (I played soccer at ND which was a club sport then). '70 was my freshman year, and I'm pretty sure that Schmidt had a pretty great weekend against ND.
I graduated in 1973, so I was just one year ahead of you. Your recollection of Schmidt matches what I recall as well. He was the biggest shortstop I ever saw, but played the position very well at that size. That catcher Swisher impressed me as much, though, I must admit. That was one heck of a team.
I was thinking about this conversation this morning, and it occurred to me that I couldn't have seen this happen.
From what I can determine, we played Miami at home in '70; I started as a freshman that fall so I wasn't on campus for those games. We didn't play them at home until the spring of '72; Schmidt became a professional in June of '71. So I must of heard about this from guys in the dorm (I lived in Dillon) and it might of been from Joe LaRocca who lived in Dillon and was on the team.
We did play them at home in '71, Schmidt went pro that June. I thought I recollected seeing them play, but wasn't sure (it's an age thing)
We did indeed play them at home in 1971. I played and I remember Joe LaRocca very well. I had a close up view of their hitters, from the mound. They were good, at every position and throughout the batting order.
So I guess you remember going to the games. I should have realized you played based on the earlier threads.
Joe was a paisan and a wild man - believe he got suspended from school for a bit for hosting a stag party in the basement of Dillon. IIRC, he totaled a friends '67 Mustang convertible at the corner of ND Ave and Angela blvd. as well. Believed he roomed with Ed Guylas. I find myself thinking of him every time I am in SF walking past LaRocca's bar in North Beach. He's a great guy.
You must have played w/Joe Theisman as well. I had the great fortune of meeting him a number of years ago and the privilege of introducing him as one of our key note speakers at a sales conference. He got a standing O.
Told him he was the starting quarterback and needed to focus exclusively on football. Good decision. He was awesome at quarterback. Amazing, really, as we probably both recall.
the best one I ever saw while I was an undergrad, including the one that won the National Championship.
Their season-ending stretch was particularly harsh -- Georgia Tech and LSU were both ranked (LSU nearly beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl), and Southern Cal had tied Nebraska, which ended up unbeaten and No. 1. Plus, we had to play SC at the Coliseum in a monsoon, and turnovers cost us the game. The 1973 team earned its championship by beating Alabama to end a perfect season, but there was a reason it was a substantial underdog going into the Sugar Bowl. The only ranked team ND played in the regular season was Southern Cal, and that was in South Bend. Pitt was No. 20 when we beat them 31-10 on the road, but they never rose above that and ended unranked.