NOTRE DAME — Rated among the best statistical hitting programs in the NCAA during the 2014 season, the University of Notre Dame softball team will hold its annual Irish Softball Hitting Academy from Sept. 29 through Oct. 13 in the indoor baseball batting cages at Frank Eck Stadium.

The national leader in Division I softball with a program-best .357 team batting average last season, Notre Dame also established single-season records for the most doubles (107, which also led the NCAA), most hits (533) and the highest on-base percentage (.419) in team history. The Irish also ranked second in the nation with a .552 slugging percentage, and were seventh in the NCAA with a 6.69 runs per game average during the program’s inaugural season as an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member.

National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) 2014 Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year members Kris Ganeff and Lizzy Lemire and select Notre Dame players will lead the hitting academy, designed for athletes looking to improve their offensive skills and drill development during the offseason.

Players will receive three separate two-hour hitting sessions at the Eck Stadium indoor batting cages, learning through lecture, video analysis and drill work catered to fully developing hitting skills.

Sessions will be offered on Monday nights during the three-week hitting academy, scheduled for Sept. 29, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13. All sessions will run from 7-9 p.m. each night of instruction. All registered players are required to bring their own bat and helmet to each session, and sessions are limited to 25 players per night.

The cost is $200 per player for the entire three-week academy schedule.  Payment must be made in full, and there will be no refunds issued after a spot is reserved due to the limited amount of participants allowed to register.

For more information, and to register for the Irish Softball Hitting Academy, contact Notre Dame associate coach Kris Ganeff at 574-876-1216 or via email at ganeff2@nd.edu.