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In her second season as a pitcher on the University of Notre Dame softball team, Kami Kamzik continues to learn the game at the NCAA Division I level.
A Central Cambria High School graduate and former first-team all-state selection, Kamzik savors each lesson as the 11th-seeded Fighting Irish team preps for a first-round date against No. 6 seed North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament Wednesday at Boston College.
“We were all praying that we were going to get in this year,” Kamzik said of a Fighting Irish team that spent the final weekend of the regular season scoreboard watching. “It had been a pretty rough season and a growing year.
"When we found out we clinched, we were all together watching the games going on this weekend and hoping things didn’t go the way for the teams that still needed to win to get in.”
Notre Dame (23-30-1 overall, 7-17 ACC) and the Tar Heels (39-14, 15-9) will play the fourth game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The single-elimination bracket includes 12 teams, with No. 12 seed Pittsburgh (20-31, 7-17) to play No. 5 Stanford (39-10, 16-8) at 1:30 Wednesday.
Top-seeded Florida State (44-4, 18-3) took the regular-season title and is among four teams with a first-round bye.
“It’s been great,” said Kamzik, a right-hander with a 4-10 record, two complete game wins, 82 strikeouts and 42 walks this season. “We have a new staff. It’s been nice working with them and getting to see what they are going to do to change this program.
“I’m super-thankful for all the opportunities they’re giving me this year and being able to contribute to this team. Overall, it’s been great and I’ve learned so much and grown with the game.”
Kamzik is one of four Fighting Irish pitchers – three underclassmen – with 64 or more innings pitched.
That quartet includes junior right-hander Micaela Kastor (10-8, 116 1/3 innings), senior right-hander Shannon Becker (6-2, 70 1/3), Kamzik (90 1/3 innings) and freshman left-hander Brianne Weiss (3-6, 64 2/3).
As a freshman, Kamzik appeared in 12 games with two starts in 2024. She had 16 strikeouts in 16 innings.
This season, the sophomore got out to a quick start, earning her first complete-game victory against Penn State (4-2) opening weekend Feb. 9.
“The complete game against Penn State was the tone-setter for sure, knowing that I can do this,” Kamzik said. “Last year I didn’t get a ton of playing time, so I think playing early on, doing well, kind of set the tone for me and allowed me to go with the mental side of the game and have confidence.
“My coaches believing in me and seeing that if they believed in me then I have to believe in myself. I think the constant support from my teammates and my coaches allowed me to be able to contribute to this team this year.”
Former Notre Dame player and long-time assistant coach Kris Ganeff moved into the head coach position this season.
Kamzik’s second complete game win on March 8 at Louisville was the Fighting Irish’s first ACC win. Kamzik had a career-high nine strikeouts in the circle.
“That was the first ACC game that I pitched in and we won,” Kamzik said. “That was a great game. Louisville is a great team. That’s the only game we had won that weekend, so it was nice to get a win under my belt as well.”
North Carolina won three straight games over the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, April 25-27. Kamzik received a loss in relief after the Tar Heels scored an unearned run in the sixth inning to defeat Notre Dame 2-1 in the middle contest.
“They’re definitely going to come out and know they have swept us in the series,” Kamzik said, “but we also have been practicing and working on things that maybe didn’t go our way in those games.”
At Central Cambria, Red Devils players, coaches and sports fans have a reason to keep tabs on the ACC Tournament and hope for Notre Dame to assemble a string of upsets.
In her final three high school seasons in the circle, Kamzik had a 32-4 record with 491 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA in 225 2/3 innings, according to statistics posted on MaxPreps.
“Knowing that everybody at home and here is cheering for me is great and makes me love the game even more,” Kamzik said. “For everyone to still be following me even though I’m an alumnus now from Central (Cambria) is great.”
During the offseason this past summer, Kamzik provided pitching lessons. She plans to continue teaching the game to young players after the current college season concludes.
“This summer I’ll also be home, but I’ll be taking summer classes,” Kamzik said. “I’ll still be doing the pitching lessons.
“I’m going to do a couple clinics, too,” Kamzik added. “I’m working with Rick Roberts, the Flood City Elite owner for baseball. He has been building a softball program. He asked me if I’d be willing to work with him this summer, so I’m working on that.”
Kamzik certainly wouldn’t mind if the Fighting Irish provide a good reason to delay those lessons and clinics just a bit longer.
Continue reading...
A Central Cambria High School graduate and former first-team all-state selection, Kamzik savors each lesson as the 11th-seeded Fighting Irish team preps for a first-round date against No. 6 seed North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament Wednesday at Boston College.
“We were all praying that we were going to get in this year,” Kamzik said of a Fighting Irish team that spent the final weekend of the regular season scoreboard watching. “It had been a pretty rough season and a growing year.
"When we found out we clinched, we were all together watching the games going on this weekend and hoping things didn’t go the way for the teams that still needed to win to get in.”
Notre Dame (23-30-1 overall, 7-17 ACC) and the Tar Heels (39-14, 15-9) will play the fourth game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The single-elimination bracket includes 12 teams, with No. 12 seed Pittsburgh (20-31, 7-17) to play No. 5 Stanford (39-10, 16-8) at 1:30 Wednesday.
Top-seeded Florida State (44-4, 18-3) took the regular-season title and is among four teams with a first-round bye.
“It’s been great,” said Kamzik, a right-hander with a 4-10 record, two complete game wins, 82 strikeouts and 42 walks this season. “We have a new staff. It’s been nice working with them and getting to see what they are going to do to change this program.
“I’m super-thankful for all the opportunities they’re giving me this year and being able to contribute to this team. Overall, it’s been great and I’ve learned so much and grown with the game.”
Kamzik is one of four Fighting Irish pitchers – three underclassmen – with 64 or more innings pitched.
That quartet includes junior right-hander Micaela Kastor (10-8, 116 1/3 innings), senior right-hander Shannon Becker (6-2, 70 1/3), Kamzik (90 1/3 innings) and freshman left-hander Brianne Weiss (3-6, 64 2/3).
As a freshman, Kamzik appeared in 12 games with two starts in 2024. She had 16 strikeouts in 16 innings.
This season, the sophomore got out to a quick start, earning her first complete-game victory against Penn State (4-2) opening weekend Feb. 9.
“The complete game against Penn State was the tone-setter for sure, knowing that I can do this,” Kamzik said. “Last year I didn’t get a ton of playing time, so I think playing early on, doing well, kind of set the tone for me and allowed me to go with the mental side of the game and have confidence.
“My coaches believing in me and seeing that if they believed in me then I have to believe in myself. I think the constant support from my teammates and my coaches allowed me to be able to contribute to this team this year.”
Former Notre Dame player and long-time assistant coach Kris Ganeff moved into the head coach position this season.
Kamzik’s second complete game win on March 8 at Louisville was the Fighting Irish’s first ACC win. Kamzik had a career-high nine strikeouts in the circle.
“That was the first ACC game that I pitched in and we won,” Kamzik said. “That was a great game. Louisville is a great team. That’s the only game we had won that weekend, so it was nice to get a win under my belt as well.”
North Carolina won three straight games over the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, April 25-27. Kamzik received a loss in relief after the Tar Heels scored an unearned run in the sixth inning to defeat Notre Dame 2-1 in the middle contest.
“They’re definitely going to come out and know they have swept us in the series,” Kamzik said, “but we also have been practicing and working on things that maybe didn’t go our way in those games.”
At Central Cambria, Red Devils players, coaches and sports fans have a reason to keep tabs on the ACC Tournament and hope for Notre Dame to assemble a string of upsets.
In her final three high school seasons in the circle, Kamzik had a 32-4 record with 491 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA in 225 2/3 innings, according to statistics posted on MaxPreps.
“Knowing that everybody at home and here is cheering for me is great and makes me love the game even more,” Kamzik said. “For everyone to still be following me even though I’m an alumnus now from Central (Cambria) is great.”
During the offseason this past summer, Kamzik provided pitching lessons. She plans to continue teaching the game to young players after the current college season concludes.
“This summer I’ll also be home, but I’ll be taking summer classes,” Kamzik said. “I’ll still be doing the pitching lessons.
“I’m going to do a couple clinics, too,” Kamzik added. “I’m working with Rick Roberts, the Flood City Elite owner for baseball. He has been building a softball program. He asked me if I’d be willing to work with him this summer, so I’m working on that.”
Kamzik certainly wouldn’t mind if the Fighting Irish provide a good reason to delay those lessons and clinics just a bit longer.
Continue reading...
