Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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ND SPORTS Fours this decade, qualifying in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Now all that's left on the checklist is a national champion‑ ship, which just eluded them in 2010 and 2014 title game appearances. Ranked No. 1 in the country with a 9‑1 overall record after the triumph over the Tar Heels, it's more than con‑ ceivable that this could finally be the year the program gets over the hump. "I think any one of our teams in the last four to five years have been ca‑ pable," Corrigan said. "I believe this team is as well, but there's a lot of ground to be plowed between here and there. "We're just going to worry about the ACC Tournament this week, right now. That's one of the things you have to do with a team like we have this year — stay focused on the now, be‑ cause if you lose sight of that, you get lost in it. We don't set goals in our pro‑ gram; in all honesty, there's only one goal and that's to be the best you can be today. We talk about what we can do today, that's the total focus." Notre Dame faces Duke April 24 in the ACC semifinals, and then could play the winner of North Carolina and Syracuse in the final before the NCAA Tournament starts in May. If their regular‑season performances are any indication, this postseason could be the one the Irish finally break through that championship barrier. And Corrigan's final level will at last be achieved. MIKE LITZINGER HIRED AS WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING COACH After working as associate head coach at North Carolina since 2011, Mike Litzinger was announced as the new head women's swimming and diving coach at Notre Dame April 17. Litzinger held previous head coach‑ ing stops at Utah (2000‑07) and St. Bo‑ naventure (1989‑96) before joining the UNC staff in 2007. "Mike's vast experience as a head coach and most recent experience as associate head coach at a very suc‑ cessful North Carolina program were key factors in the decision to hire him," Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick said. "His passion and drive embody the Notre Dame spirit and represent what we need to propel the program forward." In Litzinger 's eight years at UNC, the Tar Heels finished 57‑17 (.770) in dual meets, and earned top‑19 finishes in the NCAA Championships each of the last four seasons. ✦ Irish Roundup BASEBALL (26‑12, 11‑10 ACC) Notre Dame surpassed its 2014 season win total (22) April 11 with a series-securing 4-1 win over No. 7 Florida State, and then went on to complete the sweep of FSU April 12 with a 2-1 victory. The series win was the first over a top-10 team since the 2002 Super Regionals, when the Irish defeated then No. 1 FSU to advance to the College World Series.